Praline Bundt Cake with Praline Icing & Sugared Pecans

From Southern Living Magazine

1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 16oz package dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 8oz container sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Praline Icing
Sugared Pecans

Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 5 to 7 or until toasted. Cool on a wire rack 15 minutes or until completely cool. Reduce oven to 325.

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add to butter mixer alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat batter at low speed just until blended. Stir in toasted pecans and vanilla. Spoon batter into greased and floured Bundt pan.

Bake at 325 1 hour and 15 minutes or until long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.

Place cake on serving plate.

Prepare praline icing, and spoon immediately over cake. Sprinkle top of cake with sugared pecans.

Praline Icing:
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Bring first three ingredients to a bowl over medium-high heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Spoon over cake immediately.

Sugared Pecans:
1 egg white
4 cups pecan halves
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk egg white until foamy; add pecans and stir until evenly coated.

Stir together sugars; sprinkle over pecans. Stir gently until all pecans are evenly coated. Spread pecans on a lightly greased aluminum foil lined jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350 for 18 to 20 minutes or until pecans are toasted and dry, stirring once after 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool. Sprinkle on top of cake.

***Sugared pecans can be stored in a Ziploc bag at room temperature for 3 days or freeze up to 3 weeks. ***