Orange Pecan Beer Cake With Orange Glaze

The addition of beer gives this cake a nice, light crumb. The cake is the creation of Julie Rice, who won a Crisco baking contest with it. Use a full-flavored beer.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1  cup  chopped pecans, toasted
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  grated  orange peel
• 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla

• Cake

• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3⁄4 cup butter or 3⁄4 cup  Crisco, softened
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons  grated  orange peel
• 1  tablespoon  orange juice, plus beer to make 1/2 cup
• 1 1⁄2 cups sour cream
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Glaze

• 1  orange, juice and zest of
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄3 cup  toasted pecan halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter or Crisco and dust with floor.
2. To prepare the filling, combine pecans, sugar, orange peel, nutmeg and vanilla. Cover.
3. To prepare the cake, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in grated orange peel, orange juice and beer mixture, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir only until smooth. Pour one-third of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with one-third of the filling. Repeat layers twice.
4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan; invert onto a serving plate.
5. To prepare the glaze, remove peel (without pith) from orange in long strips. Combine juice of the orange, sugar and butter in a small saucepan. Heat and gently simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add pecans. Brush glaze on top and sides of warm cake. Arrange orange peel and pecans decoratively on top. Serves 10 to 12.