Mile High Maple Pecan Pound Cake

This delicious and rich pound cake is filled with maple flavor and toasty pecans. It's covered in a decadent maple caramel for the ultimate dessert.

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple extract
1 teaspoon salt
10 large eggs, room temperature
4 1/2 cups cake flour or White Lily All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup pecan halves, toasted

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 minutes at medium speed). Add extracts, salt, and 1/2 cup flour, beat until combined. Add 1 egg and beat until fully incorporated. Repeat with each egg, beating well after each addition. Add 2 cups of flour, beating until it just disappears. Combine buttermilk and maple syrup. Slowly drizzle in half the buttermilk mixture with the mixer running on low. Beat in the rest of the flour, then drizzle in the remaining buttermilk mixture. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 15 seconds. Pour batter into prepared tube pan and 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.

Maple Caramel

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 tbsp maple extract
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sugar, maple syrup, butter, water, and extract. When butter is melted, stir in sweetened condensed milk. Stir and scrape the bottom occasionally until it starts boiling, then do not stir. Keep boiling, tipping or swirling the pan occasionally, until mixture reaches 235° to 240°F. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about one hour or until it is around 125-130F), then pour over cake. Combine any leftover caramel (reheating if necessary) with pecans and spoon over the top of the cake.