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When it comes to delicious baked goods, a southern recipe will seldom let you down and this recipe was no exception! I couldn’t find much about the origin of these Carolina Pecan Bars, but with plenty of butter and toasted pecans, it seems like a recipe that would be right at home in a southern grandmother’s recipe collection. Rich and decadent, these little bars are almost more cookie-like than cake-like in texture. Once we go over the recipe steps you’ll see why!
To start off, you’ll toast the pecans in butter until your kitchen fills with that amazing nutty aroma (who needs candles!?). From there you’ll whip up a pretty standard cake batter and bake it to a lovely golden brown while you make the frosting. Now this next part is where the recipe strays from the ordinary…
You’re going to take that beautiful cake, crumble it up, and mix it with half the frosting! If you’ve ever made cake pops you might be familiar with this process. The light and soft cake combines with the creamy frosting to make a whole new textured batter. You’ll then press the mixture back into your pan and cover with the remaining frosting. It might sound odd, but trust us, the results are absolutely mouthwatering.
Since they’re so rich, I recommend slicing the bars into small, bite-sized squares. Though, in my experience everyone will still go back for seconds and thirds. They’re too tasty to resist. Add these bars to your holiday baking lineup or serve them up at your next potluck, they’re bound to be a hit on any occasion!
Carolina Pecan Bars
Cake
- 1 ½ cups pecans, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup butter (two sticks)
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
Frosting
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 12 oz cream cheese (1 ½ packages), room temperature
- ⅔ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet. Once melted added chopped pecans and stir until toasted, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine sugar and 1 cup butter. Beat until fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs, beating to combine then add vanilla and maple extracts.
- In another large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Thoroughly mix.
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, alternating with the 1 cup of milk. Mix until just combined, then fold in the toasted pecans.
- Transfer batter to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- As cake bakes, start on the frosting: combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, ⅔ cup butter, vanilla extract, and maple extract in a large bowl. Beat until smooth then add just enough milk to make the consistency spreadable.
- Once cake is done baking and cool enough to handle, divide in half. Scoop out one half of the cake into a large bowl and crumble it. Stir ¼ of the frosting into the crumbled cake. Repeat process with a second half of the cake.
- Transfer the cake crumble back into the baking dish and press into one even layer.
- Top the pressed cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with additional pecan pieces if desired.
- Refrigerate until fully set, 4 hours or overnight. Cut into small squares and serve chilled.
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com