ORANGE-PECAN-SPICE POUND CAKE

Orange-Pecan-Spice Pound Cake image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 17

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2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted and divided
1 pound butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Orange Syrup
Glazed Pecan Halves (optional)
Boxwood Garland (optional)

Steps:

Sprinkle 1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans into a generously buttered 10-inch tube pan; shake to evenly coat bottom and sides of pan. (Excess nuts will fall to bottom of pan. Make certain nuts are in an even layer in bottom of pan.) Set aside.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine flour and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup pecans, grated orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, and next 4 ingredients. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan; invert cake, pecan crust-side-up, onto a wire rack.
Brush top and sides of pound cake gently several times with hot Orange Syrup, using a 2-inch-wide pastry brush and allowing the cake to absorb the Orange Syrup after each brushing. (Do not pour syrup over the cake.) Let cake cool completely on wire rack. Arrange Glazed Pecan Halves around top of cake, if desired. Arrange Boxwood Garland around bottom of cake before serving, if desired.