This is my ode to family. A butter pecan cake reminds me of nostalgia, the times when large cakes were always on the counter, kids ate without worry at any time they wanted be it a whole fruit or a cracker with cheese. everything came from freshness and not from a package. the times when we kids played outdoors with everyone around and mothers had no idea that we had just gotten into a proper fist fight or scraped our knees from the bicycle.
this butter pecan cake is just that. butter is slowly browned first to add a layer of flavour and then swirled into a buttermilk batter and lots of toasty chopped pecans. i add a drizzle of caramel into the batter bc my spirit needed more sweetness!
The Recipe
9 or 10 inch cake tin
Ingredients
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp corn flour
175 ml buttermilk (ideally made with sour yogurt)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp caramel sauce (optional)
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Icing:
¾ cup icing sugar
1 tbsp cream cheese, soft
1-2 tbsp milk – as required
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp corn flour
175 ml buttermilk (ideally made with sour yogurt)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp caramel sauce (optional)
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Icing:
¾ cup icing sugar
1 tbsp cream cheese, soft
1-2 tbsp milk – as required
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 180C and grease and flour a 9 or 10 inch cake tin
First brown the butter in low heat until caramelized bits start to form
Set aside to cool slightly
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugars, baking soda, powder, salt and corn flour
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and vanilla well
Add the browned butter to the dry ingredients bowl, followed by the buttermilk mixture and then caramel and fold the batter well
Then last fold in the pecans
Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting
Icing:
Whisk together first the icing sugar and cream cheese and then pour milk as required to make a thick dropping consistency
Pour the icing over the cake and let it harden before slicing
First brown the butter in low heat until caramelized bits start to form
Set aside to cool slightly
In a large bowl stir together flour, sugars, baking soda, powder, salt and corn flour
In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and vanilla well
Add the browned butter to the dry ingredients bowl, followed by the buttermilk mixture and then caramel and fold the batter well
Then last fold in the pecans
Pour batter into the cake tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting
Icing:
Whisk together first the icing sugar and cream cheese and then pour milk as required to make a thick dropping consistency
Pour the icing over the cake and let it harden before slicing
