Pecan Upside Down Cake is a rich, buttery dessert featuring a gooey caramel-pecan topping that becomes beautifully glossy once flipped. The soft vanilla cake soaks up the brown-sugar butter glaze, creating a bakery-quality dessert perfect for holidays, potlucks, and high-traffic recipe blog posts.
⏱ Prep Time
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Prep: 20 minutes
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Bake: 40–45 minutes
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Cooling: 15 minutes
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Total: about 1 hour 20 minutes
🍴 Equipment
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9-inch round cake pan (or cast-iron skillet)
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Mixing bowls
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Electric mixer (hand or stand)
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Rubber spatula
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Cooling rack
🧾 Ingredients
For the Pecan Caramel Topping
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½ cup unsalted butter
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1 cup brown sugar (packed)
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¼ cup heavy cream
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1½ cups pecan halves
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¼ teaspoon salt
For the Cake Batter
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1½ cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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½ teaspoon baking soda
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½ teaspoon salt
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½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
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¾ cup granulated sugar
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2 large eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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¾ cup buttermilk
📝 Ingredient Notes
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Buttermilk makes the cake extra soft and tender. (You can substitute milk + 1 tsp vinegar).
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Real butter is important for the caramel flavor.
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Use fresh pecans for best texture and nutty aroma.
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1 — Prepare Topping
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease cake pan.
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Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Stir in brown sugar, cream, and salt. Cook 2–3 minutes until smooth.
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Pour caramel mixture into cake pan.
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Arrange pecans evenly over the caramel.
Step 2 — Make Cake Batter
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In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy (3 minutes).
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Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.
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Stir in vanilla.
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Add dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk. Mix until smooth.
Step 3 — Bake
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Carefully spread batter over pecans.
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Bake 40–45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Step 4 — Flip the Cake
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Cool 10–15 minutes only (not fully).
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Run knife around edges.
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Place plate on top and flip carefully.
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Let caramel drip down naturally.
Serve warm or room temperature.
🥗 Nutrition Facts (Approx per slice)
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Calories: 420
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Carbs: 48g
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Fat: 24g
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Protein: 5g
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