Dad's Birthday Cake

The cake.

This is the birthday cake our mom made for Dad's birthday every year. For Dad's 60th birthday this year, we resurrected the recipe with resounding success. I was flying in from Vancouver and we were pressed for time, so I pre-mixed the dry ingredients in Vancouver and Madeline and I prepared the cake in Minneapolis while Zack napped. We finished it with the whipped cream right before serving it at the cabin.

This recipe has you prepare a pecan caramel sauce which bakes under the cake batter. The frosting is gently whipped cream, garnished with toasted pecans and chocolate curls, if you are feeling fancy.

Pecan caramel (praline) sauce. In a small saucepan combine the following three ingredients and cook over medium low heat until just melted:

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

While that's gently melting, prepare 2 9-inch cake pans by buttering, flouring, and parchmenting (i.e., lining the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper) them. Once the butter, cream, and brown sugar have melted, divide the mixture evenly between the two cake pans and sprinkle with 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans.

Begin drooling and preheat your oven to 350F. Now the cake:

• 12 tablespoons (6 ounces) room temperature butter
• 1 3/4 cups (12.25 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups (8.25 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (2.25 ounces) natural cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) milk or water

Cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Sift or whisk together the flour and cocoa in a separate bowl. Add the eggs to the creamed butter concoction one by one, beating well each time. Alternate additions of the flour mixture - water/milk - flour mixture - water/milk - flour mixture. Make sure all the flour is hydrated.

Pour the cake batter into your prepared (parchmented, carameled, pecaned) cake pans. Gently put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. You will likely want to place a pan on the rack under the cake pans to catch any caramel drips.

Madeline stoked to surprise Dad.

Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Peel off the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely with the new praline side facing up.

Just before serving, gently whip

• 1 3/4 cup cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (or a little less, up to you)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Dad and Joan approve.

Put one cake praline side up on a serving platter and plop half the whipped cream on there. Spread it around and gently place the second cake on top, again praline side up. Top with the remaining whipped cream and more pecans and chocolate curls, those latter two only if you want.

Serve with coffee, beer, or milk.