This is the cake you serve someone right before you ask for their vote or a favor. It will be hard for anyone to turn you down once they have tasted this.
Cake
1 cup butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups toasted pecans, chopped
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Icing
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup toasted pecans
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. In a large bowl cream the butter and gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.
In a small bowl mix together the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spoon ½ cup of the mix in the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan. Pour half of the batter over the nut mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar-pecan mixture. Swirl slightly with the tip of a knife. Top with the remaining batter.
Bake for 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is golden brown. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a cake plate. Cool completely before icing.
To make the icing: In a medium bowl mix the butter, sugar, evaporated milk, and vanilla together, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in the pecans. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.