A pumpkin pie alternative for your Thanksgiving spread – this soft, moist, spiced, Bourbon Butter Pecan Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting is made with ground pecan in the cake batter, plus chopped pecans sprinkled throughout for a rich, buttery pecan flavor THROUGHOUT the cake.
The delicious brown butter maple frosting perfectly complements the butter pecan cake.
The one thing that excites me most about our usually minimal Thanksgiving spread is that one big dessert that I make each year, which is NOT pumpkin pie or pecan pie. 🙂 So if you’re also on the look out for a pumpkin/pecan pie alternative for your Thanksgiving, then you’ve come to the right place. This Spiced Bourbon Butter Pecan Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting is a stunningly Thanksgiving- and autumn-worthy, delicious centerpiece on your table, next to that big fat turkey!
This is a soft, tender, moist, cinnamon-spiced pecan cake that’s loaded with pecans and molassy cinnamon flavor, and soaked with a delicious bourbon syrup and sandwiched between an addictive brown butter maple frosting. If you want a dessert to steal the show at your Thanksgiving dinner, then this is it.
This cake is also quite simple to make. I had all the ingredients measured out and prepared, and then all I had to do was add them in – one at a time, while mixing them in. Easy peasy.
I wanted a cake that had great pecan flavor THROUGHOUT the cake. First I made the cake with just the addition of chopped pecans, and while it was nice, I wanted the pecan flavor to be more pronounced. So I decided to add not just chopped pecans for texture and flavor, but also ground pecans to really enhance that flavor in this pecan cake.
The pecans are toasted in the oven and then a portion of it is ground to make pecan “flour”. Then ground pecan is folded through the batter along with the flour so that you end up with delicious buttery pecan flavor throughout the cake layer, with additional pecan bits in there too. You can tell how much this cake is going to taste of pecans just by the number of times I’ve used the word pecan in this paragraph! 🙂
You can make the cake with pecan pieces, as they are cheaper, but also get some pecan halves to decorate the cake as well.
And if pecans are not feasible, you can use walnuts instead too. The brown sugar not only adds flavor, but keeps the cake moist too.
Can I make this butter pecan cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the spiced bourbon butter pecan cake layers ahead of time. Keep the parchment paper on the bottom and let the cake cool down completely. Then wrap each layer with plastic wrap (I like to double wrap), and then loosely again with foil, and freeze the cake layers for up to 2 months. Just make sure to let the cake layers de-frost in the fridge overnight, before you use them again.
The bourbon syrup is very simple to make as well, although you CAN leave it out if you like. The cake is still deliciously moist without the syrup, but the addition of the bourbon makes this butter pecan cake even more moist. The syrup isn’t overwhelming at all in terms of flavor, and it provides a lovely balance of bourbon and pecan flavors to make this cake even more spectacular.
The brown butter maple frosting comes together really quickly too. You can make the frosting with plain unsalted butter if you like something quick and easy. BUT to really kick it up a notch, I would highly recommend caramelizing the butter to make brown butter the day before, and then let the brown butter solidify to make the frosting.
You guys know how much I love brown butter and how that simple change really transforms the flavor profile with its nutty, toasty flavors. Most importantly, the brown butter maple frosting perfectly complements the flavors of this spiced butter pecan cake. For more brown butter inspired desserts, check out this easy brown butter baked bananas foster, or these brown butter madeleines, or this super versatile and delicious brown butter butterscotch chocolate fudge sauce!
This butter pecan cake is going to be a show stopper at your Thanksgiving! It’s all the flavors of a pecan pie in a cake, and it tastes just as heavenly as it looks. The cake is full of pecan, brown butter and cinnamon flavor, with a hint of bourbon. The brown butter maple frosting is perfectly nutty and creamy.
