Who doesn't love a classic pecan pie? Or pineapple upside down cake? Now you can have the best of both worlds in our pecan upside down bundt cake! Pecan desserts like this one are a sweet and anticipated addition to any holiday dinner.
All the flavors of a moist vanilla cake and pecan pie filling. Serve warm while the sticky pecan mixture is still gooey.
Craving more pecans, try my Easy Candied Pecans and Almonds. Such a great treat!
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Important Ingredients with Substitutions
PECAN TOPPING
- Light Brown Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Honey - You can use maple syrup, corn syrup, or agave syrup in place of honey. I really enjoy the subtle sweetness of honey.
- Cinnamon - Feel free to add other warm spices like nutmeg or clove for another layer of flavor.
- Salt
- Pecans - Unsalted pecans that are chopped. You can buy whole or chopped, I like to chop my own because sometimes I like a finer chop over a rough chop.
VANILLA CAKE BATTER
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter - Butter should be melted and then cooled to room temperature. If all you have is salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
- Avocado Oil - Other oils like canola oil, vegetable oil, or even olive oil will work as well.
- White Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar - Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar works. I usually end up mixing both kinds in a large tub so that's what I used.
- Eggs - Room-temperature eggs are ideal.
- Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream - Daisy brand sour cream is my favorite as the only ingredient is cream and nothing extra. Use greek yogurt in place of sour cream if you'd like.
- Buttermilk - Tip for buttermilk, I never end up using a whole bottle instead of letting it go to waste put the leftover buttermilk in Souper Cubes, and freeze it!
See the recipe below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare your bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl add the topping ingredients, except for the chopped pecans. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to mix it all together until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
Step 2: Fold in the chopped pecans, and pour them into the bottom of your prepared bundt pan. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large bowl sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 4: To the same mixing bowl add the cooled melted butter, avocado oil, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk. Use a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk to combine, without overmixing.
Step 5: Pour the cake batter evenly over the pecan topping. I like to give my bundt cakes a couple of taps on the countertop to help the cake batter settle into the pan. Spread evenly with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Step 6: Bake in the center of your oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. You may notice that the sugars will tend to bubble up and it still may appear wet, checking with a skewer will make sure the inside is cooked through.
Step 7: Remove from the oven and let the bundt cake sit in the pan to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then carefully turn over the cake pan onto a serving plate, gently lift to reveal the cake, then finish cooling before serving.
Level Up with a Top Tip!
Hint: Turning the cake out too soon could cause some of the cake to stick to the pan, also turning it out too late will leave the sugars to harden and cause some of the cake or topping to stick to the pan. Cooling for 5-10 minutes is the perfect window of time for cooling just enough. Be aware though that the pan will still be very hot!
Storage Recommendations
Store your bundt cake covered and at room temperature for up to 3 days and refrigerated for 5 days. Storing in the fridge will draw out some of the moisture, so make sure to wrap it tightly and eat it quickly. For a moist cake, store at room temperature.
Freezing: The pecan upside down cake can also be frozen in an air tight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap first before storing in another container.
To thaw, place your frozen cake on the counter overnight or for 6-8 hours. Keep it wrapped in the plastic wrap until thawed.
Can I reheat my bundt cake? Once your cake has thawed, place it on a parchment lined baking sheet then in an oven preheated to 350 F. Heat for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
Level Up With Expert Tips & Tricks
Don't be alarmed if you have leftover pecan bits in the bottom of your bundt pan after turning the cake out. That's the nature of the bundt cake-making game. It's like when there's a fry left in the bottom of the take-out bag. You automatically get dibs because you made it! I'd call that a win.
Using room temperature ingredients will allow the cake batter to come together more easily than if using cold ingredients. If you have to use cold ingredients, don't fret, you'll still produce a delicious cake!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Prepare the pecan mixture as you normally would according to my recipe then set that aside. Prepare a vanilla cake mix in a medium bowl. For additional moisture, I would still add either sour cream or greek yogurt to the vanilla cake. Pour batter over the pecan topping, bake, and enjoy!
Similar Sweets
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pecan Upside Down Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Pecan Topping
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted
- ¼ cup Honey
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cup Pecans chopped
Cake
- 1 ½ cup All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter melted & cooled
- 2 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- ½ cup White Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 2 Eggs
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Sour Cream
- ½ cup Buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the ingredients, except for the chopped pecans, for the pecan topping. Use a whisk to mix it all together until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Fold in the pecans, and pour into the bottom of your prepared bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- To the same bowl add the melted butter, avocado oil, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and buttermilk. Use a hand mixer to combine, without overmixing.
- Pour the cake batter evenly over the pecan topping. I like to give my bundt cakes a couple of taps on the countertop to help the batter settle into the pan. Spread evenly with a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Bake in the center of your oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the bundt cake sit in the pan to cool for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a serving platter to finish cooling before serving.
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