Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 4 eggs
- 3 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace (can use nutmeg instead)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups fruity white wine
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- Sifted powdered sugar (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch (12-cup) fluted tube pan; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugars; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Add half of the sugar mixture to the creamed butter. Increase mixer speed; beat mixture until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk (I used an electric handheld mixer) until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Gradually whisk the remaining sugar mixture into the eggs. Continue whisking until consistency is smooth and creamy. Add this mixture to the butter mixture; whisk until smooth.
4. In another large bowl, combine flour, mace, and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and the wine to the butter-and-egg mixture; mix well with a wooden spoon after each addition. Stir in pecans.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; place on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours or until the cake is golden and a knife comes out clean when inserted. Cool cake in pan for 30 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack and cool completely. If desired, sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake.
Makes 16 to 20 servings.