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Bourbon Butter Pecan Cake with Brown Butter Maple Frosting
Ingredients:
Butter Pecan Cake
- 226 g chopped pecans about 2 cups, divided
- 340 g unsalted butter 1½ cups / 3 sticks, melted
- 226 g brown sugar 1 cup, tightly packed
- 170 g white sugar ¾ + 2 tbsp
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 120 mL milk ½ cup
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla
- 283 g AP flour 10 oz / 2 ¼ cups, measured by spoon and level method
- 3 tsp baking powder
Bourbon Syrup
- 120 mL water ½ cup
- 100 g sugar ½ cup
- 60 mL bourbon ¼ cup
Brown Butter Maple Frosting
- 340 g unsalted butter 1½ cups / 3 sticks. This is to make brown butter
- 226 g unsalted butter 1 cup / 2 sticks
- 455 g confectioner’s sugar 1 lb / 4 cups, spooned and leveled
- 120 mL maple syrup ½ cup
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Butter Pecan Cake
- Day one - preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Spread the chopped pecans in a sheet pan. Roast the nuts for 10 - 15 minutes, until the pecans are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.226 g chopped pecans
- Divide the nuts into 3 oz (85 g) and 5 oz (141 g) portions. Place the 3 oz of the pecans in a food processor and process until they are finely ground. Set aside. (see the post for the consistency of the pecans)
- Butter and line two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper.
- Place the butter, both types of sugar and salt in a bowl. Whisk well to combine.340 g unsalted butter, 226 g brown sugar, 170 g white sugar, ¼ tsp sea salt
- Add the eggs, milk, vanilla and the ground pecans. Whisk together until you have a smooth mix.226 g chopped pecans, 120 mL milk, 1 ½ tsp vanilla, 4 large eggs
- In a separate bowl, sieve the AP flour, cinnamon and baking powder together. Add the flour mix, and the chopped pecans into the wet ingredients and fold in the flour gently until well combined. Make sure not to over-mix to prevent a rubbery cake.1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 283 g AP flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 226 g chopped pecans
- Divide the batter between the two pans. You can either do this by weight, OR you can use an ice cream or cookie scoop to evenly divide the batter.
- Bake the cakes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake surface is springy to the touch - about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down slightly. Turn the cakes out onto a cake rack to cool down completely. Once cooled, wrap each cake layer with plastic wrap. Chill the cake in the fridge overnight. Chilling the cake will make it easier to slice it as well.
Bourbon Syrup
- Day one or two - place the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Stir frequently. Bring the sugar syrup to a boil.120 mL water, 100 g sugar
- Remove from the heat and add the bourbon. Let the syrup cool down completely. You can pour the syrup into a squeeze bottle if you have one, or you can just use a spoon to spread the syrup on the cake.60 mL bourbon
Brown Butter Maple Frosting
- Day one - Make the brown butter. Place the 340 g of butter in a saucepan. Heat the butter until it’s melted. Keep cooking the butter while stirring frequently until the butter stops foaming, and the milk solids turn dark golden brown in color. See my how to make brown butter post for more details.340 g unsalted butter
- Remove from the heat immediately and pour the butter and milk solids into a bowl. Let the butter cool down completely to room temperature (you can leave this at room temp. overnight, or chill it in the fridge).
- Day two - if you chilled the brown butter in the fridge, keep it outside to soften to room temperature.
- Place the brown butter, unsalted butter and the salt in the mixing bowl of your mixer and whisk until creamy and fluffy.340 g unsalted butter, 226 g unsalted butter, 1 tsp sea salt
- Whisk in the confectioner’s sugar in 3 additions, alternating with the maple syrup. Add the vanilla. Whisk until you have a light, soft and fluffy frosting. Do not overbeat. Make sure to scrape down the bowl to ensure the butter is incorporating properly.455 g confectioner’s sugar, 120 mL maple syrup, 2 tsp vanilla
Assembly
- Slice each chilled cake layer in half, carefully, to create two layers (total 4 layers).
- Coat each layer generously with the bourbon syrup.
- Place 1 layer on a cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting (a generous ½ cup), and top with another cake layer. Repeat with the frosting and the cake, until you place the final cake layer on top (place the final layer on top so that the flat, bottom side is facing up).
- Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of crumb coating. Chill the cake for about an hour (until the crumb coating is set).
