Ingredients :
Cake
1½ cups pecans, finely chopped
2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
Icing
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
Directions :
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the chopped pecans with 1 tablespoon flour. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of pecans in the bottom of the prepared pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2½ cups flour, baking powder, and salt; sift or whisk together to mix. Set aside.
In a large bowl or bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter til light and creamy, then add the brown sugar, a little at the time beating between each addition, and then the granulated sugar a little at the time , beating between each addition until well incorporated and light and creamy. While adding the sugar, stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the mixture off the paddle and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly.
Add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating in between each addition. Start with the mixer on low speed so the liquid from the egg doesn’t splatter, once the egg is partially mixed increase the speed to medium. Each egg should be fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next egg, taking about one minute to blend in each egg.
With the mixer on low speed, add vanilla and about one third of the flour mixture, mix just until the flour is almost completely blended. Scrape the bowl down and continue with the flour mixture.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold floured pecans into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon. Bake 65 to 75 minutes or until a long toothpick, wooden skewer, or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes then remove cake from the pan and place the cake on the wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Glaze:
In 1-quart saucepan, cook butter, brown sugar, and whipping cream over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat; pour into medium bowl. Cool 20 minutes. With whisk, beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Immediately pour over cake.
Sprinkle pecans on top.
