Description
This recipe takes everything you love about pecan pie – sticky caramel sauce, buttery pecans, and fragrant vanilla, combined with a moist and tender cake.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- ½ cup (105g) packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
- couple pinches salt
- 1 cup (110g) coarsely chopped pecans
- 1½ cups (188g) all purpose flour (spooned and leveled or weighed)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (180g) sour cream
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable or canola oil
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk
- ½ cup (55g) finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch high sides. Lightly grease the pan and set it aside.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add brown sugar, heavy cream, maple syrup, and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for one full minute until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Reserve about ½ cup caramel sauce for serving. Stir chopped pecans into the remaining sauce. Pour the caramel pecan sauce into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk sour cream, eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add half the flour mixture, whisking until almost combined. Add the milk, whisking until combined, followed by the remaining flour mixture. Stir in the finely chopped pecans.
- Scoop the batter into the pan over the caramel and pecans. Smooth the batter into an even layer. Bake for 33-38 minutes until the cake is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Remove the pan. Use any pecans left in the pan to cover the cake. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
- Serve slices of cake drizzled with the reserved caramel sauce. Reheat the sauce gently in the microwave if needed.
Notes
- Choose fresh pecans for best flavor.
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg