This is a grand cake and although it may appear daunting and overwhelming to bake and assemble, it isn’t. I have the pleasure of catering a birthday cocktail party next week for 100 people and this is one of three cakes that will be served alongside my Chocolate Layer Cake and Coconut Cream Cake.

The party is a blend of Southern/Italian cuisine. I am finalizing the plans and adapting a few recipes for the event. The menu is impressive and I am counting on my team to help me carry it out. Some of the choices are tried and true while a few new recipes will be included.

I’ll have lots of goodies for you to sample, and it only seemed natural to start with dessert first. This cake is light, mildly sweet and moist for an angel food style. The taste of orange paired with praline candy and whip cream is wonderful. The Italian cream filling is lucious and mildly sweet as well making the layers that much better to eat.

I decided that the cake is best without the crunch in between the layers after trying one layer with and one without so I will be reserving the brittle for the top alone. Please feel free to change this if you want and add it to the layers. You may also use whip cream between the layers instead of the Italian Cream that I chose to save time, just double the whipped cream ingredients.

When you finish assembling the cake it appears that cutting it will be an issue. I assure you that it is not. This cake cuts beautifully, which is just what you want when serving lots of guests. It is especially important to read through the entire recipe and take this one step at a time and you’ll be rewarded for your hard work.

Southern Praline Crunch Layer Cake

Praline

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup minus 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp grand Marnier or orange liquor

1 ¼ cups toasted pecan halves

1 ½ tsp sifted baking soda

Cake

1 ¼ cup

1 ½ cup superfine sugar

6 egg yolks, room temperature

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp grated orange peel

1 tbsp orange liqueur

Pinch of salt

8 egg whites, room temperature

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Italian Cream Filling

6 egg yolks

6 tbsp flour

6 tbsp sugar

3 cups milk scalded

2” piece of orange rind

Topping

2 cups whipping cream

3 tbsp superfine sugar

2 tbsp orange liquor

For Praline-

Grease a large baking sheet. Cook sugar, corn syrup and liqueur in a heavy saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to med-high and boil until candy thermometer is just shy of 300 degrees which is the hard ball stage.

Add the toasted pecans which you have coarsely chopped and remove from the heat. Add the baking soda and carefully stir till combined. Pour mixture onto your prepared sheet, being careful not to burn yourself. Spread mixture with the back of the wooden spoon. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool and then break apart into pieces. Using a rolling pin or mallet, crush the praline till the size of coarse crumbs. The easiest way to do this is to bag praline in a freezer baggie, wrapped with parchment paper.

For Cake-

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Sift flour and ½ cup sugar into a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Mix together ¼ cup sugar, egg yolks, juice, peel, liqueur and salt. Using a mixer beat until you have slowly dissolving ribbon forms when beater is lifted. About 3 minutes. Don’t overbeat.
Using a clean and dry bowl and beaters, place egg whites and cream of tartar in bowl and beat till soft peaks form. Slowly add your remaining ¾ cup sugar and beat until peaks are stiff. Gently mix 1/3 of egg whites into cake mixture. Then fold the remaining 2/3 egg whites into batter. Turn into an ungreased 10”tube pan, with removable bottom. Using a knife or your spatula cut through batter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Invert pan and let cake completely on a rack while in pan. When cool remove from pan being careful.

For filling-

Scald your milk and orange peel, set aside till it cools some. Meanwhile in another pan, beat your egg yolks, flour and sugar. Gradually add your scalded milk and stirring constantly heat until mixture come to a slight boil while on low heat. 5-7 minutes to bring filling to this stage. If there are any lumps pass through a sieve. Cool stirring occasionally so that a skin doesn’t form.

For topping-

Beat heavy cream in a chilled bowl and wire beater, till soft peaks form. Gradually add your sugar and continue beating till stiff peaks form. Gently fold in orange liqueur.

Assemble your cake-

Cake may be made up to 3 days ahead.

Praline may be made up to a week in advance.

Italian cream may be made up to 3 days ahead.

Carefully cut your cooled cake into 3 even layers. Put bottom layer on a 10” cake round cardboard. Spread ½ of Italian cream on cake. Top with another layer of cake and spread remaining Italian cream on cake. Top cake with final layer and chill for about 5-10 minutes in freezer to set. Spread whip cream on sides and top of cake spreading evenly. Cover sides and top of cake with crushed praline candy pieces. You can gather up praline that fell from the sides and sprinkle on cake.

Serve immediately, using a cake knife and pie server. Cake will feed about 20 people. If you make cake ahead of time, keep in refrigerator and remove about 30-60 ahead of serving.