TOASTED BUTTER PECAN CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Using toasted pecans instead of fresh out of the bag, REALLY ENHANCES THE NUTTY PECAN FLAVOR. PLACE PECANS FOR BOTH THE CAKE & FROSTING ON A SHALLOW BAKING SHEET IN A SINGLE LAYER IN PREHATED 350 DEGREE OVEN AND TOAST FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTES. Remove from oven & allow to cool. LOWER OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 325 DEGREES F FOR THE CAKE.
• 2. This recipe requires a large capacity Bundt pan. Mine was 16 cup, or you may want to divide batter into 2 smaller pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. This is the Butter pecan flavoring I used.
• 3. Cream the butter, margarine and cream cheese together in mixing bowl until creamy and smooth. Add both sugars and beat until no visible grains are visible in batter. At least 10 minutes.
• 4. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
• 5. Sift flour and baking powder & butterscotch pudding into a medium size bowl. Add about 1/3 of cake flour mixture to cake batter alternately with milk, in 3 intervals, until all the flour and milk has been added to batter. Then add in the butter pecan, butter & vanilla Bean paste or extract and beat until blended together.
• 6. Prepare cake pan by spraying generously with Bakers Joy, or grease pan with butter and dust lightly with flour. Pour cake batter into cake pan, leaving at least 1 1/2 to 2 inches from top of pan.
• 7. Place in preheated 325 degree F. oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 8. Remove from oven and allow cake to sit in pan about 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Notice how cake rose above top of cake pan.
• 9. Prepare the frosting by combining all of the frosting ingredients except the powdered sugar in a medium size bowl. Use powdered sugar only if frosting is not stiff enough to adhere to cake. When cake is completely cooled, frost cake, and garnish top of cake with additional nuts if desired.