Recipe

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• 1/2 lb butter, unsalted, at room temperature (2 sticks)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (about 1 1/4 lb)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans (about 3 oz)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream , for serving
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream

• 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 2 cake pan.
• 2 Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, spices, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat in eggs on low speed, one at a time, until well blended. Add flour mixture beating just until incorporated. Mix in apples, nuts and the vanilla.
• 3 Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until top is golden and cake tester inserted near center comes out clean. Remove to rack and cool. Turn cake out of pan by inverting onto rack after 10 minutes.
• 4 NOTE: If desired, the cake may be stored at room temperature, well wrapped overnight or it may be frozen. Defrost at room temperature for several hours or overnight. Reheat in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until warm.
• 5 Caramel Pecan Sauce:.
• 6 Melt butter in a medium size saucepan. Add nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderately high heat, until nuts are toasted and butter is lightly browned. Add brown sugar and cream and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and sugar dissolves and turns deep golden brown.
• 7 NOTE: the sauce maybe refrigerated for several days. Reheat before serving.
• 8 To Serve: place a wedge of warm cake on a dessert plate. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and spoon hot Caramel Pecan Sauce over all.