Christmas Butter Pecan Cake 🍰🥮🥜

This holiday season, indulge in a luscious Butter Pecan Cake that’s perfect for your festive gatherings. With its rich flavors and creamy frosting, this cake brings a touch of elegance and warmth to your holiday celebrations, making it an ideal centerpiece for any dessert table.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
• 2 ¼ cups cake flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs

For the Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• Toasted pecans (for decorating)

Instructions:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and set them aside.
2. Toast the Pecans: In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped pecans and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until they are toasted and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the buttermilk, milk, vanilla, vegetable oil, and eggs to the dry ingredients. Beat with a stand mixer or hand mixer until fully combined. Gently fold in the toasted pecans.
5. Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the center springs back when pressed. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
6. Frost the Cakes: Once cooled, frost the cakes with the browned butter cream cheese frosting and decorate with additional toasted pecans.

For the Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Brown the Butter: In a medium pan over medium-high heat, melt the unsalted butter, stirring constantly until it becomes golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Once browned, transfer it to a heat-proof bowl and let it cool completely, scraping in all the browned bits.
2. Prepare the Frosting: In the bowl of a mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the cooled browned butter, mixing until fully combined.
3. Incorporate the Sugar: Gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing on low speed until absorbed. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Finally, mix in the vanilla extract.
4. Frost the Cakes: Use the frosting immediately to frost your cooled cakes.

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Servings: 10

Enjoy this rich and decadent Butter Pecan Cake, a delightful way to celebrate the flavors of the season and bring joy to your holiday gatherings!

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