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Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake

This buttery Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake is filled with toasted pecans and toffee bits then drizzled with a sweet pecan praline glaze. It’s the kind of cake ideal for serving at any special event from tea parties with friends, holiday brunch, a church potluck or a “just because” dessert.

Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake

Easy Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe

Pound cakes were once made with a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of eggs and a pound of sugar. That simple combination turned pantry staples into one of the most beloved Southern cakes of all-time. I still love the thrill of mixing up those same simple ingredients to create a cake that will delight my dessert eaters.  It’s one of the small pleasures in life that never gets old. I truly believe that when you make a dessert from scratch it really shows the love, doesn’t it?  It just screams that you thought it was important enough to go the extra mile to make something delicious for everyone to enjoy. How to make Praline Pound Cake from scratch:

  • Flour – All purpose flour sifted with baking powder and salt.
  • Fats – Salted butter and solid vegetable shortening.
  • Sugar – Light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
  • Flavorings – Vanilla extract.
  • Eggs – 6 large eggs.
  • Milk – Whole buttermilk.
  • Nuts – Roughly chopped toasted pecans and toffee bits.
  • Glaze – Salted butter, heavy cream and light brown sugar.
Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake

How to Make the Best Pecan Praline Pound Cake

If you’ve been cooking with me for a while, you know how much I love caramel and pecans. It was just a matter of time before I combined my love of caramel, pecans and pralines and turn it into a pound cake. Voila, this beautiful pound cake actually exceeded my expectations.

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake: All purpose flour, baking powder salt, butter, solid vegetable shortening, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, large eggs, vanilla extract, buttermilk and toffee bits and chopped pecans.
  • Ingredients to make the glaze: Salted butter, light brown sugar and heavy cream.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: Stand mixer or hand mixer, large bowl, medium bowl, whisk, measuring cups and spoons, bundt pan, cooling rack and sheet pan to toast the pecans.
  • 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.
  • Do I have to use a stand mixer to make a Southern pound cake? While a stand mixer is so simple to use you can certainly make this, or any cake, using a hand mixer.
  • How do you toast pecans for pound cake? It’s really a simple process. 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.
  • Store this cake in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  • When storing chilled, bring to room temperature for serving to allow time for the praline glaze to soften.
Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake

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.

Praline Pecan Pound Cake

 

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 45 minutes
Cooling time4 hours
Total Time6 hours 10 minutes
Course: Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pecan-praline-buttermilk-pound-cake, pound-cake-recipes, praline-pecans
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 568kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 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
  • 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 tube pan. Set aside. (See Cook's note)
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter, shortening, vanilla, brown and granulated sugars. 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.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Lower the speed of the mixer and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. After all has been added increase the speed of the mixer to medium and beat until fully combined around 45-60 seconds.
  • By hand mix in 1 1/2 cup pecans and toffee bits. 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 cooling rack for 30 minutes then turn onto the rack to cool completely.
  • To make the 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 on high for 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and stir in the vanilla and 1/4 cup pecans. Allow to cool slightly then drizzle over the cake.

Notes

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 10-inch tube pan. If using a standard size bundt pan, place onto a sheet pan to bake to catch drips.

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!

78 Comments

    1. 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!

  1. 5 stars
    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.

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 5 stars
    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 !

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

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