you're making mealtime meaningful.
For all you nut lovers out there, there’s one flavor combination that we think just does not get the attention it deserves. It’s salty and sweet and perfectly delicious, so why don’t more people realize how great butter pecan treats are?? Don’t worry, we’re here to give it the love it deserves and to convince previously-non-butter-pecan-lovers that it is truly amazing. The way we’re going to do that today is with this butter pecan sheet cake.
It’s a decadent cake (without being overwhelming) that’s laden with pecans, in both the cake and the frosting, and it’s pretty much impossible to not be obsessed with it.
While you could just as easily turn this into a two or three-layer cake, we prefer making it a sheet cake; the thinner layer of cake and frosting means you can amp up the flavor without the fear of it being cloying or overpowering.
Trust us, the flavors come through crystal clear, the nuts give the best amount of crunch and the glaze is ridiculously yummy. We find ourselves making this dessert more as we transition into fall and winter, but really, there’s no bad time to make this – it’s too tasty to pass up!
Butter Pecan Cake
Yield(s): Serves 20-24
40 minutes
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Glaze:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pecans, optional
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400º F and lightly grease a large sheet cake pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
- Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl or mixer for 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- One at a time, beat in eggs, waiting until each is incorporated before adding the next, then add vanilla extract.
- Starting and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate between mixing in the flour mixture and milk. Be careful not to overmix.
- If using, fold in chopped pecans.
- Pour batter into greased cake pan and place in oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
- While cake cools, prepare frosting. Combine butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk everything together and bring to a boil, then stir in vanilla extract and remove from heat.
- Stir in powdered sugar and whisk until smooth, then pour frosting over cooling cake. Optional: fold pecans into frosting before pouring, or sprinkle over the top.
Recipe adapted from Laura's Sweet Spot