This Butter Pecan Cake recipe will give you a soft, nutty, buttery cake that’s incredibly moist and smells like heaven! It’s the perfect cake to make during Thanksgiving or the holidays because the flavors truly stand out!
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Butter Pecan Cake has a delicious nutty flavor with toasted pecans folded into an outstanding cake batter for crunchy Southern goodness in each bite! It’s the perfect cake with some ice cream or whipped cream on the side, and I promise you it's much better than what you expect.
My family has declared this to be one of the most delicious cake they’ve had, and I agree! It’ll make your entire house smell like heaven, and the flavor is absolutely packed in each bite. But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult to make; it’s still incredibly easy for an unforgettable Southern flavor combination!
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
This moist cake is incredibly easy to make at home, by using pantry-staple ingredients and of course, some pecans!
You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.
Pecans: This is the star ingredient of the recipe! They’ll add a beautiful nutty flavor to every single bite and enhance all the other flavors in the cake.
All-purpose flour: You’ll also need basic AP flour instead of cake flour for this recipe. Told you it only requires basic ingredients.
Butter: As the name of the recipe suggests, butter makes up an important part of the cake to give you an incredibly soft and moist cake. So make sure you get hold of good-quality unsalted butter for the best flavor!
Sour cream: My secret ingredient for the softest and most delicious cake ever! The fat in sour cream helps give a moist crumb that sets it apart from other cakes.
Milk: We’ll also need some whole-fat milk to get a deliciously smooth and soft consistency in the cake. It’ll also give it extra fat which equals to a moister cake, so make sure to use whole-fat milk instead of skimmed for this recipe!
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
This Butter Pecan Cake tastes better than anything you’ll ever buy from a high-end bakery, but with incredibly easy-to-follow steps! It’s seriously one of the easiest cakes you can bake.
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this treat.
Step 1:
Start by toasting your pecans! To do this, add chopped pecans to one tablespoon of butter in a pan and toast them on medium heat until you start smelling the toasted pecans. This should take about 3 minutes. Then set it aside.
Step 2:
Next preheat the oven to 350F/180C and line two 7” baking pans with parchment paper. Then in a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set it aside. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and milk and also set it aside.
Step 3:
Now take a large mixing bowl and beat sugar and butter together for 3 minutes. Then add one egg at a time and beat. Then add the vanilla extract.
Step 4:
Alternate between adding flour and sour cream and milk mixture to the bowl while beating for a few seconds. Then gently fold in some toasted pecans.
Step 5:
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes. When the cake is cool, frost it with your favorite frosting.
💭 COOKING TIPS
- Ingredients should be at room temperature which will help the cake to bake faster and evenly.
- Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before placing the cake.
- To bring the eggs to room temperature quickly place them in a bowl full of warm water for a few minutes.
- Do not melt the butter; the cake texture will change and become greasy.
- Overmixing the batter after adding the flour is bad and makes the cake dry and tough.
- Measure the flour correctly. Fluff the flour with a spoon in the bag or container, then spoon it into the measuring cup. Do not shake the measuring cup in this process. Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
- Use the frosting you prefer to decorate the cake. I have used buttercream frosting, but you can also go for cream cheese frosting.
- If you want the cake to be higher and not double the recipe, use a 6” baking pan.
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
This delicious Butter Pecan Cake tastes exquisite as it is, but if you’re looking to add a little personal touch to it, here are some ideas to try:
Frosting: I’ve used some homemade buttercream frosting for this cake, but you can use cream cheese frosting for a personal touch!
Decoration: Add toasted pecans as the perfect, classy décor for this elegant, holiday-worthy cake!
Sprinkles and glitters: You can also use some holiday-colored edible glitter and sprinkles to decorate it for any special occasion. It even works great for birthdays!
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Butter Pecan is a delicious flavor combination that’s widely popular in the United States. You will find butter pecan-flavored cookies, cakes, syrups, and even ice cream here. It has a delicious toasted nut flavor with hints of rich brown butter and vanilla.
A Butter Pecan cake is a Southern favorite with butter pecan flavors in the form of a delicious cake folded with toasted pecans in every bite! It’s a holiday-worthy cake that’s a total crowd-pleaser.
My recipe has a secret ingredient that will give you a super moist and soft cake that’ll be better than anything you’ve ever had. And that pantry-staple ingredient is sour cream! It gives an unforgettable and incredibly moist crumb.
I’ve personally used 7” baking pans for this recipe, but you can also use 6” pans if you’re looking to make a taller cake without having to double the recipe.
🍲 MORE CAKE RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
🌡️ STORING
Fridge: You can easily store any leftovers for up to 5 days in the fridge. Make sure to place it in an airtight container for the best results.
Freezer: If you’re planning on freezing this cake, you can do that too! Pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months by covering it in plastic wrap and then placing it in a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen frosted and unfrosted.
Thaw: Let the cake thaw in the fridge overnight, and then let it heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds till you get the desired texture. You can also have it straight out of the fridge!
📖 Recipe
Butter Pecan Cake
Ingredients
TO TOAST THE PECANS
- 1 cup chopped pecan
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
FOR THE CAKE BATTER
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream at room temperature
- ½ cup milk at room temperature
Instructions
TO TOAST THE PECANS
- In a pan add the chopped pecans and one tablespoon butter. Toast the pecan on medium heat until the butter melts and you smell the toasted pecans, it will take almost three minutes. Keep aside.
TO MAKE THE CAKE BATTER
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line two 7” baking pans with parchment paper. I have placed parchment paper at the bottom of the pan but have greased the edges and dusted it with flour.
- In a bowl, add the flour, baking, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the ingredients well and set aside.
- To a different bowl, add the sour cream and milk, mix until combined and keep aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar, beat for 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time to the butter sugar mixture and beat until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat for a minute.
- To the previous mixture add half the flour and beat for a few seconds. Pour half the milk and sour cream mixture and beat for a few seconds.
- Repeat the previous step and you should get a smooth batter, scrap the edges and the bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure that all the ingredients are combined.
- Add the toasted pecans to the cake batter and fold gently.
- Pour equal amount of the batter in the baking pans and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Please note that in some ovens the cake might bake within 13 minutes, keep and eye on the cake 10 minutes after placing it in the oven.
- The cake is ready when a toothpick or a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes on a cooling rack and then frost it with buttercream or your favorite frosting.
Video
Notes
- Ingredients should be at room temperature, which will help the cake to bake faster and evenly.
- Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before placing the cake.
- To bring the eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl full of warm water for a few minutes.
- Do not melt the butter; the cake texture will change and become greasy.
- Overmixing the batter after adding the flour is a bad idea and makes the cake dry and tough.
- Measure the flour correctly. Fluff the flour with a spoon in the bag or container, then spoon it into the measuring cup. Do not shake the measuring cup in this process. Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
- Use the frosting you prefer to decorate the cake. I have used buttercream frosting, but you can also go for cream cheese frosting.
- If you want the cake to be higher and not double the recipe, use a 6” baking pan.
Tina
Can I use self rising flour
Muna
I'm unsure if it will work and if the cake will rise the same. Different brands give different results too!
Arica Duckwall
Is the baking time accurate? 20 mins seems too short.
Muna
Hi, I baked the cake in two 7" pans, in my oven, it took 20 minutes, and it came out moist. If you want to bake the cake in one pan and cut it in half later then the baking time will be longer. Hope this helped.