Butter Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Old fashioned butter pecan cake with cream cheese frosting is incredible! It’s got brown butter in the butter pecan cake frosting and in the cake layers. It’s the best butter pecan cake recipe and a perfectly decadent 6-inch celebration cake for special occasions!

baking spray
1 cup (114 g) cake flour
¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
¾ teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
1 cup (99 g) pecan halves – toasted and chopped (plus more for topping, if desired)
14 tablespoon (196 g) salted butter – divided
⅓ cup (73 g) brown sugar – packed
⅓ cup (67 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs – room temperature
2 teaspoon (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
½ cup (115 g) sour cream – room temperature

Heat both portions of butter (14 tbsp) in a large light-colored sauté pan over medium high heat, stirring often.

14 tablespoon salted butter
Watch carefully as it begins to foam and the milk solids separate, and once the milk solids begin to turn a deep golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, remove from heat to a heat-safe container, scraping all the brown bits with it.
Stir brown butter well and remove ½ cup of it for frosting. You should have one container with 6 tablespoons and one with ½ cup.
Place both containers in the refrigerator to chill for one hour, then allow to come to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350°F and position oven rack in middle of oven. Spray three 6-inch cake pans with baking spray and line with parchment paper.

baking spray
In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda until well combined.

1 cup cake flour,¾ teaspoon baking powder,¼ teaspoon baking soda
Fold in toasted chopped pecans and mix well. Set aside.

1 cup pecan halves
Cream 6-tbsp. portion of brown butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

14 tablespoon salted butter,⅓ cup brown sugar,⅓ cup granulated sugar
Beat in eggs and vanilla and continue to mix for 2-3 minutes. Mix in sour cream.

2 large eggs,2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,½ cup sour cream
Fold in flour/pecan mixture gradually until just combined.
Divide cake batter evenly into prepared cake pans (I use a food scale for this step) and bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick entered into the center of each layer comes out clean.
Let layers cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Whip remaining ½ cup of brown butter with an electric mixer until lightened in color. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. Mix in vanilla.

8 oz cream cheese,1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract,½ cup brown butter
Gradually sift in powdered sugar, mixing well.

4 cups powdered sugar
Beat another 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cake layers.