Oven-Baked Caramel French Toast

I don't have a picture for this recipe, but I totally wanted to share it because I like it so much better than regular French toast with maple syrup. I've had this exactly as the recipe is, and then I made it according to my liking. First off ... if you make it exactly like the recipe, it is really yummy; but, it was a little bit soggy for my tastes. I like my French toast to be a little crispy. So, I just make regular french toast (out of the egg mixture of this recipe), then layer it in the 9x13 pan and bake it for about 8-10 minutes with the caramel sauce. But, I'm sure the baking is purely optional if you make it using this method. Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think!

OVEN-BAKED CARAMEL FRENCH TOAST

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
12 slices French or Italian-style bread (I like homemade bread)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour sauce into a 9x13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Place 6 slices of bread on top of the sauce, sprinkle with the remaining pecans and cover with the remaining 6 slices of bread. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a blender. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread slices, cover the baking dish, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350º. Remove the French toast from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until lightly brown. Drizzle sauce over the toast right before serving. To make the Caramel Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.