Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I find the best recipes in my Southern Living magazine.  This one came from the May 2010 edition.  It is a rich buttery cake but not too sweet.  I only had a 1/2 bag of mini chocolate chips so mine wasn't as chocolatey as it should have been but it was still wonderfull.  Also, I had my little helper in the kitchen.  Jack loves to help me cook and he is starting to get where he can actually help rather than hinder!  He learned that the best part about being the baker is that you get to lick the beaters at the end.  You'll also notice that my ol' green machine was pulled out for this recipe.  If there is a KitchenAid mixer fairy out there somewhere I wish she would visit my house!

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate mini-morsels

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork. Sprinkle in a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Beat in chocolate mini-morsels. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).