For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream, full-fat
1 1/4 cups pecans, chopped, toasted, and divided
3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract, optional
1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2 Generously coat the inside of a 10 or 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray and flour. Set the pan aside.
3 In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, whisking until it is combined. Set aside.
4 In a bowl, add the softened butter and beat with a hand or stand mixer on medium until creamy, about 1 minute.
5 Sprinkle in the sugar to the butter mixture and beat until it transforms from yellow and grainy to pale and light, about 7 minutes on medium.
6 Add the 6 eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition before adding the next egg.
7 Add the vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat on medium until just combined.
8 Reduce the speed of the mixture to the lowest setting.
9 Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream in three additions.
10 Mix the batter until it is just combined, be sure not to overmix.
11 Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
12 In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of chopped pecans with the brown sugar and ground cinnamon, stirring to combine.
13 Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the batter.
14 Pour the remaining batter over the brown sugar mixture and smooth the top of the batter.
15 Place the bundt pan in the oven.
16 Bake until a cake tester or skewer stuck deep into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes.
17 Take the cake out of the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
18 Use a butter knife or small spatula to go around the edges of the pan.
19 Invert the pan so that the cake comes out.
20 Let the cake cool to room temperature.
21 When the cake is cooled, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, maple syrup, and maple extract together until creamy.
22 Spoon the glaze over the cake.
23 Top the cake with the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped pecans.
24 Slice and serve.
Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings