Butter Pecan Cake (Printable Version)

Soft cake loaded with crunchy pecans and silky icing. It’s moist, extra rich, and melts with toasty goodness in every bite.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 1/2 cups (160g) pecans, chopped super fine
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
03 - 2 large eggs, let them get to room temp
04 - 1 1/2 cups (354ml) buttermilk, at room temp
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
07 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, pack it down
09 - 1 cup (200g) white sugar
10 - 3 cups (333g) cake flour
11 - 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter

→ Icing

12 - 1/3 cup (35g) finely chopped pecans, totally optional
13 - 1 tablespoon heavy cream
14 - 4 1/2 cups (562g) powdered sugar
15 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
17 - 1/3 cup (66g) light brown sugar, pack it
18 - 6 ounces cream cheese, let it soften
19 - 1 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, leave it out to soften

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Cut up your butter and put it in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Turn the heat up and keep stirring. Watch for brown specks and smell that nutty scent—usually 5 to 10 minutes. Take it off the stove, let it sit and cool down totally.
02 - Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three round 8-inch pans real well, then stick parchment on the bottoms.
03 - Grab a big bowl. Toss in the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until it's all mixed up nicely.
04 - Pour the cooled brown butter into your dry mix. Use a mixer and beat till it’s all kinda like wet sand. Scrape the sides now and then.
05 - Whisk up the vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk in another bowl until they’re blended. Pour bit by bit into the main bowl and mix just until it comes together, then gently fold in the chopped pecans.
06 - Scoop the batter into your pans evenly. Use an offset spatula or whatever to smooth the tops. Bake about 30 minutes. Poke with a toothpick—if it comes out clean, they’re done! Let the cakes chill in the pans for 10 minutes, then pop them onto cooling racks until they’re not warm anymore.
07 - Toss the cream cheese and softened butter in a big bowl, then beat till it’s nicely smooth. Add the salt, vanilla, and brown sugar, mix again. Bit by bit, dump in powdered sugar and heavy cream. Beat everything ‘til it’s super fluffy. If it feels too thick, add a bit more cream until you’re happy.
08 - If your cakes have domed tops, go ahead and even them out. Layer a cake round on your serving plate, spread some icing, add the next, and repeat. Frost the edges and top. Sprinkle on chopped pecans if you want, make it look good. Slice and dig in.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Let your butter, eggs, and buttermilk hang out on the counter so the cake turns out soft and the icing is smooth.
02 - Keep any leftovers in the fridge up to four days. Pull it out ahead so it’s soft and tastes great.

Go Back