Texas Praline Cake



INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar, not packed

10 pecan halves (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease
just the bottom of a 10 inch tube pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 cup brown sugar
and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time,
mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla. Dissolve the coffee
crystals in water, and stir into the creamed mixture until blended.
Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; stir into
the batter until just incorporated. Fold in pecans. Transfer the
batter to the prepared pan.

3. Bake for about 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a
toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on a wire rack.

4. In a chilled bowl, stir together the heavy cream, salt, vanilla
and remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar so that the sugar is dissolved.
Whip using chilled beaters until stiff. Run a knife around the outer
edge of the cake in the pan, and tap it out onto a serving plate.
Make sure cake is completely cool before frosting. Decorate with
pecan halves if you like.



Texas Praline Cake