Southern Pecan Caramel Cake
A moist, buttery cake topped with creamy caramel frosting and crunchy pecans, perfect for family gatherings.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 490kcal
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Cake Pans
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon Baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 cups Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 4 large Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Chopped pecans
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter For frosting
- 1 cup Brown sugar, packed
- 0.25 cup Whole milk For frosting
- 3 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract For frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
- Cream butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with milk. Begin and end with flour mixture. Fold in chopped pecans.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- To make frosting: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and spreadable.
- Frost cooled cakes, stacking layers and covering the top and sides. Garnish with whole or chopped pecans if desired.
Notes
This cake freezes beautifully! Bake the layers ahead of time and wrap tightly before freezing. Frost after thawing for best results. You can substitute walnuts or almonds for pecans. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 490kcal | Fat: 28g