FARMHOUSE BUTTERMILK CAKE

This old-fashioned brown sugar cake derives much of its delightful texture from buttermilk. The nutty pecans and sugar on top are a perfect complement to the moist cake underneath.

Ingredients :
CAKE
1/2 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

TOPPING
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 to 1 cup diced pecans

Directions :

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ cake pan.
Beat the butter and brown sugar together till smooth.
Add the eggs, beating till smooth.
Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Add the baking soda, salt, and flour to the wet ingredients, beating till thoroughly combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for 35 minutes. Towards the end of the baking time, prepare the topping.
Stir the butter and the sugar together. Add the milk, pecans, and salt. The glaze will be thick but pourable.
Top the baked cake with the topping, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven. The topping will look very runny. You can eat the cake hot, with the glaze still gooey; or let the cake sit at room temperature for a few hours, by which time the glaze will have set.op