Maple-pecan Torte (with Bourbon)

Total Time: 4 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 14
• 1 cup pecans, chopped medium fine (about 4 ounces)
• unsalted butter, and
• all-purpose flour, for cake pans
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups maple syrup
• 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups of sifted cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 orange slice
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups maple syrup
• 1/2 cup egg , at room temperature (4 to 5)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 350°f.
• 2 spread chopped pecans on large baking sheet.
• 3 toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• 4 remove nuts from oven; set aside to cool.
• 5 maintain oven at 350°f.
• 6 lightly butter and flour 2 straight-sided 10 inch round cake pans.
• 7 line bottoms with ungreased kitchen parchment or waxed paper.
• 8 on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy.
• 9 gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.
• 10 continue to beat until very fluffy.
• 11 increase speed to high.
• 12 pour in 1 cup of the maple syrup in thin stream, beating all the while.
• 13 beat egg yolks into the butter mixture, one at a time, beating and scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula after each addition.
• 14 beat in orange zest, maple flavoring and vanilla.
• 15 sift cake flour, baking powder and soda onto waxed paper or bowl.
• 16 sift together one more time; set aside.
• 17 beat egg whites and salt in large grease-free bowl with clean beaters on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• 18 increase speed to high and beat until stiff but not dry.
• 19 beginning and ending with the flour mixture, fold it and egg whites alternately in butter mixture, sifting the flour over the butter mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time and then folding it into mixture.
• 20 the flour will take 5 additions.
• 21 the egg whites 4 additions.
• 22 fold gently--do not over mix.
• 23 pour batter in prepared cake pans and smooth surface with gently with rubber spatula.
• 24 bake in center of oven 25 to 30 minutes or until inserted wooden pick comes out clean.
• 25 remove pans from oven. let layers cool in pans on wire rack 8 minutes.
• 26 unmold layers onto wire racks, let cool completley.
• 27 place layers in plastic wrap on baking sheets in freezer until semi frozen, about 45 minutes.
• 28 while cake is in freezer make maple buttercream:.
• 29 combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup maple sugar in a heavy saucepan.
• 30 add orange slice and bourbon.
• 31 heat, stirring constantly over medium-high heat to boiling.
• 32 boil gently 1 minute.
• 33 remove from heat. discard orange slice.
• 34 you should have about 1/3 cup of syrup.
• 35 trim brown crusts from top and bottom of each semi-frozen cake layer; discard trimmings.
• 36 cut each layer horizontally in half with long serrated knife.
• 37 brush sides of layers with syrup.
• 38 sprinkle remaining syrup over surface of each layer.
• 39 place one layer, syrup side up on plate.
• 40 spread with buttercream.
• 41 stack second layer on top with syrup side up.
• 42 spread with buttercream.
• 43 repeat with next 2 layers--do not put buttercream on top of last layer.
• 44 place a baking sheet on top of cake.
• 45 place a one 1-pound weight (can of fruit or a bag of rice) on top of baking sheet.
• 46 refrigerate 15 minutes to compress layers.
• 47 remove cake from refrigerator. remove weight. remove baking sheet.
• 48 spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake.
• 49 press toasted pecans evenly over sides of cake.
• 50 refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
• 51 maple buttercream:.
• 52 beat butter in large bowl until fluffy; reserve.
• 53 heat maple syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat to boiling.
• 54 cook without stirring until syrup reaches firm ball stage or candy thermometer reaches 244°f (31 to 32 minutes), watching to see syrup doesn't boil over.
• 55 you should have about 1 cup.
• 56 when syrup reaches soft ball stage (238 degrees to 240 degrees or 22 minutes), begin beating egg whites with salt in large grease-free bowl with clean beaters on medium speed until stiff but not dry (7 to 8 minutes.
• 57 continue to beat.
• 58 add hot syrup in thin streams, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula once or twice.
• 59 continue to beat mixture until it has reached room temperature and no longer feels warm (10 to 15 minutes).
• 60 increase speed to high.
• 61 beat in one fourth of the reserved butter about 1 tablespoon at a time.
• 62 then beat in remaining butter by tablespoons.
• 63 scrape down sides.
• 64 beat in bourbon and vanilla.