Caramel Nut Pound Cake with Brown Butter Pecan Icing

If you ask me, you can never have too many good pound cake recipes.

Cake

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup vegetable shortening

1 pound light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon coconut flavoring

1 cup pecans, chopped

Brown Butter Pecan Icing

¼ cup butter

1 cup pecans, chopped

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk or light cream

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Cream the butter and shortening together in a large bowl. Gradually add the brown sugar. Add the white sugar and beat until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together the baking powder, salt, and flour. Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in the vanilla extract, coconut flavoring, and pecans. Pour into the tube and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until it tests done. Cool in the tube pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a cake plate. Drizzle with the brown butter pecan icing.

To make the brown butter pecan icing: Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the pecans until toasted, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl and cool slightly. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over the warm cake. Keep covered.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.