Here’s a rich, old-fashioned Butter Pecan Cake—moist, buttery, and full of toasted pecans. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or whenever you want something decadent.
🍰 Butter Pecan Cake (Classic Southern Style)
Ingredients
For the Toasted Pecans
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 3 tbsp butter
For the Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk for extra tenderness)
For the Butter Pecan Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream (or milk)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup reserved toasted pecans
Instructions
1. Toast the Pecans
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spread pecans on a baking sheet, dot with 3 tbsp butter.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and lightly toasted.
- Cool and set aside.
2. Make the Cake
- Keep oven at 350°F (175°C).
- Grease and flour three 8-inch or two 9-inch cake pans.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (3–4 minutes).
- Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry mixture to the butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry.
- Fold in 1½ cups of the toasted pecans (reserve ½ cup for frosting).
- Divide batter into pans and bake 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool completely.
3. Make the Butter Pecan Frosting
- Beat butter until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
- Add cream and vanilla; beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Stir in the remaining ½ cup toasted pecans.
4. Assemble
- Place first cake layer down, spread frosting.
- Repeat with remaining layers.
- Frost the sides and top.
- Garnish with extra pecans if desired.
✨ Tips
- Swap milk for buttermilk for richer flavor.
- Add ½ tsp butter flavoring for an old-fashioned bakery taste.
- For a sheet cake version, bake in a 9×13 pan for ~35 minutes.
If you want, I can also give you:
- A small-batch (6-inch) version
- A boxed-cake upgraded version
- A butter pecan poke cake
- A cream cheese frosting variation
Would you like any of those?
