Pecan Pie Cake
Light and airy pecan pie cake layered with caramel buttercream and a no-bake pecan pie filling. This cake is everything you want on Thanksgiving day!
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Ingredients Needed for Pecan Pie Cake
- Pecan Pie Dip
- pecans
- butter
- shortening (YES, shortening. Don’t skip it!)
- sugar
- eggs
- flour
- buttermilk
- corn syrup
- Salted Caramel Frosting
- Optional: whipped cream topping
- Optional: pie crust accents
Supplies Needed for This Recipe
Honestly, you could make this cake without any of the supplies I’m listing below. But I found that it’s MUCH EASIER to make this cake presentable when you use the following tools.
Recipe Notes:
- Don’t try to make this entire cake serve-ready in one day. You’ll be cranky if you do. Instead, try making it in three separate stages: 1) make the pecan pie filling and the salted caramel frosting; 2) bake the cake and let it cool; and 3) assemble, chill, and garnish. That last step can be done on the day you are serving it. Just be sure to keep it chilled until about 15 minutes before serving.
- The pecan pie filling and the salted caramel frosting need to stay chilled to hold shape. Otherwise the layers will start to slide off of each other.
- Read more about the pie crust garnishes I made in this post.
You can bake/assemble this cake in a few different ways, depending on your level of comfort with cake making:
- Beginner: This recipe will yield enough batter for TWO 9×13 sheet cakes. Divide and bake the batter between two 9×13 cake pans. Once the cake has cooled, you can spread on a layer of pecan pie filling. And then spread on the layer of caramel frosting.
- Intermediate: Bake the cake batter in three separate 8-inch round cake pans. Level off each cake with a serrated bread knife. Spread a layer of pecan pie filling on top; then pipe and spread a layer of frosting. Let those layers chill for about an hour before repeating with the remaining layers of cake, filling, and frosting.
- Experienced: I think this method is actually easiest; but I don’t think MOST home cooks have these supplies already in their kitchens, so that’s why this is getting labeled as “experienced.” To make the cake as pictured in this post, be prepared with the supplies listed above. Divide and bake the batter in two 10×15 jelly roll pans. Once cooled, cut three 8-inch cakes with the cutter. Line the cake ring with the cake collar, and fill the collar with layers of cake, pecan pie filling, caramel frosting. Remove the cake ring and let chill until ready to garnish and serve. Remove the cake collar before cutting.
I’m the world’s worst cake slicer, I know. I can feel you judging me through the screen. 😉
Garnish This Cake with My FAVORITE Homemade Whipped Cream:
Pecan Pie Cake
Light and airy pecan pie cake layered with caramel buttercream and a no-bake pecan pie filling. This cake is everything you want on Thanksgiving day!
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 3 cups finely chopped pecans, divided
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
See this post for the Pecan Pie Filling recipe (it's the dip recipe).
See this post for the Salted Caramel Buttercream recipe.
Directions:
READ THE NOTES SECTION OF THE POST BEFORE PROCEEDING, AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ACCORDINGLY AS YOU BAKE!
The following instructions coordinate with the "intermediate" level of assembly.
- Line and grease three 8-inch round cake pans. Divide 2 cups of the chopped pecans between the cake pans, placing them in an even layer. Set aside.
- Beat together the butter and shortening until smooth and mixed together. Beat in the sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until creamy.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda and buttermilk until batter forms. Mix remaining 1 cup pecans into the batter.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter in two additions. Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans.
- Bake at 350ºF for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for about 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Brush the corn syrup on the pecan side of the cakes and around the sides while the cake is still warm.
- Refer to the Notes section in the post for assembly instructions.
All images and text ©Something Swanky 2018
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