CINNAMON-NUT CAKE

Cinnamon-Nut Cake image

Provided by Shirley Nielson

Yield Serves 16

Number Of Ingredients 11

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 pecan halves

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch square baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Using electric mixer, cream butter with brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well blended. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda together; mix into butter alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pan.
Mix 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Place pecan halves atop cake batter, spacing evenly. Press each nut 1 inch into batter. Spoon some sugar mixture into depressions created by pecans. Sprinkle remaining sugar over cake.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and store at room temperature.)