Praline Cake

My favouritest (if there is a word like that :) ) cake.One that my aunts used to make during college days and I would carry back with me to the hostel after each vacation.It is still my favourite iced cake, very simple to make and tastes great.

This cake can be baked in an Oven or a pressure cooker.Back home we used to bake it in the pressure cooker,now I use the oven just because the results are the same and it is more convenient here.

Ingredients:

1. Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1 cup
3. Eggs - 4
4. Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp
5. salt - 1 pinch
6. Baking powder - 1 tsp

For Icicng

1. Unsalted butter - 100 gms(2 sticks)
2. Cashew nuts - 100 gms
3. powdered sugar - to taste and make the icing
4. Sugar - to caramelize (1/2 cup)

Method:
For the Praline mix
Apply butter on a steel plate and keep aside.
Add 1/2 cup of sugar to caramelize into a sauce pan and heat until it becomes light brown.
Add in the cashew nuts and mix until it reaches a dark golden colour and turn the flame off.
Pour this mixture on to the buttered plate immediately and keep aside to cool.
When this has cooled well crush into bits and store in an airtight container.(This can be done several days ahead)

For the Icing
Mix together the butter and powdered sugar (Do not add too much sugar or the icing becomes too loose to spread)

For the Cake
Sift the maida and Baking powder and keep aside.
Beat together the Sugar and eggs until the sugar dissolves.
Add in the flour and incorporate or beat well.
Add in the Vanilla essence and mix well.
Bake in a preheated oven(350 degree) for 35 - 45 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool well.

Assembling the cake
Cut the cake into two horizontally .
Spread a layer of icing and sprinkle the nut mixture on the top of the base layer.
Keep the top layer on top and apply icing on the entire cake and sides.
Sprinkle with the nut mixture.
Keep it in the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes.

NOTE:The cake I baked had 5 layers - you can make multiple cakes and increase the layers as needed.

For baking the cake in a pressure cooker - you need a pan that would fit inside a pressure cooker and a stand to put the baking tin on.
Do not add any water to the pressure cooker and do not put the weight on.
Turn the stove on and cook the cake in a closed pressure cooker for 35 to 45 minutes on medium low flame.