Butter Pecan Cake Recipe
Prep Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
26 minutes
Servings:
10 Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • ½ cup + 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ cup + ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • ½ cup natural yogurt
  • ⅓ cup whole milk
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup pecans, for decoration (whole or chopped)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Grease 3 (7-inch) round cake tins with removable bases.
  3. Prepare a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper, ready for the hot buttered pecans.
  4. In a pan, melt the salted butter along with the 1 cup of finely chopped pecans. Sauté the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes, until the pecans are slightly colored.
  5. Pour the mixture onto the prepared sheet of baking paper, and set aside to cool.
  6. In a stand mixer, cream together the granulated sugar and ½ cup of unsalted butter, mixing until the blend has uniformly lightened in color.
  7. Mix in the eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  8. In a separate bowl, combine the natural yogurt and the whole milk.
  9. In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
  10. Add ⅓ of the flour to the stand mixer, and mix until just combined.
  11. Add 1/2 of the milk and yogurt mixture to the stand mixer, and combine.
  12. Add another ⅓ of the flour mixture, and repeat with the flour and milk until all of it has been combined together in the stand mixer.
  13. Gently fold in the buttered pecans until just combined, then divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake tins.
  14. Bake the sponge layers in the oven for 20 minutes, until just cooked. Then, remove them from the oven, and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
  15. In the meantime, blend together the remaining ¾ cup of unsalted butter with the cream cheese in a stand mixer.
  16. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and then sieve in the powdered sugar in stages until everything is well combined.
  17. When the cakes are completely cooled, place the first sponge on a plate or cake stand, and then spoon 2 tablespoons full of the cream cheese frosting on top of the sponge.
  18. Spread the frosting evenly across the sponge before adding the second and then the third sponges, and repeating the process.
  19. Use a little more of the cream cheese frosting around the sides of the cake, and then, using a piping bag, pipe some around the top for decoration.
  20. Decorate the top either with whole or chopped pecans.