Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Featured in: Irresistible Sweet Treats

Southern-style layer cake combining buttery cake with toasted pecans, finished with cream cheese frosting. Requires careful assembly but worth the effort.

Tags: #cheese #cakes

Clare Greco
Updated on Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:16:11 GMT
A sliced loaf cake topped with cream frosting and garnished with pecans is displayed on a wooden cutting board.
A sliced loaf cake topped with cream frosting and garnished with pecans is displayed on a wooden cutting board. | recipesbyclare.com
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Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting is built from the recorded ingredient list and ordered method below. Read every quantity as a working part of the recipe: measuring the listed ingredients, using the stated equipment, and keeping the recorded sequence gives the clearest path to the intended texture and finish. This editorial guide preserves the source facts while explaining the practical cues that help a home cook work carefully and confidently.

Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients

Exact measured ingredients for Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Exact measured ingredients for Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Recipes by Clare
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Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened.; 1 cup granulated sugar.; 1 cup brown sugar, packed.; 4 large eggs.; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.; 2 cups all-purpose flour.; 1 teaspoon baking powder.; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.; 1/2 teaspoon salt.; 1 cup buttermilk.; 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped.; 8 ounces cream cheese, softened.; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened for frosting.; 4 cups powdered sugar.; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for frosting.; Extra toasted pecans for garnish..

How to Make Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Four chronological preparation stages for Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Four chronological preparation stages for Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Recipes by Clare
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  1. Prep: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment.
  2. Make Batter: Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk.
  3. Add Pecans: Fold in chopped toasted pecans. Divide batter between pans.
  4. Bake: Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes clean. Cool completely.
  5. Make Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla.
  6. Assemble: Layer cakes with frosting between and on top. Garnish with extra pecans.

Recipe-Specific Method Notes

For Butter Pecan Cake, heat oven to 350°F and prepare two parchment-lined 8-inch pans. Cream 1 cup softened butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar, add 4 eggs one at a time and 1 teaspoon vanilla, then alternate the dry ingredients with 1 cup buttermilk. Fold in 1 cup toasted chopped pecans, divide batter, and bake 25–30 minutes. Cool completely, then beat 8 ounces cream cheese with 1/2 cup butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, and frosting vanilla; frost the layers and garnish pecans.

Why the Order Matters

The order matters because it separates preparation, cooking, sauce-building, pasta handling, and finishing into deliberate stages. Set out every measured ingredient before starting and use the visual cue named in each instruction alongside its stated time. Keep components separate until the method tells you to join them. Avoid adding familiar extras or changing the order merely for convenience: a sauce can thicken differently, chicken can overcook, and cheese can become grainy when the sequence is altered. The source recipe remains the controlling reference for every temperature, timing cue, and cooking step.

Critical Visual and Timing Cues

Work with clean bowls, measured portions, and the named pan or pot so the method is repeatable. Keep perishables appropriately chilled until they are needed. Brown meat only as directed, let liquids reach the stated boil or simmer stage, and lower heat before gradual dairy additions. Check texture and colour at the point named by the source instead of relying on an arbitrary clock. When pasta is folded into sauce, stir steadily and gently so it remains intact and coated. These small decisions preserve the intended balance without introducing unrecorded ingredients or substitutions.

Serving and Storage

Serve the finished recipe in the form and temperature directed by the source. Keep leftovers covered in a suitable container and refrigerate promptly after cooling. The verified ingredient list and quantities remain the reference point; substitutions should be limited to options the original recipe explicitly permits. Use sensible food-safety handling for chicken, beef, dairy, and cooked pasta. Present each portion neatly and enjoy it promptly for the best texture, because creamy sauces and cooked pasta are at their most appealing just after the final combine stage.

A Steady Workflow

Read the full method before heating the pan, measure every recorded amount, and arrange the listed equipment nearby. Keep the written recipe beside you throughout cooking. The source controls its sequence, temperatures, timing, and resting cues. A steady workflow makes it easier to protect tender chicken, avoid overcooked pasta, and add dairy at the right temperature. Clean tools as you work, return unused ingredients to proper storage, and check the finished dish against the final cue rather than adding a new step.

Finishing Check

Before serving, make one calm final check: the pasta should be coated rather than dry, the sauce should match the thickness described by the method, and any meat should be fully cooked through as directed. Use a broad spoon or spatula to combine rather than crushing pasta shapes. Keep the cooking surface clear, scrape browned flavour only when the written method calls for it, and serve promptly after the final stage. This careful finish respects the recipe record and gives every portion the same balanced sauce, seasoning, and texture.

Recipe Safeguard

Keep the recipe card visible while cooking and resist treating listed measurements as rough suggestions. The difference between a simmer and a full boil, or between a gradual addition and an all-at-once addition, can change the finished texture. Measure the full ingredient groups before heating the pan, use the stated cookware, and reserve only what the method explicitly identifies. If the recipe includes a rest, stand, broil, or off-heat stage, it is a deliberate part of the result. This simple discipline protects the verified recipe without inventing another technique.

Image and Recipe Integrity

The new ingredient photograph and chronological 2×2 process photograph support the written method without replacing it. The site’s original hero remains unchanged. The earlier repeated body image is excluded, while a separate original final-serving image is retained as the third body image. Direct responsive WebP copies preserve aspect ratio and orientation without crop, upscaling, image transformations, or a Worker deployment.

Recorded Recipe Tips

  • Can freeze cake layers up to 1 month.
  • Toast pecans at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.
Finished Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Finished Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting | Recipes by Clare
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Conclusion

Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting makes 1 layer cake in 60 recorded minutes. Preserve every listed quantity, temperature, timing cue, and ordered instruction for the intended result. Use the written sequence and final visual cues as the guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ How many servings does Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting make?

It makes 1 layer cake and serves 12.

→ How long does Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting take?

The recipe records 30 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of cooking, and 60 minutes total.

→ How do I keep Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting consistent?

Measure every listed ingredient, follow the ordered instructions, and use the stated visual, temperature, and timing cues rather than adding unrecorded changes.

→ Why should I preserve the written method?

The sequence is part of the verified recipe: it guides texture, food safety, and the intended finish without changing the original formula.

4.20 from 237 votes

Butter Pecan Cake

Preparation Time:
30 Minutes
Cook Time:
30 Minutes
Total Cooking Time:
60 Minutes
Number of Servings:
12
A sliced loaf cake topped with cream frosting and garnished with pecans is displayed on a wooden cutting board.
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A decadent two-layer cake featuring toasted pecans and rich cream cheese frosting. Perfect for celebrations.

Ingredients You'll Need

How to Make It

1.

1. Prep: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment.

2.

2. Make Batter: Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk.

3.

3. Add Pecans: Fold in chopped toasted pecans. Divide batter between pans.

4.

4. Bake: Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes clean. Cool completely.

5.

5. Make Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla.

6.

6. Assemble: Layer cakes with frosting between and on top. Garnish with extra pecans.

Extra Information

  1. Can freeze cake layers up to 1 month.
  2. Toast pecans at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.

Essential Tools

  • Two 8-inch cake pans.
  • Electric mixer.
  • Parchment paper.

Allergy Warnings

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Dairy.
  • Eggs.
  • Wheat.
  • Tree nuts.

Nutrition Details (Per Portion)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 520
  • Total Fat: 28 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 65 g
  • Protein: 6 g