Orange-pecan-spice Pound Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins
Preparation Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted and divided


• 1 lb butter, softened


• 3 cups sugar


• 6 large eggs


• 4 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/8 teaspoon salt


• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder


• 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


• 1 large orange


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup pecan halves


• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup


• vegetable oil cooking spray

Recipe

• 1 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. (the food processor is great for chopping those nuts!)


• 2 (excess nuts will fall to bottom of pan. make certain nuts are in an even layer in bottom of pan.) set aside.


• 3 beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well.


• 4 add eggs, 1 at a time; beating until blended after each addition.


• 5 combine flour, salt and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.


• 6 beat at low speed until blended after each addition.


• 7 stir in remaining 3/4 cup pecans, grated orange rind, cinnamon, nutmeg, and next 4 ingredients.


• 8 spoon batter evenly into prepared pan.


• 9 bake at 300â°f for about 1 1/2 hours or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.


• 10 while cake is baking, prepare orange syrup (see below).


• 11 cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes.


• 12 remove cake from pan; invert cake, pecan crust-side-up onto a wire rack.


• 13 while cake is cooling, bake glazed pecan halves (see below).


• 14 brush top and sides of pound cake gently several times with hot orange syrup, using a pastry brush and allowing cake to absorb the orange syrup after each brushing. (do not pour syrup over the cake).


• 15 let cake cool completely on wire rack.


• 16 arrange glazed pecan halves around top of cake, if desired, or place on each piece as they are served.


• 17 for orange syrup: remove rind from orange with a vegetable peeler, being careful not to get the bitter pith.


• 18 set orange rind aside.


• 19 squeeze orange to get 1/2 cup juice.


• 20 combine orange rind, juice and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.


• 21 bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat, and boil 2 minutes.


• 22 makes about 1 cup.


• 23 for glazed pecan halves: combine pecan halves and corn syrup, stirring ot coat pecans.


• 24 line a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray.


• 25 arrange pecan halves in an even layer in a pan.


• 26 bake at 350â°f for 12 minutes; stir using a rubber spatula.


• 27 remove from oven, stir, arrange in an even layer on wax paper and let cool completely.