Description
A delightful Butter Pecan Bliss Cake with rich buttery flavor, crunchy pecans, and creamy icing, perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
- 3 cups (333g) cake flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups (354ml) buttermilk, room temperature preferred
- 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (160g) pecan halves, very finely chopped
- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- ⅓ cup (66g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 ½ cups (562g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- ⅓ cup (35g) pecan halves, very finely chopped, optional
Instructions
- Melt 1 cup unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, cooking until golden specks form, about 5-10 minutes. Cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease three 8-inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add cooled browned butter to the dry mix and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add to the butter-flour mix, beating until just combined.
- Fold in the finely chopped pecans.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
- For the icing, beat the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing well.
- Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream, mixing until fluffy.
- If needed, add more cream to keep the icing spreadable.
- Level the cooled cakes if necessary. Frost the layers with icing and sprinkle chopped pecans on top if desired.
- Slice and serve at room temperature, optionally with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature for better mixing. Browning the butter adds a delightful nutty flavor.