Spiced pecan cake recipe

This spiced pecan cake has all the flavours of a pecan pie – what’s not to love? We are sure this pecan cake will quickly become one of your go-to loaves to bake. It’s such an easy recipe to follow and can be on the table to eat in just over an hour. Pecans are full of healthy mono-saturated fats and are a good source of vitamin E, fibre and antioxidants. The light brown muscavado sugar in the pecan cake mixture gives such a wonderful, caramel-like finish that works wonders with the pecans. We’ve used just a teaspoon of mixed spice but it is amazing how much flavour you get from this. Shop bought mixed spice is a blend of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, coriander and ginger. Cinnamon is the dominant flavour and if you really like it, you could add a touch more to the mixture. Serve with a good glug of double cream or a spoon of clotted cream ice cream.

Ingredients

• 100g plus 80g butter
• 100g plus 80g light brown muscavado sugar
• 100g whole pecans
• 2 eggs
• 160g plain flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1tsp mixed spice
• splash of milk
• cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 500g loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Rub together the 80g butter and sugar. Mix in the pecans, and place on the base of a lined loaf tin.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time beating well between each addition. Stir through the flour, baking salt and mixed spice. Fold in the pecan nuts and add a little milk if necessary – the mixture should be a soft dropping consistency.
4. Spoon the mixture over the pecan, sugar and butter base. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden brown and cooked through. Serve sliced with cream.