The best pralines I have ever eaten were in New Orleans, from a shop near the French Market called Aunt Sally’s, a family-owned, women-led company that has been hand-pouring French Creole-style pralines since 1935. Located on Decatur Street, just a few steps from Cafe du Monde, it is impossible to pass by the storefront.
The aroma of their cookie-like confections draws you in and pulls you right through the door. Made with all locally-sourced ingredients, their pralines are rich with cream and loaded with pecans and literally melt in your mouth. Never saccharine-sweet or grainy as some pralines can be, Aunt Sally’s sets the bar to measure all the rest, and Praline Apple Cake captures the spirit of their perfection. It is the cake version of Aunt Sally’s pralines.
This is another to add to your list for anytime you want a good Southern cake, no matter the season. It is deliciously moist, and the buttery, creamy rich pecan-praline flavor shines through in every bite. It can double as a coffee cake, but it is more than worthy to serve after dinner with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
It is not what you expect from an apple dessert, as there is no cinnamon, nutmeg, or other warming spice to give it that quintessential autumn flavor. In fact, despite being loaded with fresh, chopped fruit, the cake benefits more from the moisture of the apples than from an infusion of their flavor.
I love it during these early days of the season change when it feels a little soon for all things pumpkin-spice. We are only just getting a first taste of cooler weather along our stretch of the Gulf Coast, and, boy oh boy, are we grateful to have those hellish temperatures we endured in our rear view. This morning, I walked outside to temps in the mid-70’s and a sweet northeasterly breeze. It was absolutely glorious.
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As I waltz-twirled my way to the coffee pot, feeling blissful about the weather, it occurred to me: I bet that breeze is because of “Francine,” the soon to be hurricane currently off the Texas coast. That thought led to a string of worrisome thoughts about the tracks and patterns of previous storms around this time of year, Beware the teens of September, and before I knew, it my coffee was cold, my mind anxious, and my contentment shot. The spiral had begun.
I am told that we humans are hardwired to always look for what is wrong. It is a protective mechanism that helps keep us safe, something that has helped us survive as a species. In most moments of our lives, however, there is no imminent danger, but that default setting still pushes us to find something over which to worry and fret. And in so doing, we lose our enjoyment of the moment, our buoyancy, our joie de vivre.
My wise, self-possessed, inspirational friend says, “Cultivate your happy,” to balance the scales. Sounds simple . . . pleasant really. And she makes it look easy. “Since we are geared to see what is not right, carve out time to practice seeing what is right,” she tells me. Engage in meaningful endeavors and do the work required, but take the walk, watch the sunrise, look around for the good and expect situations to work out.
“I will keep trying, I mean practicing,” I tell her over pieces of Praline Apple Cake that I have cut for us and heated a few seconds in the microwave before adding cold whipped cream to our plates. The icing has melted down the sides and pooled around the billowy cream. Rooted squarely in the joy of the moment, we agree — this cake is otherworldly delicious.
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons praline liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups chopped apples
1 cup pecans, chopped (I prefer lightly toasted but raw is fine)
Icing
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoon praline liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cream or half-and-half
Directions
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Set oven to 325 F and oil or butter a 13×9 baking pan. Peel and chop apples in a small dice and set aside. Optional: lightly toast chopped pecans if desired, and set aside.
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In a mixing bowl large enough to hold all ingredients, stir together flour, soda, and salt.
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In separate, smaller bowl, beat butter, oil and sugar until combined, then add eggs and continue beating until combined.
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Stir in liqueur, vanilla, apples, and pecans until well combined.
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Pour into prepared pan and bake 45 minutes.
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Remove from oven and place on rack to cool.
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While cake is baking, make the icing.
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In a small pot, heat butter and sugar, uncovered, over medium-low heat. Stir to combine as butter and sugar melt.
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Once butter and sugar mixture begins to simmer and sugar is melted, remove from heat and add liqueur, vanilla, and cream. Return to heat but do not boil, and cook just below a simmer for about 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat and allow to cool about 15 minutes before placing uncovered in the refrigerator to chill about 30 minutes.
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Pour icing into a cold bowl and beat about 3 minutes. Icing will turn a paler shade and thicken. Once beaten, ice the cake.
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To serve, cut into small squares with a scoop of ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.
Cook’s Notes
Apples: I do not advise using a sour apple, like Granny Smith, but rather a sweet and very flavorful apple; otherwise, the apple flavor disappears completely.
Butter/Oil: You may omit the butter in the cake recipe and use all oil. I prefer the ratio of 1/3 butter and 2/3 oil, which is 1 stick of butter and 1 cup of oil. My oil of choice for this cake is macadamia nut oil, but you can use any you prefer, even olive oil, or a mixture.
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