Start by baking your favorite 3-layer yellow cake in 9-inch pans. Cool.
Fill with praline cream cheese filling between layers and top with praline.
Praline Cream Cheese Filling:
1 8oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
½ cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla flavor
¼ cup finely chopped pecans (You may add more or less if you’d like)
Praline Topping:
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
2 cups Sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla flavor
1 ½ cups of pecan pieces
An extra can of evaporated milk to thin, if needed
Praline Cream Cheese Filling:
With a mixer, blend cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Gradually add in cups of powdered sugar beating at low speed until blended, then add vanilla flavor.
Stir in pecans. Allow to slightly chill before frosting the cake.
Praline Topping:
On a stovetop melt butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in saucepan on medium heat. Stir to thoroughly combine.
Bring mixture to a slow boil, then reduce heat to medium/low. Let cook for about 15 minutes without stirring.
After 15 minutes, stir, scraping the bottom and sides as the mixture will begin to thicken.
Cook while stirring, making sure the mixture does not scorch, for about 10 minutes then add vanilla, and stir until combined.
Remove from heat.
Pour one and a half cups of pecan pieces into the mixture and stir mixing completely. If the mixture gets too thick, pour a small amount (about 2 Tbsp. at a time) of evaporated milk to thin.
Let cool for about five minutes before frosting the cake. (Do not allow it to cool too long as it will thicken. Frosting should be somewhat warm.)
Assemble Cake:
Use your favorite yellow cake recipe to make three 9-inch layers. This should be done in advance of making praline frosting.
When the cake has cooled, flip one layer over onto a 10-inch round cake board, and spread your desired amount of praline cream cheese frosting onto the first layer.
Allow the icing to dry a bit, then add a second layer, and spread with your desired amount of praline cream cheese frosting.
After the second layer of icing has dried a bit, top with a third cake layer. (You will have cream cheese frosting left over.)
Allow cake to chill in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes before frosting.
Frost the sides of the cooled, refrigerated cake first, then frost the top.
