Tanyard Farm Buttermilk Cake

     Other than the fact my mouth was watering when I read this recipe, what really drew me to it is the fact that you can mix all the cake ingredients in one bowl, a huge plus when you're baking outdoors.  Posted on the King Arthur Flour website, the recipe comes courtesy of a farm in West Hartford, VT.  The batter comes together as easily as a cake mix, you do need to melt the butter for the topping but other than that it's extremely easy to make.
     In my 12 inch dutch oven, the cake baked for a total of 45 minutes.  I started out with 12 coals around the base of the oven, 17 in a ring around the outside of the lid and 10 spaced evenly in the center.  After 20 minutes I rotated the lid and moved the center top coals to the outside of the lid as the cake was starting to brown in the center.  After a total of 35 minutes a tester came out clean in the center of the cake and I proceeded to add the topping.  After 10 more minutes the cake was done.  It is important to bake the cake completely before adding the warm topping otherwise it will sink in the center.  I allowed the cake to cool for a good hour before lifting it out of the oven however if you like it on the gooey side, serve it warm right from your oven. 

Tanyard Farm Buttermilk Cake
Cake
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
Topping
6 Tblsp butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 to 1 cup chopped pecans

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together until smooth.
     Add the eggs, beating until smooth.
     Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
     Add the baking soda, salt and flour to the wet ingredients, beating until thoroughly combined.
     Pour the batter into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
     Towards the end of the baking time, prepare the topping.
     Stir the melted butter and sugar together.
     Add the milk, pecans and salt; the glaze will be thick but pourable.
     Spoon the topping over the cake, completely covering cake.
     Return lid to dutch oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes.
     Allow cake to cool for one hour before lifting from oven.
     The topping will look very runny.
     You can eat the cake hot, with the glaze still gooey or let the cake sit at room temperature for a few hours, at which time the glaze will have set.

Pour batter into parchment lined oven

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until tester comes out clean

Spoon warm topping onto cake and continue baking
for 10 minutes

Allow cake to cool for one hour before lifting from oven

A definite died and gone to heaven coffee cake