Butter Pecan Pound Cake Recipe

Rich and nutty, this butter pecan pound cake proves that indulgence doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Starting with a cake mix, it bakes up moist and tender with a ribbon of chopped pecans swirled through the middle and sprinkled on top.

For more simple cakes like this one, try our old fashioned cream cheese pound cake, hummingbird bread with cream cheese glaze, or banana bread bundt cake with bourbon glaze!

With the optional caramel glaze you’ve got a dessert that tastes like homemade Southern comfort with half the effort.

Why you'll love it

What's not to love about this buttery goodness? Among the many reasons we love it are the following:

• It's not too big. Made in a standard loaf pan it's a manageable size for 2-4 people to enjoy for a few days.
• It's fantastic for breakfast or as a dessert.
• It's customizable with the butter pecan glaze being optional. We always add it, but you certainly don't have to.
• Best of all, it's an easy cake to make! We start with a pound cake mix that already has buttery flavor and then add the pecans and some brown sugar.

If you have more people to serve you could always make our traditional cream cheese pound cake. It's made in a bundt pan or tube pan and therefore a bit larger.

Jump to:

• Why you'll love it
• Ingredient notes
• How to make it
• Pam's tips
• FAQ's about butter pecan cake
• Storing your pound cake
• How to serve it and what to serve with butter pecan pound cake
• Related recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Sweet Breads

Ingredient notes

• Pound cake mix - use any brand that calls for a loaf pan and added butter. We have successfully made this recipe with a Betty Crocker mix and a Krusteaz mix.
• Butter - We typically use unsalted butter and salted butter interchangably in our recipes. A minor salt adjustment may have to be made in some cases, but not in this one.
• Eggs - large is standard and if possible your eggs should be at room temperature.
• Pecans - Chopped and preferable toasted, but you can make it with untoasted nuts.
• Brown sugar - We keep light brown on hand, but you can use dark brown if that's what you have.
• Milk - (for the glaze) Use any fat content that you have on hand.
• Powdered sugar (for the glaze)
• Vanilla extract (for the glaze)

See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

How to make it

1. Prepare a standard loaf pan (9 x 5 inches) by lining with parchment paper (details on this below in tips) and then spray with baking spray like Bakers Joy, or coat the entire inside of the cake pan with butter and then dust with all purpose flour.
2. If toasting the pecans do that now (see tips below) and let them cool a few minutes before tossing with the brown sugar. Set aside.
3. Make the cake mix according to the package directions.
4. Spread about ⅓ to ½ of the cake batter in the pan. Sprinkle the nut mixture over the batter, reserving about 2 Tablespoons to go on top.
5. Spread the remaining batter and then sprinkle with the remaining nut mixture.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees and start checking for doneness (dry toothpick) after about 45 minutes.
7. When done let cake cool on wire rack while you make the glaze, if adding.
8. Melt butter over medium heat and add brown sugar and milk, stirring until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and vanilla until no lumps remain.
9. Drizzle over warm cake.

Pam's tips

Use whatever method you like for toasting the pecans. My preferred method is in a non-stick skillet over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Keep a close eye on the look and fragrance. The pecans can go from toasted to burned very quickly.

For easy removal from the pan we like to line the loaf pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides and you can use like "handles". This is the same method we use for Hummingbird Bread and Fresh Peach Bread. The photo illustrates.

FAQ's about butter pecan cake

Storing your pound cake

The best way I've found to store this kind of cake for the short term (like 3-4 days) is at room temperature and wrapped in aluminum foil.

You can keep it up to 5-6 days if tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated.

For longer storage I freeze the cake long enough to make sure the glaze is hard and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil over that. It will keep up to 3 months in the freezer this way.

How to serve it and what to serve with butter pecan pound cake

For starters, a cup of hot coffee with a slice of this cake really brings out the butter pecan flavor and is hard to beat.

Additionally, that we love to toast a slice under the broiler - especially when it's 2-3 days old and a little easier to handle than super fresh out of the oven.

Any type of fruit on top is amazing and adding a bit of whipped cream is always a good idea. Caramelized peaches are an absolute favorite topping at our house as are a slice or two of grilled apples.

Related recipes

• Butter Pecan Syrup
• 21 of the Best Pecan Recipes for Fall
• Brown Butter Pecan Cookies
• Baked Camembert with Honey, Pears & Pecans
• Banana Buttermilk Pancakes with Pecans
• Classic Pecan Pie

📖 Recipe