Buttery Brown Butter Pecan Bundt Cake

This butter pecan bundt cake gets its deep, toasty flavor from browning the butter before it ever touches the batter. The crumb is dense and tender, with a fine vanilla scent and toasted pecans in every slice.

It looks fancy coming out of the pan but the method is straightforward enough for a Sunday bake. If you want a cake that holds its own next to a cup of black coffee, this is the one.

What Makes This Cake So Good

Browning the butter is the move that changes everything. It takes about 8 minutes on the stove and the kitchen fills with a nutty, caramel smell before you stir in a single other ingredient.

Sour cream gives it that tight, velvety crumb that stays moist on the counter for days. The toasted pecans stay crunchy even after baking, so you get soft cake and a little snap in the same bite.

It unmolds cleanly with a deep amber crust and those ridges that catch a dusting of powdered sugar. No glaze required, though a simple vanilla one never hurts.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter: plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 cups pecans: halves or pieces, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour: spooned and leveled, not scooped
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs: room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream: room temperature

Variations / Substitutions

• Walnuts: swap in for the pecans with no other changes. Toast them the same way for a slightly earthier flavor.
• Brown the butter ahead: do it the night before, chill it solid, then let it soften on the counter before creaming. The flavor stays intact.
• Spice it up: add 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a warmer, wintry version.

Tender Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls go perfectly with this cake for a cozy morning or afternoon.

How To Make Butter Pecan Bundt Cake

Step 1: Brown the Butter

Set a light-colored saucepan over medium heat and drop in the 1 cup of butter. Let it melt, then keep it moving with a spatula as it foams up. After about 6 to 8 minutes the milk solids at the bottom will turn amber and the foam will settle down a bit.

The smell shifts from milky to deeply nutty. Pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking, then let it cool on the counter until it is thick but still pourable, roughly 30 minutes. You want it the texture of softened butter, not liquid.

Step 2: Toast the Pecans

While the browned butter cools, spread the 2 cups of pecans on a dry sheet pan and slide it into a 350°F (175°C) oven. Toast them for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through.

They are done the moment you catch that warm pecan smell. Let them cool, then give them a rough chop so you have a mix of small bits and larger pieces.

Step 3: Cream the Sugars and Butter

Scrape the cooled brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat it with the 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture will look sandy at first, then pale and fluffy.

Crack in the 4 eggs one at a time, letting each disappear before adding the next. Pour in the 1 tbsp of vanilla and beat until the whole thing looks smooth and glossy. The room-temperature eggs keep the batter from curdling at this stage.

Step 4: Mix the Dry and Wet in Alternating Additions

Whisk together the 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, tip in a third of the flour mixture, then half the 1 cup of sour cream, and repeat until both are in.

Stop the mixer as soon as the last streak of flour vanishes. Overbeating here makes the cake tough, and the browned butter flavor deserves a tender crumb.

Step 5: Fold in the Pecans and Fill the Pan

Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in the chopped toasted pecans with a spatula. Use a few broad turns so they spread evenly without deflating the batter.

Butter every ridge and the center tube of a 10-cup bundt pan thoroughly, then dust it with flour and tap out the excess. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake at 350°F (175°C) on the middle rack for 50 to 55 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the deepest part comes out clean, and the top springs back under a light press.

Step 6: Unmold and Finish with a Sugar Shower

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outer edge and the center tube, then flip the pan onto the rack and lift it off.

The whole cake should release in one piece with those deep brown ridges intact. Let it cool completely, then dust the top with powdered sugar right before you carry it to the table. The white against that dark crust looks sharp and the cake slices clean.

A Few Notes Before You Start

• Pull the eggs and sour cream from the fridge 30 minutes before you begin. Cold ingredients can seize the brown butter and leave you with a lumpy batter, and rewarming the bowl to fix it is a hassle you do not need.
• Do not skip buttering and flouring the pan, even if it is nonstick. Pecans are sticky and the cake is heavy. A pan release spray works if you are in a rush, but go heavy on the coverage.
• Test the cake at 50 minutes. Every oven runs a little differently and a dry bundt cake loses half its charm. The skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.

Bake time by pan material:

Keeping the Cake Fresh

• Refrigerate: Store the cooled cake under a dome or wrapped in plastic on the counter for up to 4 days. The sour cream keeps it from drying out.
• Reheating: A 15-second zap in the microwave revives that just-baked softness for individual slices.
• Serve Cold: Right from the fridge the cake firms up a little and tastes almost fudge-like at the center.

What To Serve With Butter Pecan Bundt Cake

Strong black coffee is the obvious move, and the bitterness cuts the buttery richness the same way it does with a slice of coffee cake. A scoop of vanilla ice cream melts into the warm slices and picks up the toasty brown butter notes. For a fall table, spoon over some cinnamon-spiced sautéed apples and the whole plate tastes like a county fair dessert tent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this without a bundt pan?

You can bake it in two standard loaf pans instead. Start checking for doneness around 40 minutes and pull them when a skewer comes out clean.

Does the brown butter really make a difference?

Yes. Raw butter gives you a plain vanilla cake. Browned butter adds a deep, nutty, almost caramel flavor that no extract can fake. It is the whole point of this recipe.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

The cake tastes even better the next day after the flavors settle. Bake it, cool it completely, wrap it tight, and leave it on the counter overnight. Dust with sugar just before you serve it.

My cake stuck to the pan. What went wrong?

The likely culprit is under-greasing or cooling it too long. Butter every crevice generously and only let it sit for 15 minutes before you turn it out. Any longer and the sugars seize up and glue the cake to the pan.

Butter Pecan Bundt Cake Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 487

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 2 cups pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature

Method

 

1. Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the milk solids turn amber. Pour into a bowl and cool until thickened, about 30 minutes.
2. Toast the pecans on a dry sheet pan at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and chop roughly.
3. Cream the cooled brown butter with both sugars for 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the sour cream, mixing just until combined.
5. Fold in the toasted pecans. Butter and flour a 10-cup bundt pan, spoon in the batter, and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50 to 55 minutes.
6. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Use a standard 10-cup bundt pan for this recipe. If your pan is smaller, fill it no more than three-quarters full and bake any extra batter in a small ramekin. The cake needs those 15 minutes of cooling in the pan to set enough to release, but do not let it sit much longer or it may stick.