Southern Pecan Pound Cake

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by Donya November 15, 2024

Made with 7 simple ingredients, this Southern Pecan Pound Cake is a family favorite that I know will become one of your family’s favorites, too! Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just craving a comforting slice of cake, this recipe is simple to make and yields a stunning dessert with minimal effort. Plus, the glaze? It’s the perfect finishing touch to this buttery masterpiece!

A sliced bundt cake with white glaze drizzled on top, revealing a moist interior filled with chopped pecans. The cake is on a white plate, with a decorative green leaf in the background.

I’ve had and made all kinds of dessert recipes from church cookbooks throughout the years, and the one thing they all have in common is that they are delicious. If you are confident enough to put your recipe in the church cookbook, then it’s guaranteed to be very, very good. This classic Southern pound cake is a treasured recipe straight from my Aunt’s church cookbook. It’s the kind of recipe that stops you in your tracks with its incredible flavor. After one bite, I knew this delicious tradition had to be shared with you!

Turinys:

Why You’ll Love This Classic Southern Butter Pecan Pound Cake

This butter pecan cake isn’t just dessert—it’s a memory in the making. Each bite wraps you in the warmth of homemade goodness.
It’s buttery, nutty, and downright irresistible, with a tender crumb that feels like pure comfort.
Whether I serve it for a celebration or just a quiet moment with a cup of coffee, this cake will always hit the sweet spot.

Pecan Pound Cake Ingredients

A wooden table displays various baking ingredients: bowls of cake flour, granulated sugar, chopped pecans, powdered sugar, and baking soda. Nearby are eggs, butter, sour cream, vanilla extract, and milk, with a striped cloth in the background.

Cakes have structure because of one very specific step- creaming sugar and butter (salted or unsalted butter will work) together. This aerates the butter and pushes the sugar into those pockets of space, essentially creating the building blocks of the cake.
Eggs provide moisture and, when baked, help with structure. This cake uses sour cream instead of milk for additional moisture.
Cake flour is a must for pound cake because it’s lighter than all purposes, creating a more tender cake. To help the cake rise, we need a bit of baking soda.
Chopped pecans are the highlight of this recipe.
Lastly, the sweet glaze is made with powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a splash of milk.

Donya’s Success Tip!

The Pecans Don’t Sink – Usually, they sink in cakes, but by tossing them in flour. Thanks to this little trick, the pecans stay suspended in the batter and won’t sink to the bottom. This means you get a nice big bite of pecan in every slice.

Recipe Variations

Nutty Options: Any nuts, like pistachios, walnuts, or macadamia nuts, will work.
Add Fruit or Zest: If you like citrus, try adding orange zest, and if you like fruit, you can add dried apricots. You could also add a glaze with any of these flavors in it.
Gluten-Free Option: Swap the cake flour with a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour.
Add a Flavor Twist: Substitute some of the sour cream with buttermilk for a tangier taste.

Step By Step Directions

Two images showing baking steps. Image 1: An electric mixer above a glass bowl with butter and sugar. Image 2: The same bowl with mixed butter and sugar, and an egg added for further mixing.

Two images show a bowl of cake batter. Image 3: Yellow batter with flour added. Image 4: White whipped egg whites added to the batter. Both images have baking tools nearby, and the process is numbered for steps in a recipe.

A two-part image: on the left, a mixing bowl with batter and pecans stirred with an orange spatula; on the right, icing being poured over a baked bundt cake on a white stand.

Prepare: Preheat the oven and grease and dust a tube pan with flour. Separate your egg yolks from the egg whites. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside.
Cream Together The Butter and Sugar: Do this until light and fluffy in a large bowl. This could take a full two minutes of beating. It’s helpful to use a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, making sure to beat well in between each one.
Combine the Wet and Dry: Set aside ¼ cup of flour. Combine the remaining flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add this flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with the sour cream and beating well in between each addition. Mix the pecans with the reserved flour and toss to coat.
Fold In Egg Whites: Gently fold in the egg whites.
Add the Pecans and Bake: fold the pecans into the batter, being careful not to overmix then spoon the cake batter into the greased and floured pan and bake for 1 ½ hours.
Cool and Glaze: Place the cake of a cooling rack and make the glaze. Once cooled, drizzle over the glaze, slice and serve.

How Do I Know The Cake Is Done?

Insert a tooth pick into the cake to check if it’s baked through. It should come back clean. You can also gently tap the top of the cake. It should spring back pretty quickly when fully baked.

A bundt cake topped with glossy white icing, displayed on a white plate. The cake has a light brown color with pieces of pecans scattered around it, resting on a wooden surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I quickly soften butter?

Chop the butter into smaller cubes and spread them out on a plate. Smaller pieces soften much faster—usually within 15–20 minutes. You can also fill a bowl with warm (not hot) water. Place the butter in a zip-top bag, then submerge it for a few minutes.

Can I make this in a bundt pan?

Yes! It’s a great cake to make in a bundt pan. Just be sure to grease and flour it really well.

How small should the pecans be chopped?

I like my pecans to be roughly chopped, meaning they are about pebble size or larger. I find that if they are any smaller than that, you don’t really know they are in the cake.

Can I use all-purpose flour?

Yup! The cake texture just won’t be as light and fluffy, but it’ll still be delicious.

The Best Ways to Serve Butter Pecan Cake

When I serve this pecan cake, I like to pair it with a cozy drink like a Creamy Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte or Crock Pot Mulled Cider. It’s also delicious served it on a snack tray with Chocolate Dip with fruit, and Peanut Butter Balls.

A slice of pecan cake with visible nuts on a blue plate, accompanied by a fork and whole pecans. The background shows a striped cloth and another plate with a cake slice. A partially visible whole cake is on a stand in the background.

Love Pound Cake? Try These Recipe

If you tried this Southern Pecan Pound Cake Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!