Praline Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Servings: 10

Ingredients

Praline Cream Cheese Filling:
1 8oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla flavor
¼ cup finely chopped pecans (You may add more or less if you’d like)

Praline Topping:
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups Sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
1 ½ cups of pecan pieces
Extra can of evaporated milk to thin, if needed

Steps

Praline Cream Cheese Filling:
1. With mixer, blend cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Gradually add in cups of powdered sugar beating at low speed until blended, then add vanilla flavor.
3. Stir in pecans. Allow to slightly chill before frosting cake.

Praline Topping:
1. On a stovetop melt butter, sugar and evaporated milk in sauce pan on medium heat. Stir to thoroughly combine.
2. Bring mixture to a slow boil, then reduce heat to medium/low. Let cook for about 15 minutes without stirring.
3. After 15 minutes, stir, scraping the bottom and sides as the mixture will begin to thicken.
4. Cook while stirring, making sure mixture does not scorch, for about 10 minutes then add vanilla, stir until combined.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Pour one and a half cups of pecan pieces into mixture and stir mixing completely. If mixture gets too thick, pour a small amount (about 2 Tbsp. at a time) of evaporated milk to thin.
7. Let cool about five minutes before frosting cake. (Do not allow to cool too long as it will thicken. Frosting should be somewhat warm.)

Assemble Cake:
1. Use your favorite yellow cake recipe to make three 9-inch layers. This should be done in advance of making praline frosting.
2. When the cake has cooled, flip one layer over onto a 10-inch round cake board, spread your desired amount of praline cream cheese frosting onto first layer.
Allow the icing to dry a bit, then add second layer, spread with your desired amount of praline cream cheese frosting.
3. After second layer of icing has dried a bit, top with third cake layer. (You will have cream cheese frosting left over.)
Allow cake to chill in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes before frosting. Frost sides of cooled, refrigerated cake first, then frost the top