Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 2-1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided 
• Ice cubes 
• 1 cup pecans, chopped (to be added after icing is spread on the cake) 

Directions:

In a heavy, large saucepan, mix 2 cups of the sugar with the melted margarine. Beat in the milk and egg. Begin heating the mixture over medium heat; then place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in an iron skillet. Begin heating and stirring the sugar in the skillet, while also stirring the milk mixture. Allow the sugar to completely melt and turn a light golden color. Immediately remove the skillet from the heat. At this point, the milk mixture should be hot but not boiling. Beat the melted sugar in the milk mixture, and cook with a candy thermometer in the icing to a temperature of 238 degrees. Immediately remove saucepan from heat, and allow to cool for a few seconds while beating in the vanilla. Place saucepan in the ice-filled container in sink, and beat the icing to a consistency just short of being too hard to pour. If the icing becomes too stiff, add a few drops of cold milk to thin theicing. Pour icing on cake or cakes; then sprinkle with pecans. Ices 1 large cake or 3-layer cakes.