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Butter Pecan Cake | Magnolia Days

Butter Pecan Cake

Butter Pecan Cake is a rich vanilla layer cake loaded with buttered pecans and covered in buttercream frosting. It's a special dessert for any occasion.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12 to 16 servings
Author Renee Dobbs

Ingredients

For the butter pecans:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 2/3 cups chopped pecans

For the cake:

  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup half-and-half or whole milk at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup butter pecans

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 pound confectioners sugar sifted
  • 5 tablespoons half-and-half plus more if needed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup butter pecans

Instructions

For the butter pecans:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Stir together melted butter and pecans in a small bowl. Spread pecans evenly on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs, one at at time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating each addition until just combined.
  6. Stir in vanilla and 1 cup butter pecans.
  7. Pour batter into prepared cake pans. Batter will be thick so spread evenly in the pans.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Cool cake in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting:

  1. Beat butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add confectioners sugar, 5 tablespoons half-and-half, and vanilla.
  2. Beat on medium-low speed until combined and smooth. Add more half-and-half as needed to reach desired spreading consistency.
  3. Stir in remaining 2/3 cup butter pecans.
  4. Spread frosting between cake layers, on top, and sides of cake.
  5. Keep cake chilled when not serving.

Recipe Notes

Butter Pecan Cake is a rich vanilla layer cake loaded with buttered pecans and covered in buttercream frosting. It's a special dessert for any occasion.