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CAKE AMANDE
1. Toast the pecans
Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast at 325°F for about 7–9 minutes, just until fragrant.
Let them cool completely before putting them into the batter. Toasting first gives you that deeper praline flavor instead of having the nuts disappear into the sweetness.
2. Prepare the pan
Generously grease a 10–12 cup Bundt pan, making sure you get into every groove, then lightly flour it.
Don’t fill a Bundt pan to the rim. Bundt cakes need expansion room, and pan capacity varies considerably.
3. Make the pound cake batter
Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until completely smooth.
Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium speed for about 4–5 minutes, until noticeably lighter and fluffy.
Don’t rush this part. Creaming incorporates tiny air pockets that help give pound cake its fine, tender structure.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Combine the sour cream with the vanilla and optional butter extract.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture:
Flour → sour cream → flour → sour cream → flour
Mix only until each addition disappears.
Fold in 1½ cups toasted chopped pecans by hand.
That last part matters. Once the flour goes in, don’t beat the life out of it.
4. Bake
Spoon the thick batter evenly into your prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
Bake at 325°F for approximately 75–90 minutes.
Start checking around 70–75 minutes.
The cake is ready when the top is deeply golden, it begins pulling slightly from the sides of the pan, and a long skewer inserted into the thickest section comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
If the exterior is getting dark before the center finishes, loosely tent it with foil.
Pound cake is especially suited to checking with a long skewer or thin knife because of its thick crumb.
5. Cool it properly
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
Carefully invert it onto a wire rack or cake plate.
Then leave that baby alone. 
Let it cool before drowning it in praline topping. A warm cake is fine, but a piping-hot cake will make your beautiful caramel run straight onto the counter.
6. Make the caramel pecan praline topping
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the brown sugar, heavy cream and salt.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce the heat slightly and cook for approximately 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce becomes glossy and slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat.
Stir in the vanilla and 1½ cups toasted pecans.
Allow it to stand for about 5–8 minutes.
This is important because the topping will thicken as it cools. We want it thick enough to cling to those Bundt ridges but still fluid enough to make those gorgeous caramel drips in the picture.
7. Finish the cake
Slowly spoon the warm caramel-praline mixture over the top of the cake.
Let some naturally run down the sides instead of completely coating the cake.
Pile additional toasted pecan halves over the top while the caramel is still tacky.
Let the topping set for 20–30 minutes before slicing.
The slice you’re aiming for
When you cut into it, you should get a tight, buttery, moist pound-cake crumb with little toasted pecan pieces running throughout, followed by that sticky brown-sugar caramel and crunchy praline pecans on top.
