Pecan Praline Pound Cake
This buttery Pecan Praline Pound Cake is studded with toasted pecans and rich toffee bits, then finished with a luscious sweet pecan praline glaze. It’s a show-stopping dessert that feels right at home at everything from afternoon tea with friends and holiday brunches to church potlucks, or simply as a “just because” treat.
Ingredients to Make Pecan Praline Pound Cake Recipe
If you’ve been cooking with me for a while, or you’re just stopping by for the first time, you probably already know how much I adore caramel and pecans. It was only a matter of time before I combined my love for caramel, pecans, and pralines into one irresistible dessert: a Southern pound cake. And let me tell you, this beauty exceeded every expectation.
Ever wondered why it’s called a pound cake? Traditionally, pound cakes were made with a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. That straightforward formula transformed simple pantry staples into one of the most beloved Southern desserts of all time. There’s just something special about baking from scratch, you can truly taste the love in every bite, don’t you think?
Key ingredients to make Southern Pecan Praline Pound Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card.)
- Flour – All purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter.
- Leavening – One teaspoon baking powder and salt give lift to the batter.
- Sugar – Both light brown sugar and granulated sugar for sweetness.
- Butter – Salted butter for richness.
- Vegetable Shortening – Solid vegetable shortening combined with butter for a dense moist texture.
- Sugar – Light brown sugar and granulated sugar for sweetness.
- Whole Eggs – Six whole eggs bind the batter ingredients.
- Flavoring – Vanilla extract adds creamy floral notes to the batter.
- Liquid – One cup buttermilk makes a creamy batter.
- Mix-Ins – Pecan pieces and toffee bits give this cake its signature flavor.
- Praline Glaze – Salted butter, light brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and finely chopped toasted pecans.
How to Make the Best Pecan Praline Pound Cake
- Prepare Bundt Pan – Do not preheat the oven. Liberally butter and flour a large bundt pan or tube pan or spray with baking spray.
- Creamed Ingredients – In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, shortening, vanilla extract, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time.
- Dry Ingredients – Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Combine – Add to the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Beat until fully combined.
- Pecans and Toffee Bits – Stir in pecans and toffee bits. Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Oven – Place the cake into a cold oven. Bake per the recipe until a toothpick, cake tester or skewer inserted into the center comes back clean.
- Cool – Cool in the pan on a cooling rack then turn onto the wire rack to cake cool completely.
- Glaze – Make the pecan praline glaze in the microwave, stir in chopped pecans. Drizzle praline sauce over the pecan praline bundt cake.
Kitchen Equipment for Making Pecan Praline Cake
- Stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Large bowl, medium bowl. small bowl.
- Balloon whisk.
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
- Bundt pan or angel food pan. I baked this cake in a cake pan similar in shape to a bundt pan that’s slightly larger and holds more batter. I recommend you bake this cake in a 12-14 cup bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan. If using a standard size bundt pan, place onto a sheet pan to bake to catch drips.
- Wire rack and sheet pan to toast the pecans.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Butter – You can use unsalted butter. When doing so you’ll need to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
- Nuts –This cake can also be made with chopped walnuts.
- Spices – You could add one teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients in addition to a dash of nutmeg.
- Homemade Buttermilk – To make your own buttermilk to every one cup milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Stir and proceed with the recipe. Whole milk works best.
- Why Start with a Cold Oven for Baking Pound Cakes? This is a hundred year old technique that allows the cake batter to heat and rise slowly giving the leavening time to develop and lighten the texture of the cake. While it’s not necessarily fitting for every pound cake recipe it works beautifully for this one that’s dense and buttery.
Storage and Leftovers
- How to Serve Praline Cake – When storing this cake chilled, bring it to room temperature for serving to allow time for the praline glaze to soften. You can enjoy it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Leftovers – Store this cake in an airtight container or covered with aluminum foil chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer – You can store this cake in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw the cake in the fridge and top with the praline topping just before serving.
More Southern Pound Cake Recipes to Make
This decadent cake is not for the butter or sugar shy as it celebrates both in abundance. Save this for a special occasion and enjoy a piece with the special people in your life. They’ll be so glad you did.
- Million Dollar Pound Cake is a classic cake that never gets old.
- Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake is packed with the bright flavor or citrus.
- Coconut Cream Pound Cake is full flavored.
- Orange Pound Cake is drizzled with a fresh sweet orange glaze.
- Pretty in pink White Chocolate Cherry Pound Cake.
- Southern Pineapple Pound Cake is a fan favorite.
- You may also like these 8 No-Fail Pound Cakes on Parade.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Pecan Praline Pound Cake
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 568kcal
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
- 2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cup toasted roughly chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- Pecan Praline Glaze: Made in a 1100 watt microwave
- 2 Tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Do not preheat the oven. Liberally butter and flour a large bundt pan or tube pan or spray with baking spray. Set aside. (See Cook's note)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, shortening, vanilla extract, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat for 2 minutes or until creamy and light beige in color.
- Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition stopping to scrap the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate medium bowl use a whisk to sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- On low speed add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. After all has been added increase the speed of the mixer to medium and beat just until fully combined around 45-60 seconds.
- By hand stir in 1 1/2 cup pecans and toffee bits into the cake batter. Spread into the prepared pan.
- Place the cake into a cold oven. Bake at 325F for 1hr 30min to 1hr 45min or until a long skewer inserted into the center comes back clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes then flip the cake onto the rack to cool completely.