- Spread frosting over the whole cake, and use a cake scraper to smoothen the surface. Place the rest of the frosting in a pastry bag with an open star tip. Pipe swirls on the top of the cake and top each swirl with pecan halves (see pictures in the post). Chill the cake in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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Mearl says
I made this cake for a charity event. It sold for $75 and I was told by the person who bought it that it was “f’ing amazing”! Now my family wants me to make it again so they can try it! I think It’ll be perfect for Thanksgiving.
Victoria Sierant says
Baking is my hobby- I’ve spent many hours searching for the best recipes. The cake is definitely up there! I was told “this is the best cake I’ve ever had” from my foodie coworkers. It’s definitely some work to do everything but it’s worth the time!!!
Cailin says
My family and I loved this recipe! This cake is now the standard to which all other cakes are compared to by my family. So delicious and don’t be afraid to use the simple syrup, I was afraid the flavor would be to strong for my liking so I didn’t add a lot, I wished I had added more. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!
Kelly Burkitt says
I make a special birthday cake for my daughter every year this one is for her 23rd. A lot of work but tastes fantastic. Some times on browning butter, would be helpful.
Dini says
Hi Kelly
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake!
Unfortunately it is hard to provide times for browning butter. The times depend on the heat on your stove and the saucepan you use. But much like caramelizing sugar, you shouldn’t leave the butter unattended once the butter melts. This is because the butter can caramelize quickly and burn.
Hope that helps
Krysta says
This is a must-make recipe if you are considering it. I could not taste the maple much in the frosting and I did not use all of the bourbon simple syrup, but I will next time. This is a rich cake with amazing flavor. Thank you!
Makenna says
Hi, I’m planning on making this next week. But I am very confused by this:
Day one – place the first measure of butter in a saucepan. Heat the butter until it’s melted. Keep cooking the butter while stirring frequently until the butter stops foaming, and the milk solids turn dark golden brown in color….
Where are we adding milk to the brown butter?
Dini says
Hi Makenna
Butter is separated into milk solids and fat when heated. This is the milk solids that are referred to in the recipe. You can check out my post on how to brown butter for information!
Hope that helps
Makenna says
YES! Thank you so much!
Farida says
Hi Dini,
i found this recipe on pinterest and instantly fell in love with it! Now, do you think i can make the frosting with Smbc, but then not sure, should i chill the brown butter or whip it separately, and how much you maple syrup you can add? However, abc looks good but too i don’t like its finish..
Kim says
I plan on making this for Thanksgiving this year. Does the frosting really have 5 sticks of butter in it? I normally do a 1:1 butter to sugar ratio for my buttercream. Just wanted to verify.
Dini says
Hi Kim
This recipe does have a ratio that is around 1:1 .
Please note that I use icing sugar and maple syrup, and use browned butter and regular butter.
Because of the use of maple syrup and brown butter, If you reduce the confectioner’s sugar the frosting might be too thin. If you reduce the butter, it might be too sweet.
Morgan says
Hi Dini! Can I substitute the AP flour for Cake flour? Also, you referenced milk solids in the frosting recipe. What are milk solids?
Dini says
Hi Morgan
Yes, you can use cake flour instead. Make sure to go by weight, since if you add too much cake flour it will make the cake quite dry.
The milk solids come from the browned butter – the milk solids caramelize as they are heated. You can read more about brown butter in my post here.
I hope that helps!
Elenna Dunham says
I made this for my father’s birthday and am now making it for my mother’s- every person who tasted it said it was the best cake they’d ever eaten. Truly an incredible cake!
Laura says
Hi! is this cake moist or dry? and if it is dry can you recommend a soak mix that would go with the flavors? Thank you!
Mickey says
Hi , may I ask in the ingredients :
_ 10oz AP flour (2 1/3 cups)
_ 12oz unsalted butter ( 3 sticks) this is to make brown butter
_ 8oz unsalted butter (2cups)
_1lb confectioners sugar (3 1/2cups)
Why’s it deference in the parentheses ? Could you explain it , it’s a bit of confusion , thank you.
Dini says
Hi Mickey
I’m sorry, I’m not sure I understand the question. I provide weight measurements because they are more accurate and the cup measurements in case someone prefers those (though I always recommend using weight measurements – ounces or grams). Is this what you asked? If not, could you rephrase it for me?
