Yield: 10-12 servings.
Topping:
½ cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup sugar
Batter:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 pint heavy cream
Filling:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Tap pans to remove excess flour.
Topping: Mix together chopped pecans, cinnamon and ½ cup sugar. Set aside.
Combine butter and ½ cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix on high until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Alternate adding dry ingredients and cream to batter, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
Combine ingredients for filling in separate bowl.
Sprinkle ½ of the filling on bottom and sides of pans. Pour ½ the batter over filling. Sprinkle remaining filling over batter. Pour in remaining batter. Top each pan with topping mixture. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean. Let stand 15 minutes before removing from pans, then place loaves on rack to cool.