Daring Bakers - A Nutty Cake

When the Daring Bakers announced the July challenge of a hazelnut cake with buttercream icing and a chocolate ganache, I just thought "Auurrggh. I'm going to have to find hazelnuts, pay too much for them, and then wish I would have done another nut." Don't get me wrong, I like the hazelnut (aka Filbert) when it is used properly - like in Nutella - but all the hazelnut recipes I have used have tasted a little stale. That, and the fact that gas prices are astronomical (and I knew I would have to hike it up to Trader Joes and spend $5 in gas to get $10 worth of nuts), I decided to just use pecans. I thought of it when the recipe taught us how to make a "praline paste." I figured pecan praline paste would be yummy.

So when John asked me what the name of this cake was, I just called it a pecan praline cake, even though the proper name for it was "gateau." I didn't have much problem with it, but I relied heavily on my food processor for two major steps. Anyone without one was probably screaming obscenities. I didn't like how the recipe made so much more than you needed of each component. I threw away two-thirds of the praline paste and about half of the buttercream. Good recipes should be written to make just what you need, not so much extra (just in case you need pecan laced Swiss Buttercream anytime soon.)

The verdict? It was alright at room temperature, but it was really yummy after it sat in the fridge overnight. Annie loved it. I wish my mom was here, she would have swooned over it.