Also, the 8 oz of unsalted butter is 2 sticks as stated in the ingredients. Not 2 cups.
Hope that helps!
Stephanie Sommovigo says
I read through the instructions 3 times and I don’t see the instructions or ingredients for the crumb coating.
Dini says
Hi Stephanie
A crumb coating is just a very thin layer of the buttercream over the filled cake. It’s called a crumb coating because it’s the thin layer of buttercream that seals in the crumbs of the cake.
There isn’t a separate ingredient list or instructions for it, since you will be using a little of the same frosting for it. Hope that helps!
Cheers
Dini
Denise says
I’m planning to do this one for my class, can i substitute bourbon with maple syrup or what can i Substitute the bourbon with?
nicole Landry says
This recipe looks divine! Could I use a 9×13 pan instead? Thank you!
Ellie says
I have two 8” cake pans that are 1.5” deep, will that be enough, or should I find one that’s deeper?
Dini says
Hi Ellie
Yes, that will be fine. My cake pans are 8 inches and 2 inches deep, so 1.5 should be fine too.
Emily Jackson says
My cake pans are overflowing in the oven.
Dini says
Hi Emily
Could you let me know a few more details so I can help you with this issue?
Could you let me know if you measured the ingredients by weight or by cups? Did you use baking powder and not baking soda? Which cake pans did you use and how tall were they?
T says
Can you please tell me how to put the bourbon sauce on? Do I ladle it between the layers? Spread it on with a spoon?
Dini says
Hi T,
I used a syrup squeeze bottle (with a small opening) to drizzle the syrup over the cake. You can use a spoon to drizzle it too, but a ladle will be too much.
Hope that helps!
Alexia says
Hi! I have a question, I want to make a Nocello infused (liquor) buttercream using this recipe of yours because it sounds amazing! Do you recommend substituting it for the maple syrup? I would love to hear your insight.
Dini says
Hi Alexia!
Yes you can substitute the maple syrup with the liqueur! I would use less liqueur, just to make sure I get the right consistency in my buttercream, and only add more if I want to. There might be a difference in sweetness as well, since the liqueur might have a different sweetness level than the maple syrup.
I hope that helps! Please let me know if it turns out well 🙂
ALEXIA MOLINA says
Hi!! I will! Im making it this weekend! For the pecans, can I use hazelnuts? Thank you so much for your quick reply!
Dini says
Hi Alexia!
Yes you can easily substitute hazelnuts with pecans 🙂
Hope that helps!
Alexia says
Sorry to bug you so much but I love your blog haha, how in advance can I make the frosting? I am making the brown butter and syrup on Thursday and the cake on Friday, for the event on Saturday night.
Dini says
That’s ok Alexia!
You can make the frosting a day ahead, but then you will need to let it thaw out to room temperature and re-whip in the mixer before applying it on the cake. I generally prefer to make the frosting on the day that I am going to frost the cake, and then store the frosted cake in the fridge for later.
I hope that helps! 🙂
Alexia says
I am going to bake them in 7 inch pans that are thicker than your 9 inch, I don’t know if im explaining myself well haha but I don’t know if I should fill them 3/4 of the way or halfway? I know I will have extra mix but I need the cake to be smaller, I can just use the extra mix for muffins. Any thoughts on what I can do? I am also doing this for another recipe on your blog.
Dini says
Hi Alexia!
Yes, you have to only fill them about 3/4 of the way (or even 2/3 of the way). You can make extra cupcakes with the leftover batter 🙂 Let me know how it comes out if you can!
Alexia says
Hi Tini! I just did the cake and it didn’t turn out help me please, im going to mame it again. I used a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. I didnt use whole hazelnuts just 1/2 cup of ground hazelnuts. The outer shell falls off and the center collapsed. What can I do? Please helpppp
Dini says
Hi Alexia
Unfortunately, it sounds like there could be a few issues.
