1 3/4 c. pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. instant coffee powder
1/3 c. light unsulfured molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 lg. eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp. Irish whiskey or Irish mist liqueur
1 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground mace
1/2 tsp. ground all spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. finely grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 10 to 12 cups fluted tube pan. Spread cut nuts on a heavy large cookie sheet. Bake until aromatic, about 10 minutes. Cool nuts completely. maintain oven temperature. Coursely grind nuts in processor. Toss 1 1/2 cups ground nuts with 2 tablespoons flour in small bowl. Dust bottom and 2/3 up sides of prepared tube pan with remaining ground nuts. Using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl until light. Add brown sugar and coffee powder and beat untl well blended. Beat in molasses and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add whiskey and beat until very light. Sift 1 cup flour baking powder spices and salt into medium bowl. Mix dry ingredients into butter mixture. Add grated orange peel and ground nut mixture and beat for 60 seconds. Pour batter into prepared tube pan.

Bake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes. invert onto rack and cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Using serrated knife, cut cake into thin slices, 3 to a plate and pour custard sauce over them.