Butter Pecan Pound Cake Recipe

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The Ultimate Butter Pecan Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

There is something deeply comforting about a heavy, dense slice of pound cake. While I love a light and airy sponge, a true pound cake has a velvety, tight crumb that feels substantial. This Butter Pecan Pound Cake recipe is a love letter to Southern baking. It smells of toasted butter and caramelized sugar, and it tastes like the best kind of nostalgia.

When you bake this, you aren’t just making a dessert; you are filling your kitchen with the aroma of roasting pecans tossed in cinnamon and sugar. The cake itself is incredibly moist—thanks to the buttermilk and brown sugar—and the crunch of the pecans breaks up the soft texture perfectly. It’s finished with a thick, tangy cream cheese glaze that drips down the sides, making it look just as good as it tastes.

Why You’ll Love This

The Texture Contrast: The cake is soft and buttery, but those candied pecans add a distinct, sugary crunch in every bite.
It Stays Moist: Unlike some pound cakes that dry out quickly, the combination of brown sugar and buttermilk keeps this loaf tender for days.
The “Toasted” Factor: We don’t just throw raw nuts in. We toast them in butter and cinnamon first, which deepens the flavor profile significantly.
Freezer Friendly: This cake freezes beautifully, meaning you can bake it now and serve it at a gathering weeks later without losing quality.

The Skeptic Test

I once brought this cake to a dinner party where the host famously declared he “didn’t like nuts in his dessert.” He was a chocolate purist who felt that texture distracted from the flavor. I watched nervously as he took a polite sliver, mostly to be nice. A minute later, I saw him walking back to the counter to slice a proper piece—a thick one. He told me later that because the pecans were toasted in butter and sugar first, they felt more like a candy bar element than a plain nut. Now, he requests this specifically for his birthday.

What Makes It Special

Toasted Pecans: The pecans are sautéed in butter, cinnamon, and sugar before they ever hit the batter. This prevents them from being waxy or bland.
Two Sugars: We use both granulated and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle molasses flavor that pairs perfectly with the nuts.
Butter Extract: Using vanilla is standard, but adding a teaspoon of butter extract amplifies the rich, dairy flavor that defines a good pound cake.
Cream Cheese Glaze: A standard sugar glaze disappears; this cream cheese version adds a necessary tanginess to cut through the sweetness of the cake.

Making It Happen

Baking this cake is a process of building layers of flavor. You start by dealing with the pecans. Melt butter in a skillet and toss the nuts in until they are warm, then hit them with cinnamon and sugar. The smell at this stage is incredible. You have to let them cool, or they will melt the butter in your batter.

For the cake base, the most critical step is creaming the butter and sugars. You need to let the mixer run for a full five minutes until the mixture looks pale and fluffy. This drives air into the heavy batter. Add the eggs one at a time—patience is key here—so the emulsion doesn’t break.

When you alternate adding the flour and buttermilk, do it gently. Overworking the flour now will make the cake tough. Once the batter is smooth, fold in those cooled, sticky pecans. The batter will be thick and golden. Pour it into your bundt pan and let the oven do the work. It’s a long bake—over an hour—so give it time to develop that classic golden crust.

You Must Know

Room Temperature is Non-Negotiable: Your butter, eggs, cream cheese, and buttermilk must be at room temperature. If they are cold, the batter will curdle and the cake won’t rise properly.
Measure Flour Correctly: Don’t scoop the flour with the measuring cup. Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Too much flour results in a dry brick.
Cool Before Flipping: Pound cake is heavy and fragile when hot. Let it sit in the pan for exactly 20 minutes. Too soon, and it breaks; too long, and it sticks.
Toast the Nuts: Do not skip the toasting step. Putting raw pecans into the batter will result in a completely different, less flavorful cake.

Serving Ideas

This cake is rich, so it pairs best with things that cut the sweetness.