- Glaze: In a deep microwave safe bowl melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk the brown sugar and heavy cream into the melted butter then return to the microwave.
- Cook glaze on high for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir in the vanilla and 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Allow to cool slightly then drizzle over the cake.
- Store Pecan Praline Pound Cake in an airtight container chilled in the fridge for up to one week.
- Toasting the Pecans: Spread chopped pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place into a preheated 350°F oven toasting for 6-8 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow to cool completely before adding to the batter.
Notes
- Use a Bundt Pan or Tube Pan: I baked this cake in a cake pan similar in shape to a bundt pan, but it’s slightly larger and holds more batter. I recommend you bake this cake in a 12-14 cup bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan. If using a standard size bundt pan, place onto a sheet pan to bake to catch drips.
- Butter: You can use unsalted butter. When doing so you’ll need to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
- Nuts: This cake can also be made with chopped walnuts.
- Spices: You could add one teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients in addition to a dash of nutmeg.
- Homemade Buttermilk: To make your own buttermilk to every one cup milk add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Stir and proceed with the recipe. Whole milk works best.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 568kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
I made for a ladies group and used gluten free flour, baked in my angel food cake pan, recommend wrapping bottom in foil as some oozed out. I think I will double the glaze next time. It was a hit and everyone enjoyed. 5 stars!!!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you!
Hi Melissa!
I made this lovely cake yesterday for a party last night and it was a big hit! Everyone loved it! I was surprised that the cake itself was not very sweet. With two cups of brown sugar, one cup granulated sugar, and toffee bits, I thought it would be sweeter. The glaze really helped to sweeten it. But there is nothing wrong with a cake that’s not super sweet. I was just surprised. Maybe it was the buttermilk that made it less sweet. It was very moist too, not dense like a typical pound cake. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing the recipe! (I took a beautiful photo of it but don’t know how to share it with you.)
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you!
I also will be using pitachios instead of pecans will that be ok? Wanted to do a white chocolate drizzle as well.
This is a pecan cake with a praline glaze. You should probably stick to that for this recipe.
Can you serve this right after its done (maybe after it cools off)? Or do you have to chill it first?
You should allow this cake to cool before slicing.
I made this cake today and it was delicious! Apparently, I did not use enough butter on the pan and the bottom of the cake stuck to the pan. Do you think a springform pan would work for this recipe?
Hi Gail, I’m so happy you loved it! I haven’t tested this cake in a springform pan. That being said, I have one bundt pan that sticks more than my others. It’s odd, and I’m an avid baker and grease my pan VERY well. You may not have done anything wrong, it could have been the pan. I would recommend an angel food pan before a springform pan in this instance, this cake is dense.
Thank you!
Can you add rum or bourbon to this cake if yes how much?
You can add rum or bourbon extract to this cake but adding extra liquid isn’t advisable.
I did add bourbon to mine. It was amazing!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
This cake sounds amazing! Could you bake this cake in several loaf pans instead of one Bundt pan? If so, how many 9×5 loaf pans do you think? 2? 3?
You could divide the batter into two loaves. You’ll also need to decrease the baking time depending on the size of the pan.
Delicious, was wondering if you could make this gluten free?
I haven’t tested this cake with gluten free flour. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Super moist and delicious. I used half Granny Smith and half Honey Crisp. It was a perfect holiday dessert.
I want to make this cake so bad, but I can’t find any plain toffee bits. Any suggestions? Please!!
You could use the chocolate coated but it will of course, change the flavor profile. If you love chocolate that may not be a negative for you. Those toffee bits are generally located on the baking aisle and may be called bits-o-brickle. I hope you can find them!
Thank you so much!!!
This was delicious and I followed the recipe as written. I baked in a Bundt pan and poured part of the batter into a loaf pan so it would not spill over in oven. My husband loves sweets so next time I will drizzle some butter cream icing on it.
I’m happy you enjoyed it!
I have just recently started baking a few cakes from scratch. This is only the 3 one in my life. I must say, the recipe was easy to follow and my cake turned out absolutely perfect!! Everyone has raved about it! I REALLY love the topping! Next I want to try your pecan praline recipe-minus the bourbon. Thank you for the extra tips you give with the recipe and the questions you answer in the comments!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks.
My son made me this cake for my birthday .This wCake was so very good tender and so pretty ! I will be making it myself soon !
What a great son, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! (Happy Birthday!)
I don’t get the unheated oven. That is really unusual. Why do you do that?
From the narrative: Why start with a cold oven for baking pound cakes? This is a hundred year old technique that allows the cake batter to heat and rise slowly giving the leavening time to develop and lighten the texture of the cake. While it’s not necessarily fitting for every pound cake recipe it works beautifully for this one that’s dense and buttery.
This cake is absolutely amazing!
Thanks so much!
Having trouble with pea cans in cake going all to the top. Can you tell me why?
Hmm I’ve not had that issue however, you could dust them in a small amount of flour prior to adding them to the batter to see if that helps. A tsp of flour would work.
What if you do not have a stand mixer?
Use a hand mixer, if that’s what you have.
Do you have to store this cake in the fridge ?
Store chilled, then bring to room temperature for serving.
can I use self rising flour or cake flour instead of all purpose flour. if so, do I use baking power of soda.
You can’t interchange self rising and all purpose flour. You can use cake flour in place of all purpose, if desired.