Maple Pecan Cake

1. Grease and flour a cake tin and preheat your oven to 350°F (175C/155C Fan).
2. If using soured milk, prepare this using 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar in your 1 cup measure and top up with whole milk. Stir and leave to sit for about 10 minutes while you proceed with your cake batter.
3. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt). Add this to the sugar mixture in alternation with the buttermilk (starting and ending with dry ingredients).
5. Add flavouring and pecan paste. Beat until smooth.
6. Pour into prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour, checking occasionally until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire wrack to cool completely.

Instructions for Decoration

1. Once cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake in half carefully.
2. Dollop a bit of your frosting (I use cinnamon buttercream) onto the first layer and spread evenly. Then add the top layer and add a crumb coat of buttercream (see note).
3. To decorate this cake as seen in my blog post, you will need piping nozzles to achieve the basket weave, flowers, roses and leaves.