Divine Butter Pecan Cake: A Southern Sweet Treat

If you love Southern sweets, you’ll fall head over heels for this butter pecan cake.

It’s got soft, buttery layers packed with toasted pecans and a zesty cream cheese frosting.

Butter Pecan CakePhoto byInsanely Good Recipes

We can’t decide what’s better: the nutty flavor or the creamy goodness. Thankfully, you don’t have to choose – each bite gives you a taste of both.

This cake is a classic that feels like a divine treat. Everyone will be asking for more, and they’ll be so grateful you took the time to make it.

Ingredients you will need for this cake:

For the Cake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, divided
• 2 cups chopped pecans, divided
• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 ounces) block cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

How to make this delicious cake:

Start by toasting the pecans: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in the pecans and cook them for about 3-5 minutes until they’re nice and toasty with a great aroma. Use a slotted spoon to move them to a plate.

Next, brown the butter: Add the rest of the butter to the skillet and keep stirring until it turns a lovely brown and smells nutty. Pour it into a bowl and let it cool down.

Preheat your oven to 350°F and get three 9-inch baking pans ready by greasing and lining them with parchment paper.

Now, let’s make the cakes: In a big bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until everything’s mixed well. In a measuring cup, combine the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Set both mixtures aside.

In another bowl, whisk the browned butter with granulated and light brown sugars until it’s thick and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Start adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the toasted pecans with the last bit of flour until there are no flour streaks left.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until it’s smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low until it’s all combined.

Stir in the vanilla extract and heavy cream, adding a teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired thickness—it should be thick but easy to spread.

To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a good amount of cream cheese frosting on top. Do the same with the next two layers. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake, then sprinkle the rest of the toasted pecans on top.

Chill the cake for 30-60 minutes before serving to let the frosting set. Enjoy your delicious creation!

This Recipe was created by Insanely Good Recipes and is available in PDF Printable version for your convenience.