Ground hazelnuts will make the cake drier since that’s not the same as chopped nuts (pecans in this recipe). So I would decrease the amount of flour – maybe around 2 oz (but I’m not 100% sure since I didn’t make this with ground nuts). Using ground nuts will change the consistency of the cake, and I can’t 100% guarantee how it will turn out unfortunately.
The cake can collapse for a few reasons. Either there’s too little or too much moisture (with ground hazelnuts, it could likely be because there’s too little moisture). It could also be because the cake mix wasn’t emulsified properly, and it split while baking. Another reason is that the oven temperature might be off OR the cake wasn’t baked till it was done. Even if the cake looks OK from the outside, insert a toothpick and check to make sure. If the cake is underdone on the inside, then it can collapse as it cools down. I hope these tips help, good luck!
Alexia says
I did it again and it turned out perfectly! thank you so much! the frosting did you do it with a whisk attachment on the stand mixer or paddle?
Dini says
Hi Alexia!
I’m so glad it came out well! 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
The butter in the frosting needs to be whisked to get the fluffy consistency, so a whisk attachment will do that the best! I hope that helps 🙂
Marc says
Hi. The batter seems very wet. When I baked the cakes they came out kind of flat. Would I be better served putting more flour in the batter next time?
Dini says
Hi Marc!
I haven’t had that problem with this cake before, and actually add the syrup to make the cake more moist. So, I’m not sure what might have happened. It could be that the chemical leaveners aren’t as fresh as they are supposed to be. I would recommend checking the freshness of the baking powder. If you want you can try adding more flour, but I personally would find that to be too drying for the cake, and it could make the cake heavier too.
Allie says
Could I make this cake two days ahead? Or only 1 and put it in the fridge?
Allie
Dini says
Hi Allie!
You can make this cake a couple of days ahead, but make sure it’s already frosted to prevent the cake from drying out. Don’t forget the sugar syrup on the cake to keep the cake layers moist too. If you have a cake keeper / container, it will be better to be able to keep the cake inside this container as well, to prevent it from going stale. Hope that helps!
Darcy says
Should the syrup be thick or like water?
Dini says
Hi Darcy!
It should be somewhere in between. Not completely runny like water, but not as thick as syrup either. Thinner sugar syrup gets absorbed by the cake better, so it’s better that it’s thinner than too thick. Hope that helps!
Ashley says
Can the frosting be made and refrigerated overnight, and applied the next day?
Dini says
Hi Ashley!
You can make the buttercream a day ahead, but keeping it in the fridge will harden it. So you will need to let it thaw out at room temperature, and re-mix it (with a paddle attachment) to make it fluffy and spreadable again before frosting the cake. I hope that helps!
Jocelynn says
I’d love to make this recipe for thanksgiving, but can children have it?
Dini says
Hi Jocelynn,
If you’re making this for children as well, then you can simply leave out the bourbon when making the sugar syrup. The bourbon adds great flavor, but the alcohol won’t be cooked off, so I wouldn’t recommend that for kids.
Sarah says
I could eat the icing by the spoonful! I shouldn’t….. but I could!
Joanie says
This cake is gorgeous and easy to make, a wonderful Thanksgiving alternative for dessert.
Ellen says
How do I put this together if all the measurements are in ounces? Do I need a scale? If so is there a specific type for baking? Can you publish a version with the measurements in cups and teaspoons/tablespoons?
Dini says
Hi Ellen,
I have included a toggle button in the recipe card (below the ingredients list) where you can switch back and forth between US volume measurements and metric measurements. There’s also a separate page on my blog here, where I provide conversion measurements for commonly used ingredients. And yes, I do prefer using weight measurements for baking because that always gives very consistent and accurate results. I do highly recommend a kitchen scale, and the most inexpensive and basic kitchen scale is more than sufficient for these recipes. I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Tiffany says
When making the cake what is the salt measurement? It says put in the eggs, milk, vanilla and salt but I don’t see a salt measurement on the side under the cake recipe. Thank you
Dini says
Hi Tiffany!
Thank you for pointing that out! I only use a pinch of salt in my cakes, just to bring out all the flavors and had left it out in the ingredient list. I have now added it.
Thank you again for letting me know. 🙂