The Dirty Floor: Butter Pecan Cake

Use real butter,
then there is no margarine for error.

First off- I am no baker. I am sure some of you pastry chefs out there can make a more straighter, better iced version of this very tasty Butter Pecan Cake.

This cake was made in honor of my grandmother's 94th! birthday. She's an eater (like most of our family) and one of her favorite ice cream flavors is butter pecan, so, I thought this would be a perfect flavor for a very southern style birthday cake.

Here's what you need for the cake:
1 tablespoon of butter, melted
1 lb pecan halves
10 1/2 tablespoons, or 2/3 cup of butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2/3 cup of milk
Filling: butter cream frosting and butterscotch caramel
For the frosting:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Take out butter to soften.

Build a tower or two...cause, why not.

Get a 1 pound bag of pecan halves and pound/ chop up (I like to take a mallet to them while in the bag).

Add butter to a medium high pan.

Melt down.

Add pecans. Mix up. Toast up.

Keep toasting until nice and browned.

Let cool on a plate.

Add 1 1/3 cups of sugar to a mixer. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Add 2/3 cup of 10 1/2 tablespoons of softened butter. Mix together, scrape down sides, mix some more.

Get out two eggs.

Add eggs one by one to mixer, use whisk attachment...(told you I wasn't a pro baker).

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, mix together.

Get dry ingredients ready. Add 2 cups of all purpose flour to a bowl.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Whisk of fork together.

Add a small amount of dry ingredients, mix.

Get 2/3 cup of milk. Add a small amount, mix.

Add more dry ingredients, then add more milk, etc. etc. End with dry ingredients.

Take off mixer and scrape down sides.

Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of toasted pecans.

Mix in.

Get your pans ready. I used small ones, but any cake pan will work.

Grease with canola oil.

Add batter evenly to all pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

Donzers. Let cool a little in pans.

Then remove cakes to racks to finish cooling.

Either buy butter cream or make some. If you want to make some, add 1 1/2 cups of softened butter to a mixing bowl.

Whip well. Scrape down sides, whip some more. Well whipped.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Whip some more.

Add 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, start mixing together slowly (otherwise sugar will fly everywhere!). Add 1/4 cup of heavy cream, mix and whip some more.