Butter Pecan Cake (Printable)

Rich, moist cake with buttery toasted pecans and velvety buttercream frosting

# What You’ll Need:

→ Toasted Pecans

01 - 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, chopped
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Cake

03 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
08 - 2 cups granulated sugar
09 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
12 - Toasted pecans, cooled

→ Butter Pecan Frosting

13 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
14 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
15 - 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
17 - 1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans, or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add chopped pecans and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
06 - Fold in most of the toasted pecans, reserving 1/2 cup for frosting.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat 1 cup butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and heavy cream, beating until fluffy. Adjust consistency with more cream if needed. Fold in reserved finely chopped pecans.
09 - Place one layer on a serving plate. Spread frosting over the top. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost the sides and top. Garnish with extra pecan halves if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The toasted pecans create these incredible crunchy pockets throughout the tender crumb
  • Buttermilk keeps the cake incredibly moist even days later
  • The frosting has this brown butter undertone from the toasted pecans folded inside
02 -
  • Cold ingredients will cause the batter to curdle and seize up, making it impossible to achieve proper aeration
  • Overmixing after adding flour develops gluten and creates a tough cake instead of tender
  • The cakes must be completely cool or the frosting will melt and slide right off
03 -
  • Toast extra pecans beyond what the recipe calls out for garnishing and snacking
  • Adding a teaspoon of maple extract to the frosting takes it to another level
  • If your frosting is too stiff, let it warm up slightly rather than adding more liquid right away

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