Butter Pecan Caramel Pound Cake

Table of Contents

The Ultimate Butter Pecan Caramel Pound Cake Recipe

A Slice of Sweet Nostalgia

There’s a certain magic that happens when brown butter, toasted pecans, and deep, amber caramel come together. It’s a flavor that tastes like a hug feels—warm, comforting, and utterly sincere. This Butter Pecan Caramel Pound Cake is my homage to that feeling. It was born on a rainy Sunday when I was craving something profoundly comforting. I wanted the dense, tender crumb of my grandmother’s classic pound cake, but with the sophisticated, nutty richness of a gourmet dessert. The result was this glorious creation, a cake that fills your kitchen with an aroma so buttery and warm, it’s impossible not to feel a sense of homecoming.

Why You’ll Love This Butter Pecan Caramel Pound Cake

It’s a Masterclass in Texture: Experience the perfect contrast of a supremely moist, tender crumb against the crunchy, buttery pecans and the slick, creamy caramel glaze.
Comfort in Every Bite: This cake is the edible equivalent of your favorite cozy sweater. It’s a timeless, classic dessert that feels both familiar and exceptionally special.
Impresses with Ease: Despite its stunning, bakery-quality appearance, the process is straightforward and forgiving. It’s the kind of dessert that will have guests thinking you spent all day in the kitchen.
The Flavor Deepens: Like many great pound cakes, this one tastes even better the next day. The flavors meld and mature, making it a fantastic make-ahead treat.

The Ultimate Compliment

I brought this cake to a neighborhood potluck, where I knew there would be a certain ten-year-old connoisseur of plain pasta and chicken nuggets. I watched as his mother cajoled him into trying “just a tiny bite.” His eyes widened. He looked at the cake, then at me, and then asked his mom, “Can I have the piece with the most sticky stuff on top?” That’s the power of this cake. It wins over the skeptics and turns picky eaters into enthusiastic fans.

What Makes It Special

Brown Butter Pecans: We don’t just toss raw pecans in the batter. We toast them in melted salted butter first, awakening their nutty essence and creating a foundational flavor that runs throughout the entire cake.
Sour Cream for the Win: This secret weapon is the key to an unbelievably moist and tender crumb. It adds a slight tang that perfectly balances the intense sweetness of the caramel.
A True Caramel Glaze: Unlike a simple powdered sugar glaze, ours is cooked on the stovetop with sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar, creating a rich, creamy, and authentic caramel sauce that sets beautifully on the cake.
The Cake Flour Difference: Using cake flour instead of all-purpose gives this pound cake its fine, delicate, and soft texture that practically melts in your mouth.

Making It Happen: The Journey to Pound Cake Perfection

First, preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) and generously prepare your bundt pan with butter and flour or a reliable baking spray. This is a crucial step to ensure your beautiful cake releases in one perfect piece.

Now, let’s build our batter. Sift your cake flour several times—this isn’t a fussy step, it’s what gives us that feather-light texture. Whisk the baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the flour. In the bowl of your mixer, cream the room-temperature butter and sugar together until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and light. This is where you build the structure. With the mixer on low, add your eggs one at a time, letting each one fully incorporate before adding the next.

We’ll add the dry and wet ingredients in stages. Mix in about a third of the flour mixture, then all of the sour cream, and finally the rest of the flour, mixing just until the batter is smooth and no white streaks remain. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Here’s a flavor-packed step: melt that half-cup of salted butter and stir in your chopped pecans. This buttery pecan mixture will be swirled right into the cake. Pour half of your batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle half of the buttered pecans over it. They’ll sink in a bit, which is exactly what we want. Top with the remaining batter.

Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The wait is the hardest part, as the incredible, buttery scent fills your home. The cake is done when a long skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for just 10-15 minutes—no longer! Then, confidently invert it onto the rack to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the glorious caramel glaze. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar. Stir slowly and constantly; this prevents the milk from scorching and encourages the sugar to dissolve. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil—it will thicken noticeably. Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla and the remaining buttered pecans. The glaze should be hot and pourable.

Place your cooled cake on a serving plate and, while the glaze is still warm, spoon it liberally over the top, letting those beautiful rivulets of caramel drip down the sides. As it sits, the glaze will set into a creamy, fudgy, irresistible coating.

You Must Know

Properly Measure Your Flour: For cake flour, always spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. Scooping packs the flour in and can lead to a dry, dense cake.
Room Temperature is Key: Using room-temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream allows the ingredients to emulsify properly, creating a smooth, high-rising batter.
Don’t Overmix: Once you add the flour, mix only until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make the cake tough.
The Glaze Temperature: Pour the glaze onto a cake that is completely cool or just slightly warm. If the cake is too hot, the glaze will just slide right off.

Serving It Up

This Butter Pecan Caramel Pound Cake is sublime all on its own with a hot cup of coffee or a glass of cold milk. For a truly decadent dessert, warm a slice slightly and serve it with a scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream. The contrast of warm cake and cold ice cream is divine. For a dinner party, pair it with a dark roast coffee or a sweet dessert wine like a Muscat.

Make It Different

Nut-Free: Simply omit the pecans. The brown butter in the cake and glaze will still provide a wonderful, nutty flavor.
Spiced Version: Add a teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of nutmeg to the cake batter for a warm, spiced undertone.
Bourbon Caramel: Add a tablespoon of bourbon to the caramel glaze along with the vanilla for a sophisticated, adult twist.
Gluten-Free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend for the cake flour.

Storing Your Masterpiece

Store the completely cooled cake, covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container, at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. The cake can also be frozen (without the glaze for best results) for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before glazing and serving.

Success Tips

To ensure even baking, rotate your bundt pan halfway through the baking time.
If your caramel glaze thickens too much before you’ve poured it all, you can gently reheat it over low heat with a splash of milk or cream to thin it out.
For the cleanest slices, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife and wipe it clean between cuts.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
You can, but the texture will be slightly different. Cake flour produces a more tender crumb. If you must substitute, for every cup of cake flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons.

2. My caramel glaze is too thin. What happened?
You likely didn’t bring it to a full boil, or it needed to cook for a minute or two longer to thicken. Don’t worry—it will still taste delicious! Let it cool a bit more; it will continue to thicken as it sits.

3. Can I make this in a different pan?
Yes, you can use two 9×5 inch loaf pans. The baking time will be less, so start checking for doneness at around 45-50 minutes.

4. Why did my cake stick to the bundt pan?
This is almost always due to improper pan preparation. Be incredibly thorough when greasing and flouring the pan, getting into every nook and cranny. A baking spray with flour included is a great insurance policy.

5. The cake is browning too quickly on top. What should I do?
Simply tent the cake loosely with a piece of aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time. This will slow down the browning without affecting the bake.

Recipe Card: Butter Pecan Caramel Pound Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (plus cooling time)
Category: Dessert
Difficulty: Intermediate
Cuisine: American
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake:

3 cups cake flour
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups white sugar

For the Pecan Caramel Frosting:

1/2 cup melted salted butter (for toasting pecans)
12 oz sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan.
For the Cake: Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Mix in one-third of the flour mixture, then all of the sour cream, and finally the remaining flour mixture, mixing just until combined after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, toss the 1 cup of chopped pecans with the 1/2 cup of melted salted butter.
Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the buttered pecans. Top with remaining batter.
Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a long skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
Boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and the remaining 1/2 cup of buttered pecans.
Pour the warm glaze over the completely cooled cake. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.

Notes

Allergy Info: Contains gluten, dairy, eggs, and tree nuts (pecans).