Frosting Recipes

Traditional southern pecan pralines get their toasty sweetness from chopped pecans and brown sugar.  This classic candy was originally made by hand in a copper kettle.  The best pralines balance the taste of brown sugar and milk fat, along with a chewy and sometimes tooth-pulling crunch. Its vanilla and caramel undertones make this a much-loved treat.

We went searching for a pecan praline frosting recipe, one that is like a traditional praline, just in frosting form for cakes or cupcakes.  This recipe from Recipezaar is the best example of how this a favorite southern confection becomes the perfect frosting for a chocolate fudge cake. A bourbon glaze or whipped cream would be a nice compliment, as would a garnish of a pecan praline.

Pecan Praline Frosting Recipe

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

• Combine the butter, brown sugar and whipping cream in a 2 quart saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring often.
• Boil 1 min; remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Add the pecans and stir gently for 2-5 minutes, or until the frosting begins to cool and thicken slightly.
• Pour immediately over the cake.

(Do yourself a favor and don’t look at the nutrition facts for this recipe).

Full cake recipe for the accompanying New Orleans Double Chocolate Fudge Cake found here.

A lot of hazelnut frosting recipes include nut liqueurs like Frangelico or hazelnut paste, both of which are tasty, but not always kid-friendly.  Another option when making a nut frosting like hazelnut is to use a hazelnut spread.  You may already know of Nutella, a cocoa-hazelnut spread that originated in Italy.    It makes a fabulous choco-hazelnut frosting, but the hazelnut flavor can be overwhelmed by the sweetness.   Another option, suggested by Iwaruna.com, is using a hazelnut praline spread.

Looking for hazelnut butter or hazelnut praline spread?  You’ll find it at specialty grocery stores near the peanut butter.

Hazelnut Praline Frosting Recipe From Iwaruna.com

Ingredients

* 1 cup hazelnut praline spread; this was the approximate amount from 1 jar of the Matíz brand, which weighed 9.8 ounces (280 grams).
* 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
* 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* a pinch of salt
* 6 ounces confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Method

1. Over low heat in a sauce pan, stir the hazelnut praline spread, butter, 1/2 cup of cream and salt until melted and free of lumps. Pour into a food processor.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar to the food processor, then whirl until smooth. If you notice oil still separating out from the mixture, add more confectioner’s sugar. I also added another 1/4 cup of cream so that it wouldn’t be too stiff to spread, but add more if you want a softer frosting. It does firm up more as it cools.
3. Spread over layers of cake, or cupcakes.

Iwaruna.com » Hazelnut frosting made from praline spread.