By The week before classes start. I organized the apartment with the precision of a person who knows that the next four years will be chaos and the only defense against chaos is organization. The kitchen: spices alphabetized (Tony Chachere's on the counter, not the shelf, because Tony's gets used daily). The bedroom: desk by the window for maximum light. The living room: nonexistent (it is a one-bedroom; the "living room" is the space between the bed and the kitchen).
I made a test batch of gumbo to calibrate the new stove — every stove is different, and the difference is in the heat distribution, and the heat distribution determines how the roux behaves. This stove runs hot on the left burner and even on the right. I will use the right for roux. I will use the left for boiling. The stove and I are negotiating. By December we will be partners.
Once I confirmed the right burner was trustworthy — steady, even, patient — I wanted to give it something worthy of the occasion. Gumbo was the diagnostic test, but a praline cake felt like the housewarming. Tony Chachere’s on the counter, a calibrated stove, and a dessert that tastes like every aunt who ever owned a cast-iron skillet: that’s how you make a one-bedroom feel like home before the semester even starts.
Heavenly Praline Cake
Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Praline Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, softened butter, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil until smooth.
- Make the batter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix.
- Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 30—35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Make the praline frosting. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with brown sugar, stirring constantly. Add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil; cook 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in toasted pecans.
- Frost while warm. Pour the warm praline frosting over the still-warm cake, spreading evenly. The frosting will set into a glossy, candy-like layer as it cools.
- Cool and slice. Allow the frosted cake to cool completely at room temperature, at least 30 minutes, before cutting into squares and serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 520 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 70g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg