Pecan BrittleNonstick vegetable oil spray
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped
CakeNonstick vegetable oil spray
1 18.25-ounce box yellow cake mix
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
⅓ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
Frosting
½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons water
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
6 cups (about) powdered sugar, divided
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
PECAN BRITTLE: Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, ¼ cup water, and cream of tartar in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Add pecans and swirl to blend. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Cool brittle completely. Cut 3 large pieces of brittle (each about 1½ inches). Cut remaining brittle into ⅓-inch pieces.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper. Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and almond extract in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until well blended, about 3 minutes; fold in grated chocolate. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake cakes until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Peel off paper and cool completely.
FROSTING: Combine brown sugar and 3 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Whisk in cream. Using electric mixer, beat 3 cups powdered sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in brown sugar mixture. Beat in enough remaining powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to form frosting that is thick enough to spread.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with ½ cup small brittle pieces; press into frosting. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Stand large brittle pieces in center of cake. Arrange smaller brittle pieces in 1-inch-wide border around top edge of cake.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Tres leches (“three milks”) cake, popular in Mexico, gets its name from the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream that soak the cake. Temperature is the key to soaking this cake perfectly: The cake should be completely cooled, but the milk syrup must be lukewarm when it’s drizzled and smoothed over each layer. The warmth of the syrup allows it to penetrate the cake thoroughly. 8 servings
Cake
1½ cups cake flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup canned evaporated milk
Caramel Milk Syrup
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup canned sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup canned evaporated milk
Frosting and Filling
1¾ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1-pint containers strawberries, hulled, divided
1½-pint container blackberries
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottom with parchment paper. Butter and flour parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with evaporated milk in 3 additions each. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes longer. Turn cake out onto rack; remove parchment and cool completely.
CARAMEL MILK SYRUP: Stir sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Immediately whisk in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk in sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Cool to lukewarm.
DO AHEAD: Cake and caramel milk syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cake airtight in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate milk syrup, then reheat to lukewarm before using.
Using long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Drizzle ⅔ cup lukewarm caramel milk syrup over. Using small offset spatula, spread syrup to cover completely. Let stand 5 minutes.
FROSTING AND FILLING: Whisk cream and vanilla in large bowl until medium peaks form. Spread 1 cup whipped cream mixture over syrup on cake layer. Top with second cake layer, cut side up. Drizzle remaining milk syrup over second layer, spreading with spatula to cover completely. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Decorate top of cake with half of strawberries and all blackberries.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
Slice remaining strawberries. Cut cake into wedges; spoon sliced strawberries alongside each wedge and serve.
The caramel sauce for the filling is made with brown sugar instead of white sugar, so it has a golden caramel color right off the bat, but it won’t have rich, deep caramel flavor until it is cooked to the right temperature. Use a candy thermometer or deep-fry thermometer to ensure that it reaches 218°F. 10 to 12 servings