Butter Pecan Cake Recipe

Slice of butter pecan caramel cake being lifted from the frosted cake with a cake server against a white tiled background

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This butter pecan cake has three buttery layers studded with toasted pecans, plus more pecans and my Aunt Beverly's slow-cooked caramel icing between the layers. So delish!

Prep Time25

Cook Time2 10

Cooling & Setting Time30

Total Time3 5

Servings: slices

Calories: 621kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cake Layers

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 cups sour cream room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup toasted pecans chopped

For the Filling

1 ½ cups toasted pecans roughly chopped instead of halves

For the Caramel

3/4 cup salted butter
24 oz evaporated milk
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Toasted or candied pecans for garnishing

Instructions

For the Pecans

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread the pecans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly golden. Let them cool slightly, then roughly chop into small pieces. Set aside.

For the Cake Layers

Preheat the 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 a 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 the mixer to low speed. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream, milk and vanilla. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined. Fold in the toasted pecans. 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 the oven and cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans and finish cooling on wire racks, about 25 minutes.

For the Caramel

Add butter, evaporated milk, and sugar to the saucepan over medium low heat until everything has melted together.
Leave over medium low heat stirring consistently for about 1 1/2- 2 hours (watch the entire time to make sure it does not burn) until thickened and caramel has darkened to a beautiful golden brown. Note: if it is taking a while, you can turn up the heat a little more to speed up the thickening process but you MUST WATCH CAREFULLY AND STIR FREQUENTLY.
Make sure that the caramel turns the color of the photo below before stopping the heat. It should thicken to the texture in this video as well.
It should also thickly coat the back of a spoon to ensure thickness.
Be careful to watch, adjusting heat temperature to not let it burn.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Cool for about 15-20 minutes to allow it to thicken before icing the cake. If you see that it is too warm and still not completely thick enough, cool it in the refrigerator and get it thick!

To Assemble

Make sure the cake layers have cooled down completely. Add a small dollop of icing to the center of your cake plate or stand, then place the first layer on top. This will help it stay in place.
Using an offset spatula, spread 1/4 of the caramel icing over the first layer, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle ½ cup of the toasted pecans on top. Let it set for about 5 minutes so it can firm up just a bit.
Then carefully add the next layer and center it directly over the first layer. Repeat, adding another 1/4 cup of the icing and spreading it over, followed by ½ cup of the toasted pecans. Set for another 5 minutes.
Finally, repeat with the final layer of the cake, adding it right on top. Spread the remaining caramel cake icing over the top and around the sides of the cake. To garnish, gently press candied pecan halves around the bottom half of the cake or sprinkle a few over the top while the icing is still soft. Let it set for about 30 minutes, then get ready to serve it up!

Notes

How to Store

Fridge: Store the cake in a covered cake carrier or airtight container for up to 3 days. Let slices sit at room temp for about 30 minutes before serving so the caramel icing softens a bit.
Freezer: Wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let the layers come to room temp before assembling.

Tip: Don't wrap the cake until the caramel is fully set, or the plastic will stick to the top and pull it right off.

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