Pecan Spice Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened, plus additional for buttering pans
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature 30 minutes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped (3 ounces)
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
• 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar (from a 1-pound package)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cups pecans, toasted, cooled, and finely chopped (5 ounces)

Recipe

• 1 make cake:.
• 2 put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°f
• 3 butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• 4 sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into a large bowl.
• 5 beat together butter (1 1/2 sticks) and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• 6 beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
• 7 reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and sour cream alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth.
• 8 mix in pecans until just combined.
• 9 spoon batter evenly into pans, smoothing tops, then rap pans once or twice to expel any air bubbles.
• 10 bake until pale golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• 11 cool 10 minutes in pans on racks.
• 12 run a thin knife around edge of pans, then invert racks over pans and reinvert cakes onto racks to cool completely.
• 13 make frosting:.
• 14 beat together cream cheese, butter, and zest in a bowl with clean beaters at medium-high speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• 15 sift in confectioners sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, then add lemon juice and beat at medium-high speed until frosting is smooth.
• 16 assemble and frost cake:.
• 17 halve each cake layer horizontally with a long serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.
• 18 put 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup frosting.
• 19 stack remaining cake layers, spreading about 3/4 cup frosting on each layer and ending with top cake layer cut side down.
• 20 spread top and side of cake with remaining frosting (about 3 1/2 cups) and coat side of cake with pecans (1 1/3 cups), gently pressing to help them adhere.
• 21 ****cook time does not include toasting the pecans or allowing cake to cool before frosting.
• 22 cooks' notes:.
• 23 • cake layers (not split) can be kept, wrapped individually in plastic wrap and placed in large sealed plastic bags, chilled 1 day or frozen 1 week. if frozen, thaw in bags at room temperature, about 2 hours.
• 24 • frosting can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. bring to room temperature, then stir until smooth before using.
• 25 • cake can be assembled and frosted 8 hours ahead, then kept, loosely covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature.