Southern Butter Pecan Pound Cake

This classic Southern Pecan Pound Cake Recipe is a moist and tender brown sugar pecan pound cake packed with butter pecan flavor! It's a perfect blend of traditional pound cake filled with crunchy toasted pecans in every bite!

Butter pecan anything is so popular in the south, and for good reason. It's simply delicious! Buttery, nutty, and with a subtle hint of caramel flavors to boot. All this combined and the result is pound cake heaven!

This post is sponsored by Dixie Crystals in conjunction with #FallFlavors week. All opinions are my own.

If you are from the South, then you know pecans are pretty much a staple. And not in any boring kind of way. They are so dang good! The flavor is unlike anything else!

The crunch and texture add deliciousness to just about anything!

Add to that a caramel flavor that comes along with good quality pure cane sugar and you have decadence!

I'm using Dixie Crystals sugar and there’s a reason they have been a high-quality sweetener of choice for over 100 years. Sugar is one of the most versatile ingredients. It enhances flavor, aroma, texture, and browning. It balances flavor and adds moisture.

And it sure does add all of those things to this cake!

Ingredients for Pecan Pound Cake

• Butter - Butter is really the base of the cake. You need 4 sticks and make sure to use real butter for this pecan pound cake. I don't recommend making any substitutions.
• Sugar - I like to use a mixture brown sugar and granulated pure cane sugar. It gives the right amount of sweetness and texture.
• Eggs - They bind the cake together while giving moisture. Can't have pound cake without eggs!
• Vanilla Extract & Table Salt - Both give the cake flavor. Don't go for imitation vanilla if you can help it. The real stuff truly gives a better flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour - you can also use a cake flour for a little lighter cake. However, all-purpose works for a nice dense cake as well.
• Baking Powder - This gives the cake some lift to the crumb, so it's not overly heavy.
• Buttermilk - This adds moisture and flavor to the cake.
• Chopped Toasted Pecan - I think toasting the pecans really gives an amazing buttery, nutty taste. It is worth taking the extra step for the flavor. Here's an easy way to TOAST PECANS. If you don't have the five minutes or so you still can make it without toasting. Once you do it you though, will never go back to making it without.

How to Make the Best Butter Pecan Pound Cake

✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and instructions!

Step 1 | Preheat and Prepare Pan

Preheat the oven to 325°. Not 350! Toss roasted pecans in flour.

Step 2 | Cream Butter and Sugar, add Eggs and Extract

Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next. Then, stir in the vanilla.

Bringing the eggs to room temperature will allow the mixer not to overwork the batter. Less mixing makes a more tender cake.

Step 3 | Add Dry and Wet Ingredients, Alternately

Beginning with dry ingredients, add flour mixture followed by and ending with the buttermilk (wet ingredients), a little at a time.

Stir prepared pecans evenly into the pound cake batter. Then fill the prepared pan with the batter.

Step 4| Bake and Cool

Bake this brown sugar pecan pound cake at 325°. Take a peek halfway through to see if it is browning too quickly. Tent with foil to prevent over-browning, if needed.

Remove and let the brown sugar pecan pound cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Turn over (or invert) onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours leave a comment below, I'll get back to you with an answer.

Variations or Add-Ins:

Storage Instructions

• Cover leftover butter pecan pound cake tightly with plastic wrap or foil or place in an airtight container and store on the countertop or in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
• Wrap the baked and cooled pecan pound cake in 1-2 layers of plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• To thaw, allow it to thaw wrapped in the refrigerator. Then, bring to room temperature before serving. You may also slightly warm in the microwave if desired.

Serving Suggestions

• There's a simple beauty about a pound cake. It's doesn't really need all the bells and whistles and fanfare. A simple slice is just quite nice, in my opinion.
• However, if you want something to top it off serve this Southern butter pecan pound cake with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
• Topping it with the brown sugar icing from my fresh apple cake would be divine or a sprinkling of powdered sugar would be nice as well.
• You could also make a simple glaze of 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon of milk, and ½ teaspoon of rum or maple extract.

More Delicious Cake Recipes

More #FallFlavors Recipes Below:

Appetizers, Cocktails, and Snacks

• Apple Cider Old-Fashioned from Books n' Cooks
• Fall Charcuterie Board from The Spiffy Cookie
• Sweet And Spicy Pecans from Simple and Savory

Breakfast and Baked Goods

• Apple Cider Pecan Granola from Family Around The Table
• Apple Cinnamon Bread from Life Love and Good Food
• Apple Pecan Scones from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Gluten-Free Apple Cider Doughnuts from Frugal & Fit
• Pecan Cinnamon Sugar Baked Apple Donuts from Jen Around the World

Soups and Salads

• Caramel Apple Pear Salad from Eat Move Make
• Creamy Autumn Squash Soup from Blogghetti

Side Dishes

• Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions from West Via Midwest
• Roasted Cipollini Onions With Sherry Vinegar And Thyme from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Vegan Butternut Squash And Chestnut Kebabs from Magical Ingredients

Main Dishes

• Cider Brined Baked Chicken from Palatable Pastime
• Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad from Cheese Curd In Paradise

Desserts

• Air Fryer Apple Fritters from Devour Dinner
• Apple Cider Tea Madeleines from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Apple Crumb Bars from SueBee Homemaker
• Apple Nachos from Take Two Tapas
• Butterscotch Blondies from That Recipe
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes from Fresh April Flours
• Fall Fruit Galette from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Giant Butterscotch Cookies from An Affair from the Heart
• Gluten-Free Apple Pie from The Fresh Cooky
• Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake from Art of Natural Living
• Pear & Butternut Squash Crisp from Savory Moments
• Pecan Pound Cake from Soulfully Made
• Sour Cream Apple Pie from House of Nash Eats
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe from Lemon Blossoms