Y’all this Butter Pecan Cake is straight-up next level! It’s got three fluffy layers of the most tender cake you’ve ever laid tastebuds on, each speckled with golden, toasted pecans for that homey, nutty crunch. And that frosting? Baby bye! It’s a maple cream cheese frosting that changes the game. I’m telling you, you need this butter pecan cake recipe in your life.
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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.
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 that nutty crunch that’s paired with the warmth of maple syrup and rich butter plus a super addictive cream cheese frosting. So next holiday, don’t just serve up my Southern pecan pie, throw this cake on the dessert table as well.
The Lowdown of This Butter Pecan Cake
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern
Primary Cooking Method: Baking!
Dietary Info: This ain’t for my dieting boos y’all. It can be made gluten-free with some swaps.
Key Flavor: Buttery with maple vibes and toasty pecan notes
Skill Level: Intermediate
A Complete Show-OFf
When you serve up this showstopper, be prepared for some oohs and aahs. The golden-brown layers, the rich white frosting peeking out between each one, and the sprinkle of pecans are a whole mood y’all.
Beyond Versatile
Whether you bring this to your Thanksgiving dessert table, serve it at a fancy dinner party, or serve it up for afternoon tea, this cake is a legit win each and every time.
Unbeatable Texture
The texture on this butter pecan layer cake’s is my fave. The crumb is just so tender and moist from the vegetable oil and sour cream, and those toasted pecans folded into the batter give it a delightful crunch.
Easy-Peasy Prep
In less than an hour, you can whip this cake up and have it ready to wow your boos.
Ingredients To Make This Butter Pecan Layer Cake
- Unsalted butter: It’s giving pure richness and creaminess in the batter. Make sure it’s room temp to blend in that batter well.
- Vegetable oil: This is what keeps our cake layers super moist.
- Granulated Sugar: This is giving the perfect amount of sweetness. Plus, it helps the cake get a beautiful golden color.
- Maple syrup: Adding just a touch of syrup is gonna add some depth of flavor and unique sweetness.
- Eggs: These are the binders that build the structure.
- All-purpose flour: This is our butter pecan cake recipe’s foundation.
- Baking powder & Baking soda: They’re the leavening agents that make our layers light and fluffy.
- Kosher salt: A pinch is gonna enhance and balance the sweetness.
- Sour cream: We bringing all the moisture and tangy vibes with this in the mix.
- Whole milk: Just a touch helps make the batter the perfect silky consistency.
- Vanilla extract: This stays giving those aromatic notes that give nuance to a finished batter.
- Toasted pecans: We love the crunch this gives. Toasting intensifies the flavor more. Chop ’em up and throw ’em in!
- Cream cheese: For a truly indulgent frosting, you gotta have this. It’s gonna offer a super smooth texture and tangy taste that complements this cake perfectly.
- Confectioners’ sugar: This fine sugar makes it easy to get a smooth, spreadable consistency without any graininess ruining the vibes.
How To Make This Butter Pecan Cake
What To Serve With the Best Butter Pecan Cake Recipe
- Holiday Dinners: Let this pecan cake be the grand finale after you’ve served up honey-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes, fried turkey, and creamy velvetta mac ‘n’ cheese.
- Scoop it Up: There’s nothing like a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream or coffee ice cream on the side of this cake y’all.
- Cozy Drinks: Sip on a warm french hot chocolate topped with whipped cream as you dig into this dessert boos. If you want some holiday cheer, serve it up with a glass of homemade eggnog or a warm apple cider.
- Sweet Buffet: This cake is perfect alongside other decadent desserts like lemon meringue pie, fudge brownies and apple cobbler.
Recipe Substitutions
- 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 Additions and Variations
- Drizzle It Up: Just a drizzle of some salted caramel sauce over the top is gonna take this cake to another level y’all.
- Booze It Up: For an adult twist, add some bourbon to the cake batter and a splash to the frosting. If you’ve tried my chocolate bourbon pecan pie or my bourbon pecan sticky buns, you know bourbon pairs perfectly with pecans!
- Gluten-Free: Replace the flour with your fave 1:1 ratio gluten-free baking flour. The texture might change just a little but it will still be delish boos.
- Brown Butter It Up: Brown that butter in the frosting to add some bomb intense flavor.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
This butter pecan cake recipe is just as perfect for Sunday supper as it is for the holidays! It’s a versatile show-stopper that’ll have your guests glued to the dessert table asking for seconds – and thirds (who am I kidding?). With its rich layers and nutty, buttery crunch topped off with a bomb maple cream cheese frosting, this cake will be a serious hit boos. Get at it!
More Layer Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Turtle Layer Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake
- Hummingbird Cake Recipe
- Blueberry Lemon Cake
- Banana Pudding Cake
Butter Pecan Cake
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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!
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Hi, I am going to do this recipe, thank you so much. Quick question, can I also do as a pound cake as well?
Thanks again Jocelyn! Oh, I am so enjoying your cookbook! Picasso
Pepperidge Farm made a Walnut cream cake. Do you have a similar recipe? It was delicious.
When are the eggs added?
After the maple syrup and creaming of eggs, butter and oil. Enjoy!
This was a huge hit at my house!! Thank you so much!
This was absolutely amazing and would be great for a holiday dessert!
This cake is so moist and positively scrumptious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Thanks so much, Ashley!
Oh wow! This cake looks and sounds incredible! Butter pecan is a family favorite, and we can’t wait to enjoy it in cake form. Yummy!
Oh yum! This definitely does look like a slice of heaven. The flavors sound incredible and I love all the tips to help make the cake perfect.
I loved the flavor of this cake, and the texture was so moist yet fluffy. Perfection.
What a delicious cake. I think of my father when I make it because these flavors were his favorite. Thanks for the recipe!
The layers of cake chocked full of pecans and the sweet frosting smoothed over each makes for a very tasty cake experience.