1. Brown the butter (for both cake & glaze):

• Melt 1 cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Swirl often until it foams, then turns golden brown and smells nutty (~5–7 min). Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop cooking. Cool 20–30 minutes until just warm (still liquid but not hot).

2. Make the cake:

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13″ pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cream sugar & browned butter: Beat cooled browned butter and sugar until fluffy (~3 min). Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
4. Alternate additions: Add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk in 2 parts, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until combined.
5. Fold in pecans.
6. Bake 30–35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

3. Make the glaze:

1. Brown ½ cup butter as above; cool slightly.
2. Whisk with powdered sugar, salt, 2 tbsp milk, and vanilla. Add more milk as needed for drizzling consistency.

4. Finish:

💡 Pro Tips:
– Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes until fragrant.
– Don’t rush the browning—golden amber color = best flavor (but don’t burn!).
– Store covered at room temp up to 3 days—it stays moist!

Prep Time & Nutrition (per slice, serves 12):