Coffee: A dark roast black coffee is the perfect companion to a sweet, buttery slice.
Bourbon: A neat pour of bourbon or a hot toddy complements the brown sugar and pecans beautifully.
Fresh Fruit: Serve with sliced peaches or tart berries to balance the heavy crumb.

Make It Different

Make it Boozy: Substitute the vanilla extract in the glaze for Bourbon or Rum for a grown-up twist.
Nut Variations: If you aren’t a fan of pecans, walnuts work very well with this recipe.
Spice it Up: Add a half teaspoon of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients for a holiday version.
Lighter Glaze: If the cream cheese icing feels too heavy, a simple milk and powdered sugar drizzle works fine, or simply dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Storage and Reheating

Countertop: Pound cake actually tastes better the next day as the flavors meld. Store it in an airtight cake keeper at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter for an hour before eating.
Reheating: This cake is best served room temperature or slightly warm. Pop a slice in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften the butter and make the glaze gooey.

Success Tips

Grease the Pan Well: Bundt pans are notorious for sticking. Use a baking spray that contains flour, or butter the pan thoroughly and dust it with flour, knocking out the excess.
Don’t Open the Oven: Avoid opening the oven door for the first hour of baking. Drafts can cause the cake to fall.
Check Deep: When testing for doneness, use a long skewer, not just a small toothpick, to ensure the very center isn’t raw.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my pecans sink to the bottom? The batter for this pound cake is very thick, which usually holds the nuts in place. However, if your nuts are sinking, the pieces might be too large. Chop them finer. Also, ensuring the batter isn’t overmixed (which thins it out) helps suspend the nuts.

Can I use salted butter? I recommend unsalted butter so you can control the sodium. If you only have salted butter, omit the ½ teaspoon of salt listed in the dry ingredients.

Why is my pound cake dry? This usually happens for two reasons: over-measuring the flour or over-baking. Check your oven with an external thermometer to ensure it isn’t running hot, and spoon-and-level your flour.

Can I bake this in loaf pans? Yes. This recipe yields a large amount of batter. You can split it between two 9×5 loaf pans. The bake time will likely reduce to 50–60 minutes. Check them early.

What if I don’t have butter extract? You can leave it out or increase the vanilla extract by one teaspoon. The cake will still be delicious, just slightly less “bakery-style” in flavor.

Recipe: Butter Pecan Pound Cake

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes Total time: 2 hours (+ cooling time) Servings: 12-16 slices Category: Dessert Difficulty: Medium Cuisine: Southern American Yield: 1 Bundt Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

3 cups All Purpose Flour
2 cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature (3 sticks)
5 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Butter Extract

For the Toasted Pecans:

2 cups Pecans, chopped
½ cup Unsalted Butter
3-4 tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon

For the Icing:

2 cups Powdered Sugar
4 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
⅓ cup Heavy Cream
¼ cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Additional chopped pecans for garnish

Instructions

Toast the Pecans: In a large skillet, melt ½ cup of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped pecans and toast for about two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cinnamon and sugar and toast for approximately two more minutes until browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and let them cool completely.
Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Spray a 12-cup bundt pan liberally with baking spray (preferably one containing flour).
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the 1 ½ cups of butter until smooth. Slowly add the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
Add Extracts and Eggs: Mix in the vanilla and butter extracts. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combine Batter: Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour (Flour, Buttermilk, Flour, Buttermilk, Flour). Mix only until just combined. Do not overmix.
Fold in Pecans: Gently fold the cooled toasted pecan mixture into the batter by hand.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. The cake is done when a long toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool: Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack or serving plate to cool completely.
Make the Glaze: Beat the cream cheese and ¼ cup butter together until smooth. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while mixing until you reach your desired pouring consistency.
Finish: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and top with extra chopped pecans.

Notes Ensure your toasted pecans are fully cooled before adding them to the batter to prevent them from “cooking” the raw eggs in the batter or melting the butter emulsion.