3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. butter
2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

BUTTER SAUCE:

1 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. butter
2 or 3 tsp. vanilla

Grease a 12-cup tube pan on bottom only. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda mixture alternately with the buttermilk and vanilla mixture, and beat until mixture is well blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, prepare hot butter sauce. In small saucepan combine sugar, water and butter; heat until butter melts. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. When cake is done, remove from oven and run a spatula or knife around edge and stem of pan.

Prick cake (still in pan) with a fork. Pour hot butter sauce over the warm cake, letting it soak into the cake. Cool cake completely before removing from pan. Turn cake onto serving plate. If desired, sprinkle with sifted confectioners sugar.