Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups pecans, toasted
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil.
2. Make the praline layer: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, corn syrup, kosher salt and vanilla. Spread in the prepared pan and scatter the pecans on top; set aside.
3. Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, nutmeg and fine salt in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and bourbon in another bowl.
4. Beat the butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 10 minutes. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Fold in the pecans.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on a rack, 30 minutes. Remove the springform ring, invert the cake onto a plate and remove the paper. Serve with ice cream.
6. Photograph by Marcus Nilsson