I wonder if it would be even nuttier if the pecans were toasted first? Did you try toasting and decided raw was better?

Hi Debby! I decided not to toast the pecans here for a couple reasons: This cake is based on a walnut cake I love and, in that recipe, the walnuts are raw. Because there's no flour here (just ground nuts), the nuts on the outside get pretty toasted by the end; I worry that if they start out toasted to begin with, the crust might taste burnt by the time the cake is done baking. Hope this helps!