Autumn Spice Pound Cake

I'm always happy when I have a weekend afternoon to bake pound cakes. I know you can buy cake mixes and have a cake almost ready to come out of the oven before a pound cake can be mixed and put INTO the stove.  But if you have a little extra time, use it to spend some time in the kitchen and bake this pound cake during the Fall.  The warm spices are perfect for this time of year.  The glaze is optional.  

1 cup butter. softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/2 t. ground allspice

1 1/4 cup milk

1 t. vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  

Cream butter and gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, and spices.

Add flour and milk (alternately) to creamed butter and sugar, beginning with and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla and pecans.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 65 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes.

Remove from pan and cool completely before adding the glaze, if using.

For the glaze, combine 1/4 cup powdered sugar with 1 T. milk.  Whisk with a small whisk until smooth.  Add more milk, a little at a time, until the glaze drips easily from a spoon. Carefully, dribble glaze over cake.

Enjoy!