Pecan Upside-Down Cake

Pecan Upside Down Cake – An easy and delicious cake with all the flavors of a classic pecan pie. This pecan upside down cake is easy to make and a great dessert to make during the holiday season! You can enjoy this cake on it’s own or serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Caramelized pecan topping.

Start by making the caramelized pecan topping. Roughly chop pecans and add it to a pan with the unsalted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, light corn syrup, salt and mix on low heat until the butter has melted and and sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat off. Make sure to not cook the mixture. Add the pecan mixture to a greased 9 inch round cake pan. Spread the mixture evenly and set aside.

Tender, moist, and flavorful homemade yellow cake.

When I first made this cake, I made it with buttermilk and butter. It turned out great but I wanted the cake to be a lot more tender and moist. So I swapped it for a neutral oil and sour cream and it turned even BETTER. If you do not have sour cream, you can also use a plain yogurt or greek yogurt.

Cake Batter – In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until pale. Now add the oil and mix. Add the sour cream, milk and mix until full incorporated. Sift in the dry ingredients ( all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda). Mix until the batter is smooth and lump free. Pour the batter over the pecans and spread the batter evenly. Place the cake on the middle rack and bake for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Using a knife, gently run along the edges of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes before flipping onto a plate.

Print Pin

5 from 3 votes

Pecan Upside Down Cake

Course Dessert

Prep Time 17 minutes minutes

Cook Time 38 minutes minutes

Servings 7 people

Equipment

• 9 inch Round Cake Pan

Ingredients

Pecan Topping

• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup or honey
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Cake

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps sour cream or greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup neutral oil ( vegetable oil or grapeseed oil)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1&1/2 cups All Purpose Flour (make sure to spoon and level the flour)
• 1&1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

• Preheat Oven 350F
• Heat a pan over medium-low heat.  Add the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, salt, and pecans.  Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat.  Make sure to not to cook the mixture beyond just melting the butter and getting the sugar dissolved. Add the pecan mixture to a greased 9 inch round cake pan. Spread the mixture evenly and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract for 1 minute on high speed. Now add the oil and mix. Add the sour cream, milk and mix until full incorporated.
• Sift in the dry ingredients ( all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda). Mix until the batter is smooth and lump free. Do not over mix the batter.
• Pour the batter over the pecans and spread the batter evenly. Place the cake on the middle rack and bake for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Gently run a butter knife along the edges of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 5-8 minutes before flipping onto a plate. Be careful while doing this as the pan is still hot. Scoop any pecans and sauce remaining in the pan over the cake.  Serve a slice of cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!