Pecan pie but make it cake! This easy, single-layer pecan upside down cake is moist, buttery and bursting with caramel and pecan flavors.
If you like pecan pie, trust me when I say you're not going to want to miss this snack cake-sized treat.
What's to love?
-- It's got the rich, buttery pecan filling we all know and love
-- A melt-in-your-mouth vanilla spice cake (similar to the one in this eggnog tres leches cake or caramel apple cake)
-- It's even easier to make and takes about half the amount of time
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Ingredients
A full list of ingredients, with measurements, is available in the recipe card. Below you'll find some helpful tips and tricks as well as the baking science behind why this recipe works.
- Eggs: Work best at room temperature, which will allow them to be more evenly incorporated into the batter.
- Oil: Adds moisture to the cake. I prefer oil over butter because it makes for a loftier cake with a more even crumb that lasts longer.
- Sour cream: This is one of my favorite cake hacks as it adds a subtle tangy flavor, moisture and creates a fine crumb.
- Whole milk: I use whole milk as it's what we tend to have on hand, but 2% or even 1% would produce a similarly good cake. I would avoid skim milk.
- Baking powder and baking soda: We're using both in this recipe because baking soda neutralizes the flavor of acids and we want to preserve some of that sour cream tang.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds a warm, spicy flavor.
- Agave nectar: Just like in my bourbon pecan pie, I'm using agave nectar, which is a wonderful alternative if you don't have or don't want to use corn syrup. If you'd rather use corn syrup, you can substitute it at a 1:1 ratio.
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness with undertones of molasses and toffee.
- Pecans: I like to use coarsely chopped pecans to get an even layer and to make slicing a little easier.
- Butter: Unsalted butter work best for this as it lets us control how much salt we want to add.
Working ahead
Want to make this cake before your event?
This cake keeps well on the counter and arguably tastes even better the next day after the syrupy topping has had time to really soak into the cake. I recommend baking no more than 1-2 days in advance to ensure it's fresh.
Freezing: You can wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months. Thaw on the counter overnight before serving.
Watch the process
Step-by-step instructions
Combine the brown sugar, agave nectar and butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, salt and pecans.
In a bowl, whip the eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar in two parts, alternating with the wet in one part.
Pour the topping into a 9" lined round pan. Cover with cake batter.
Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
Turn the cooled cake out onto a plate and remove the parchment.
Expert tip
- Testing for doneness: Although tempting to wait until the toothpick comes out completely clean, doing so will likely lead to over-baking your cake. Instead, you want your toothpick to come out without raw batter and with just a few cooked crumbs clinging to it.
Substitutions
While this recipe represents my tried and true method for making this cake, if you need to make substitutions, here are the ones I've personally tested:
- Light corn syrup: Don't have agave nectar on hand? You can substitute light corn syrup at a 1:1 ratio. Other good alternatives that can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio include maple syrup and honey, although these will impact the flavor of this cake.
More cake sizes
- 8"x 8" square dish: If you don't have a 9" round pan, you can use an 8" x 8" square pan. You do not need to scale the ingredients or change the baking time for this dish size.
- 9" x 13": If you need cake for a crowd, simply double the recipe and bake it in a 9″x13″ at 350F adding 5-15 minutes to the bake time.
Storage
This cake can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature and is best when eaten within 2-3 days.
The whole cake or slices can be wrapped and frozen for up to three months.
More fall cake recipes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I regularly update these posts and feedback from wonderful readers like you help me improve them.
Recipe
Pecan Upside Down Cake
This easy, single-layer pecan upside down cake is moist, buttery and bursting with caramel and pecan flavors.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the pecan topping:
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- ¼ cup agave nectar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
For the cake:
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup oil
- ⅓ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, agave and butter over low-medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- In a bowl, whip the eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.
- Starting with the dry ingredients and alternating between wet and dry, add your ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture, whisking until just combined.
- Pour the pecan topping into a parchment paper lined 9" round cake pan, spreading evenly.
- Top with cake batter.
- Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.
- Once the pan has cooled enough to handle, turn the cake out onto a plate.
Notes
- Agave nectar substitutions: Don’t have agave nectar on hand or would prefer to use something else? Try substituting light corn syrup or maple syrup at a 1:1 ratio.
- Testing for doneness: Although tempting to wait until the toothpick comes out completely clean, doing so will likely lead to over-baking your cake. Instead, you want your toothpick to come out without any raw batter and with some cooked crumbs still clinging to it.
- Storage: This cake can be kept in an air tight container at room temperature and is best when eaten within 2-3 days.
- Making this cake for a crowd: If you need more cake, simply double the recipe and bake it in a 9″x13″ at 350F adding 5-15 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 394
- Sugar: 27.3g
- Sodium: 237mg
- Fat: 24.7g
- Saturated Fat: 8.6g
- Carbohydrates: 41.5g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 3.7g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Keywords: pecan cake, pecan cake recipe, pecan upside down cake
Deb Devo says
Your recipe doesn,t mention turning the cake out of the pan....shouldn,t that happen right when it comes out of the oven????
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
Hi Deb! Since the pan is lined and greased, the cake should easily come out regardless of whether it's warm or cool. I personally waited until it had cooled completely to reduce the chance of anything sliding off.
Lili says
My spouse made this and I can confirm it is absolutely delicious! I will certainly be leaving subtle hints around the house in hopes of another one soon 😃
★★★★★
Deb Devo says
I finally made this today....I doubled the recipe and put in 9'' by 13'' pan...thank goodness I did or I wouldn't have ANY leftovers...my guests SNARFED it down!!! It is AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for my new recipe :~).