Here’s a rich, old-fashioned Classic Southern Pecan Cake—moist, buttery layers packed with toasted pecans and topped with a creamy frosting. A true Southern-style dessert.
🎂 Classic Southern Pecan Cake
🧾 Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (lightly toasted)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 225g cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
🍳 Instructions
1. Prep
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F)
- Grease and flour 2 or 3 round cake pans
- Toast pecans lightly in a dry pan for 5–7 minutes (optional but boosts flavor)
2. Make the batter
- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl
- In another bowl, cream butter + sugars until fluffy
- Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk
- Fold in toasted pecans
3. Bake
- Divide batter evenly into pans
- Bake for 25–30 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean)
- Cool completely before frosting
4. Make frosting
- Beat cream cheese + butter until smooth
- Add powdered sugar gradually
- Mix in vanilla + pinch of salt
5. Assemble
- Layer cakes with frosting between each layer
- Frost outside of cake
- Sprinkle extra pecans on top for decoration
🍰 Result
A rich Southern-style dessert known as Pecan Cake—sweet, nutty, buttery, and perfect for holidays or celebrations.
💡 Tips for best results
- Toast pecans for deeper flavor
- Don’t overmix batter (keeps cake soft)
- Chill frosting slightly if it’s too soft
- Let cake rest a few hours before slicing for best texture
If you want, I can also make:
- A one-layer easy version
- A caramel pecan glaze version
- Or a Southern-style pecan upside-down cake 🍂
