Pecan Upside-Down Cake
A rich, buttery cake topped with a caramelized pecan layer—moist, nutty, and gorgeous when inverted for serving.
Equipment
- 9-inch round cake pan
- Saucepan
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup pecan halves
Cake Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Make the topping: melt ½ cup butter in a small saucepan, stir in brown sugar until dissolved. Pour into bottom of pan and arrange pecans evenly.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, cream ½ cup butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Pour batter over pecans, smoothing the top. Bake 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Warm slices are particularly delicious. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Reheat gently or serve with whipped cream or ice cream.