1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons burnt sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Sift flour and sugar together.

In a separate clean bowl, add salt to egg white and beat until frothy. Add cream of tarter and beat until eggs are stiff and stand up in peaks when beater is lifted. Gently fold in flour and sugar mixture; add burnt sugar syrup and vanilla. Sprinkle nuts evenly over the bottom of an angel food/tube pan. Do not grease cake pan. Pour in batter and bake at 325°F for 1 hour.

Allow cake to cool in pan upside down.

To make burnt sugar:

Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar has melted and becomes a golden brown in color. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until the sugar mixture dissolves.