Mile High Butter Pecan Pound Cake

This moist pound cake is studded with buttery pecans and has a caramel swirl running through it, just like your favorite ice cream flavor!

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter extract
1 tbsp pound cake extract (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
8 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour, divided
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature
2 cups Buttered Pecans (recipe below)
1 jar thick caramel spread/topping

Prepare Buttered Pecans. Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare Old Country Kitchenware square tube pan by fitting a parchment paper square between the two pieces and brushing with pan coat. Beat butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer until pale, light and fluffy (about 6 mins on medium speed). Add extracts, salt, and 1/2 cup flour, beat until combined. With the mixer running, add 1 egg and beat until fully incorporated. Repeat with each egg, beating well after each addition. Add 1 3/4 cups of flour, beating until it just disappears. Beat in sour cream, then beat in 2 cups of flour. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 15 seconds. Toss 2 cups Buttered Pecans in 1/4 cup flour then fold into batter with a spatula. Layer about 1/3 of the batter into the pan, then layer caramel spread. Layer another 1/3 of the cake batter, then more caramel, then top with remaining 1/3 cake batter. Gently shake to settle the batter. Place on middle rack of oven with a baking sheet on the rack below it to catch any drips. Bake 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool until the pan is cool enough to handle. To unmold, place it over a metal can and push down to remove the outer piece. Once the tube is cool enough to touch for 4 seconds, lift or turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Buttered Pecans

3 cups raw pecans, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tsp butter flavoring

Melt butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add flavoring. Add pecans and constantly stir until toasted, about 4 minutes. Watch closely as the butter and nuts burn quickly. Set aside and let cool.

Brown Sugar Glaze

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups powdered sugar

Boil brown sugar and water together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar. Pour over cooled cake and top with remaining Buttered Pecans.