Ingredients
1 pound (3 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for pans
2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 large, room-temperature eggs
2 cups toasted, chopped walnuts
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 or 2 sliced peaches
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans. Combine flour and 1 tablespoon salt in a bowl.
Cream 4 sticks butter and dark-brown sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.
Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Fold walnuts into finished batter. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 65 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Make the peach-maple sauce: Combine maple syrup, light-brown sugar, 1 stick unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and liquid comes to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in heavy cream, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add sliced peaches. Let thicken, 5 minutes.
