Maple Spice Cake with Butterscotch Maple Sauce and Sugared Pecans

Butterscotch maple Sauce and Sugared Pecans: In saucepan, combine pecans, brown sugar and maple syrup; bring just to simmer over low heat and simmer, without boiling, until nuts darken, about 1 hour.

Reserving sauce, strain pecans and spread on greased rimmed baking sheet; bake in 350°F (180°C) oven, stirring twice, until slightly crisp and sugar-coated, about 15 minutes. Let cool. In saucepan or in bowl in microwave oven, heat cream until steaming. Stir into sauce. (Make-ahead: Store pecans in airtight container for up to 1 week. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for up to 1 week.)

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in maple syrup. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and salt ; stir into maple mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of milk.

Scrape into greased 13- x 9-inch (3.5 L) metal cake pan. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until golden and cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Cut cake into 12 pieces. Drizzle 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the sauce onto each plate; top with cake and ice cream. Drizzle with more sauce; sprinkle with pecans.