As soon as I saw this recipe in Taste of the South, I knew that it would make an appearance on this year’s Thanksgiving table. It has two big things going for it – pecans and simplicity.
Don’t let this one catch you off guard. This little cake packs a lot of punch. The caramel topping really takes this simple cake and turns it into something fantastically delicious. It somehow manages to be simple and complex at the same time. I really liked this cake so much more than I had anticipated. And, trust me, I was pretty sure it was going to be good.
I confess that the original recipe also had a recipe for a brown sugar brandy sauce to serve with the cake. I did make it and included it in the cake recipe here. But, I like the cake better without the sauce. It has plenty of pecan and caramel goodness on its own.
Pecan Upside-Down Cake
Give upside-down cake a nutty twist by adding pecans and a rich brown sugar brandy sauce.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 & 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup pecan halves
For the Brown Sugar Brandy Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each. Mix in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift mixture twice.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Begin and end with flour mixture. Fold in chopped pecans.
- Combine melted butter and brown sugar. Add cream and stir until smooth.
- Pour butter/brown sugar mixture into bottom of 9-inch round cake pan. Arrange pecan halves in butter/brown sugar mixture. Spoon cake batter over pecan halves.
- Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosed cake. Turn cake onto serving dish immediately. Serve with Brown Sugar Brandy Sauce, if desired.
To make the sauce:
- Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add brandy and whisk to combine. Add cream and whisk until smooth.
- Cook, whisking frequently, 2-3 minutes or until sauce is heated through.
- Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave for serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of the South.
10 Comments on “Pecan Upside-Down Cake”
i am a pecan junkie.
have you tried those sweet & spicy pecans from trader joe’s?
you must.
I haven’t tried those! I will put those on my list for my next trip there. Thanks for the tip!
I absolutely love pecans and always looking for a reason to make something with them. I cannot wait to make this recipe. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
I’d love a slice of this pie right now.
Wow, that looks fabulous. I just printed the recipe and will likely make it tonight. I think I have all the ingredients on hand. One question, I wonder about using browned butter for the butter? I love browned butter, but wonder if it would be overkill, too rich, for this recipe?
Jennifer, using browned butter will definitely make the cake richer, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I don’t think I’d want it any richer, but I can definitely see the appeal.
Thanks! I ended up making a red velvet cake for my daughter’s birthday and snacks for her party, so I still need to make this. I think I’ll make it as written tonight, and then decide if I want to tinker with it. I think it would make an excellent cake to take to my book club later this month, especially since one of the ladies does not like chocolate.
I grew up in Arkansas and there were pecans everywhere! We always had big bowls of them out at Christmas. Now I live in Virginia, a pecan deprived state and am always looking for new ways to use them. I’ll definitely give this a whirl. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
What can be a non alcoholic substitute for the brandy?
I’d try 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and add the remaining volume in water.