Listen, I’m a sucker for all things pecans. That’s why this butter pecan cake recipe is a legit fave of mine. It’s got three fluffy layers of the most tender cake plus toasted pecans are studded through the whole thing. And that frosting? Baby bye! It’s a maple cream cheese frosting that changes the game. So next holiday, don’t just serve up my Southern pecan pie, throw this cake on the dessert table as well.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“I made this cake last Fall, and absolutely loved it. Had to give half away or I would have eaten the whole thing. It was just as elegant looking as it was delicious. I’m making it again today”
—CHERI G.
How To Make Butter Pecan Cake
Step 1: Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Mix together and set aside.
Step 2: In a bowl of stand mixer, add oil, butter, sugar, and maple syrup. Mix until pale and fluffy.
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Step 3: Add dry ingredients then sour cream, milk, and pecans. Mix until just combined. Don’t overdo it boos.
Step 4: Pour the batter into 3 prepared cake pans.
Step 5: Bake until the cakes start to pull away from the edges and are a very light brown on top.
Step 6: Add butter and cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix scraping down the sides of the bowl. Then, add confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Mix in sugar then increase the speed until smooth and thickened. Pop in the fridge until stiffened.
Step 7: Spread frosting between layers.
Step 8: Finish frosting the sides of the cake after layering then garnish with chopped pecans and serve it up!
Butter Pecan Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Pecan Cake
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/3 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans chopped, toasted
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened, but still slightly firm
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup pecans chopped, toasted, for garnish
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 325F. Set racks in top and bottom third positions. Prep 3 9-inch cake pans by spraying liberally with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In bowl of stand mixer, add oil, butter, sugar, and maple syrup and mix for 2 minutes on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and combine until well combined.
- Reduce speed and add dry ingredients in two additions. Add sour cream, milk, vanilla and pecans and continue on low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.
- Bake until cakes start to pull away from the edges and are a very light brown on top, about 25 minutes. Rotate cakes from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.
- Remove cakes from oven and cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans and finish cooling on wire racks, about 25 minutes.
For the Frosting
- In bowl of stand mixer, place cream cheese and butter, and mix on high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Reduce speed to low and add confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Once the sugar is mixed in, increase the speed to high until smooth and thickened.
- Chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes, until stiffened. Spread between layers and garnish with chopped pecans. Serve it up and enjoy!
Notes
How To Store
Pop your leftovers into a cake carrier or air tight container. Just make sure it’s covered tightly to keep out the air, which can dry it out. You can store the cake at room temp for up to 2 days but if you plan to keep it longer, pop it in the fridge.How long does it last in the fridge?
It can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and soft texture.Can I freeze ?
Yep for sure boos! Unfrosted cake layers freeze great for up to 2-3 months. Just wrap super tightly in plastic wrap then add to freezer bags. You can also freeze leftover frosted cake slices the same way. They should last for up to 3 months as well.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Go Room Temp: Bring those eggs, butter, sour cream, and milk to room temperature before starting that batter. We gotta make sure that batter is smooth and consistent.
- Toast It Up: Toasting pecans deepens their flavor so they stand out in that cake. Spread them on a baking sheet, toast for about 6-8 minutes at 350F until they’re fragrant, and then cool and chop.
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing the dry ingredients can activate the gluten too much and give you a cake with the toughness of a bread loaf. We don’t want that boos!
- Frost Like a Pro: When you’re ready to frost your butter pecan cake with the cream cheese frosting, slap a dollop of frosting on the cake stand before placing the first layer. It anchors your cake in place, so it doesn’t slide around while you work. When applying frosting to the layers, start from the top and work your way down the sides. This way, you’ll get a crumb-free finish and a magazine-worthy look ya dig?
- Thicken it Up!: This frosting may seem a bit thin so here’s my trick. Pop it in the fridge to let it stiffen more before frosting the cake.
Ingredient Notes
- Sugar: Swap in brown sugar instead of granulated sugar to give this cake deeper, caramel-like sweetness. You can even make your own brown sugar. It hits so hard when paired with those pecans boos.
- Maple Syrup: Use honey if maple syrup ain’t around.
- Sour Cream: Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream if you run out.
- Butter: Grab salted butter if unsalted ain’t around. Just omit the salt in the recipe.
Recipe Help
Yep! If you want to use different-sized pans, you’ll need to adjust the baking time. Smaller pans will take less time, and larger pans will take more. Just play it by ear, keep an eye on it and test for doneness as you go.
Try adding more confectioners’ sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency you like. Also don’t forget the chilling period in the fridge which helps it firm up more.
For sure boos. In fact, you can make this cake the day before and store in a cake carrier before you serve it up.
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can i use this as a bundt cake recipe?
This is more of an airy layer cake and I am not confident it will hold up well in a Bundt pan.
Thank you so much for the recipe. Will cake flour work out okay?!
Oh absolutely.
Sounds really good! I will definitely make it. Ty
Let me know what you think when you make it!