Butter Pecan Cake Recipe
Look no further than our Butter Pecan Cake Recipe if you want a perfect fall treat with a distinct flavor. This delectable dessert is elegantly enveloped in an irresistible brown sugar frosting and features chopped pecans generously sprinkled throughout.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 3 cups (333 g) cake flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (354 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (160 g) pecan halves very finely chopped (see note)
Icing
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter softened
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup (66 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ½ cups (562 g) powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
- ⅓ cup (35 g) pecan halves very finely chopped, optional
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- In a medium-sized pan, place butter and melt it over medium/low heat. Increase the heat slightly above medium and stir frequently. As the butter foams, crackles, pops, and sizzles, keep stirring and scraping the pan until you spot golden brown specks. Remove it from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Let the butter cool completely – it should remain liquid but no longer feel warm to the touch.
Make the Cake
- To ensure your cakes won't stick, preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and grease three 8” round baking pans with baking spray while lining the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, blend cake flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for a uniform mixture.
- Blend in the browned butter with an electric mixer on low-speed until fully combined.
- Start by whisking buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Slowly pour this mixture into the flour blend. Remember to pause halfway and at the end to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, even if you spot small lumps in the batter.
- Incorporate pecans seamlessly by stirring.
- To achieve perfection, evenly distribute the batter among the prepared baking sheets. Place them in the center rack of a 350°F oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean or with only moist crumbs.
- After baking, it's essential to let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes. To release them, gently run a knife along the cake's edge, and then carefully invert them onto a cooling rack for complete cooling. Remember, the cakes must be entirely cool before you start decorating.
