Name: Toasted Butter Pecan Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups chopped pecans; 1-1/4 cups unsalted butter (softened and divided); 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 cups granulated sugar; 4 large eggs; 1 cup whole milk; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter; 6 cups powdered sugar; 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1/3 cup whole milk

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Toasted Butter Pecan Cake is a 3-layer cake bursting with a rich buttery flavor and iced with a delicious Brown butter frosting. It’s so good!

I love sharing old recipes that my mom and grandma used to make. This one goes way back and if you love pecans, you’re going to love this cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need (full recipe down below!)

2 cups chopped pecans (divided)
unsalted butter (divided)
all-purpose flour
baking powder
salt
granulated sugar
large eggs
whole milk
pure vanilla extract

Brown Frosting Ingredients:

butter
powdered sugar
pure vanilla extract
whole milk

Tips For Making Toasted Butter Pecan Cake

I always use my KitchenAid stand mixer when making cakes. I’ve had that thing for decades. You can also use a hand mixer but a stand mixer is so much easier.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.

Mix 1/4 cup melted butter with 2 cups chopped pecans and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through.

You’ll know the pecans are done when they become aromatic and begin to brown. Be careful not to burn them!

Sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream one cup of softened butter and the granulated sugar together on medium-high speed, creaming well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

On the lowest speed, add the flour/baking powder/salt mixture, alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and 1-1/2 cups of toasted pecans. (You’re going to save the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans for the frosting. )

Spoon the cake batter evenly into the three cake pans. Bake at 350º F. for 25-30 minutes or until a pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pans, on wire racks, for 10 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the pans and cool completely on the wire racks.

Tips On Preparing Brown Butter Frosting

While the cake layers are baking, place 1-1/2 cups of butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. The mixture will come to a boil. Stir occasionally until the butter is fragrant and the milk solid bits on the bottom of the pan turns golden brown. This takes about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a small bowl. Cover the butter and chill for about an hour or until it is almost solid, stirring every 20 minutes.

Beat the browned butter on medium speed of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. This will take about 3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the sugar. Beat in 1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

To frost the cake: Spread the frosting between layers and on top and sides of the cake. Gently press the toasted pecans around the bottom of the cake, about 3/4 – one inch up the sides.

How To Store Toasted Butter Pecan Cake

Does This Toasted Butter Pecan Cake Need To Be Refrigerated?

No! You can store this cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Because there is such a small amount of milk used in the brown butter frosting, the large amount of sugar will keep the cream stable for a few days at room temperature.

If there is a large amount of dairy in the frosting (such as cream cheese), you’d definitely have to store the cake in the fridge.

My husband loves ALL cakes stored in the fridge but I like them better stored at room temp. If you do store the cake in the fridge, let it sit out for about 15 minutes before you serve the cake.

You can also freeze a cake for up to three months. I like to slice the cake and wrap the slices individually with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. It’s so easy to thaw cake slices as you need them.

Defrost by placing it in the fridge overnight or defrosting slices on the counter for several hours.

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Yield: 12-14 servings