Butter Pecan Cake

SERVES: 8

COOK TIME: 40 Min

This showstopping cake is a Southern dessert favorite. Our made-from-scratch recipe for Butter Pecan Cake will have your whole gang thinking you went to a bakery, 'cause it tastes so good! Creamy, rich, and utterly irresistible, you bet they'll be begging you for another slice of this Butter Pecan Cake!

What You'll Need

1 (6-ounce) package white chocolate baking squares, chopped
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/2 sticks butter, softened and divided
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 (16-ounce) containers cream cheese frosting

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine white chocolate and boiling water; stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat 2 sticks butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Stir in white chocolate mixture and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda. Slowly beat buttermilk mixture and flour into chocolate mixture, until well blended. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter.
Pour batter into cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium heat, melt remaining butter; stir in pecans. Cook 6-8 minutes, or until toasted and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Let cool.
In a medium bowl, combine frosting and buttered nuts; mix well. Place one cake layer on a platter and spread with frosting. Place second cake layer on top, and frost sides and top of cake.

Notes

You can make this Butter Pecan Cake look even more special by garnishing with pecan halves.

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koalagirle 7725933

Jul 11, 2019

I've never made cake by scratch before, but I'll NEVER use a cake mix ever again!! This is the best cake I've ever eaten. I WILL be making this one again and again bet on that one!! Thank you very much for sharing this!

nancy 9023715

Apr 04, 2022

There are a lot of things we can cook without pre-packaged mixes full of preservatives. Fresh always tastes better.

rjduckworth

Aug 20, 2017

I have not made this yet, but can it be made in a 9x13 pan?

Test Kitchen Team

Aug 21, 2017

Hi there! Yes, this pecan cake can be made in a 9x13 pan. Baking time should be between 25 and 35 minutes; just make sure to test doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake. Enjoy!

rjduckworth

Aug 21, 2017

Thank you.

ydb

Feb 23, 2017

A comment on the frosting. There is a ready-to-spread, all natural, (no chemicals or artificial colors and flavors) that is all butter and delicious. It is in a pink pouch, at many grocery stores, and is called "The Frosting Queens".

SpinninJenny

Aug 02, 2015

Why would you post a made-from-scratch cake and then use canned frosting? A cake worth making from scratch should have a made-from-scratch frosting. The cake sounds great, but canned frostings just don't have that homemade taste, plus they're made with all kinds of additives.

Test Kitchen Team

Aug 03, 2015

Hello there! - Thank you for your comment. We used canned frosting in this recipe for anyone who prefers a shortcut. However, we do have plenty of homemade frosting recipes on our site. If you do a search for "Homemade Frosting" on our site, you'll find some tasty ones like, Cream Cheese Pecan Frosting that would go great on this cake!