Pecan Upside Down Cake

5 from 1 vote

If you're looking for a cozy rustic cake then Pecan Upside Down Cake is the perfect indulgent dessert. A sugary gooey pecan pie topping over moist vanilla cake with a hint of bourbon is comfort at its finest.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 40

Course: dessert

Cuisine: american

Servings: people

Calories: 770kcal

Author: Krista Stechman

Equipment

Ingredients

Pecan Topping

2 cups pecans chopped
5 tablespoon unsalted butter room temp
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup dark karo syrup
½ tsp kosher salt

Dry Ingredients (Cake)

2½ cups all purpose flour
2¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Ingredients (Cake)

¾ cup unsalted butter room temp
1⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup olive oil light olive oil, NOT extra virgin
3 eggs room temp
2 tbsp bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk room temp
½ cup sour cream room temp

Instructions

Making the Pecan Topping

Preheat the oven to 350°F then thoroughly grease a 9 inch springform pan with softened butter or non-stick cooking spray
Sprinkle the pecans in an even layer into the bottom of the pan
Whisk the butter, brown sugar, karo syrup and salt together in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling. Continue whisking 15 seconds while it boils. Remove from the heat and set aside

Making the Cake

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl then set aside
In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes
Mix in the olive oil until combined
Mix the eggs in, one at a time, on medium speed scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition
Mix in the bourbon and vanilla
Add the sour cream and mix just until incorporated
Add half the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until almost fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk and slowly mix to incorporate
Add the other half of the flour mixture then mix on low just until combined. Do not overmix
Pour the brown sugar sauce mixture evenly over the top of the pecans. Top the pecan mixture with the cake batter in an even layer
Bake 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake and comes out clean or with only a few crumbs
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges to loosen them from the pan
Carefully invert the pan onto a serving platter then undo the latch on the side of the pan. Remove the top first, using a knife to slide any topping off the metal and back onto the cake if needed. Remove the sides of the pan by pulling straight up. Use caution during the removal as the pan is still very hot. Serve immediately

Notes

Grease your pan well so your cake comes out nice and easy!
If you are using a springform pan, put a sheet pan on the rack under it to catch any drippings
Don't overbake it. Your Pecan Upside Down Cake will come out dry if you do.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before flipping it over. The cake and topping is still hot at this point so use caution.
This cake recipe is best eaten right after it's taken out of the pan. The indulgent nutty topping is still slightly warm, soft and gooey.

Nutrition