Butter Pecan Cake
User Reviews
4.9
Butter Pecan Cake
Description
Butter Pecan Cake features chopped pecans lightly toasted in butter to enhance their flavor before incorporation into the cake batter. The cake uses a combination of buttermilk and milk to keep it moist and tender. The batter itself is a mix of flour, leavening agents, butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. The careful mixing process involves creaming butter and sugar, adding eggs and vanilla, then alternating dry ingredients with the milk mixture to produce a smooth, consistent batter. The cake is baked in three 9-inch pans lined with parchment for even cooking and easy removal.
Once cooled, the layers are assembled with a cream cheese frosting made from butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar, adding a tangy richness that complements the sweet pecans. Additional chopped pecans sprinkled on top provide texture and enhance the nutty flavor. This cake works well for celebrations or dessert servings and showcases a balance of buttery richness, mild sweetness, and toasted nuts.
For storage, refrigeration in an airtight container is recommended to preserve the cream cheese frosting, with a resting period at room temperature before serving to soften the cake. Using a combination of salted and unsalted butter in the frosting can add depth of flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (204g) pecans chopped into small bits, Fishers brand, halves
- 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter diced into 3 pieces
- 3 cups (424g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 3/4 cup (375g) granulated sugar
- 4 egg large
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (235ml) buttermilk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (226g) butter nearly at room temperature
- 12 oz cream cheese , nearly at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups (620g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (56g) pecans chopped, for topping, Fishers brand, halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven, prepare cake pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, butter parchment paper and lightly dust pans with flour shaking out excess. Set pans aside.
- Saute pecans in butter: Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once melted add pecans and cook until slightly browned and fragrant, tossing frequently, about 4 minutes. Pour and spread onto a sheet of parchment paper or a baking sheet. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Mix liquids together: stir together buttermilk and milk, set aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar, then eggs and vanilla: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time adding in vanilla with last egg.
- Mix in flour alternating with milk mixture: Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, then add in 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture and mix just until combined then repeat process once more. Finish by mixing in remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until nearly combined.
- Fold in pecans: Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in pecans (fold batter until there's not longer streaks in the batter). Divide batter evenly among prepared baking pans.
- Bake until set: Bake in preheated oven 23 - 28 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in cake pans 10 minutes.
- Let cake cool completely on wire rack: Run a knife around edges of cake to ensure the are loosened and invert onto wire racks to cool completely. Once cool frost with cream cheese frosting and top with pecans.
- For the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in vanilla and powdered sugar and blend until smooth and fluffy.
Notes
- Consider using half salted and half unsalted butter in the cream cheese frosting for balanced flavor.
- Store the finished cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting.
- Allow the refrigerated cake to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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