This upside-down pecan cake has a layer of pecans caramelized on the bottom of a light and fluffy vanilla batter. When turned upside down, the caramelized juices sink into the baked sponge. The luxury of pie and cake all in one.

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As a family, we love anything pecan. And a good pecan cake is always a treat no matter what time of the year. Ziv is a huge fan of the classic pecan pie and this one has got to be one of his absolute favorite cakes.
The cake batter is oil-based light and airy and it gets soaked with the excess drips from the caramelized pecans. So, it's like eating a light caramel sponge.
In fact, sometimes, I will make many mini cakes of this recipe and give them as gifts to her teachers during the festive season. I also make pecan pie blondies, brownies, granola, Cookies.
Why make this pecan cake?
- Honestly, you can't get a recipe more simple than this. If you don't like the job of rolling a pie crust, then this one is the easiest pie you will ever make. The pie filling just melts in the mouth.
- Most of the ingredients are simple and easy to find or pantry staples. And, of course, pecan!
- The process takes no more than 15 minutes as you can see in the video. 5 minutes to combine the pecan ingredients and about 10 minutes to mix the batter. And about 35 minutes to bake.

Ingredients and substitutes
- Pecans - We love pecans, but you can, of course, also use other nuts such as macadamia and hazelnuts.
- Brown sugar - The molasses in the brown sugar makes a delicious caramel when cooked thru. So, I highly recommend not substituting it.
- Golden syrup - Adds a nice golden color to the pecan filling. And yet, if you can't find golden syrup, you can use dark corn syrup.
- Cooking oil - I use non-flavored cooking oil like canola, so the flavor is neutral.
- Buttermilk -You can use store-bought or make your own homemade buttermilk in 5 minutes.
- Lemon juice - the purpose of this lemon juice is just to cut into the sweetness so do not add more than recommended in this recipe.
- Spice mix - You can use cinnamon powder, nutmeg, pumpkin spice or gingerbread spice or just simple vanilla extract.

How to make upside down pecan cake
- Preheat the oven at 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3
- Grease an 8 x 3-inch deep round cake pan or a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan with butter. (I used an 8 x 2-inch round cake pan)
Pro tip - I prefer not to line the pan with parchment paper as it prevents the sugar from caramelizing.

Pecan pie filling
- In a bowl combine all the pecan pie ingredients. Golden syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, and butter. Set aside.
Pro tip - Toast pecans in the oven at 50°F/ 100°C for 10 minutes add a wonderful flavor.

Cake
- Dry ingredients - Combine flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt - set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs for a minute. Then gradually add the sugar and whip until light and foamy.Pro tip - add the sugar gradually so it combines with the eggs to make a light and airy batter.
- Next, gradually add oil, followed by vanilla extract and buttermilk.
Pro tip - adding the oil gradually will emulsify the eggs and prevent them from curdling.

- Finally, add the flour and combine well. Scrape the sides and bottom to ensure you have no dry flour.
Pro tip - we do not want to activate the gluten in our batter nor do we want to lose all the volume in the eggs so do not overmix at this point. - Pour the pecan pie filling in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Then, pour the cake batter over the pecan filling. Spread evenly and tap a few times to help the batter settle.
Pro tip - make sure the batter is spread evenly so there are no large air pockets in the cake.

- Bake in a preheated oven for about 35 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for only 5 to 7 minutes.
Pro tip - every oven is different and while 35 minutes is a standard cooking time for a 9-inch cake, you may need a 5 to 10 minutes more in some ovens. - Carefully invert the cake over. Place a plate or platter larger than the cake pan on top. Using a kitchen cloth or gloves hold the top and bottom firmly. Carefully but in one quick motion just flip the two together.
Pro tip - The cake must be inverted while it's still warm otherwise the caramelized sugar in the pie will stick to the pan when cooled. A quick swift motion while scary works best to prevent accidents.

Caution - HOT
- The juices in the pecan mixture are caramel and are very HOT. So, please be extra careful when inverting the cake.
- Do not touch the juices after the cake has been inverted as the sugar is hot and stringy, which can cause serious burns if touched.
More recipes with pecans
- Chocolate Pecan Cake - Flourless
- Pecan Pie, Veena's Pecan Pie Recipe or Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Pecan Blondies or Ultimate Pecan Pie Brownies
- Chocolate Pecan Squares
- Cranberry Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Pecan Pie Hamantaschen Cookies

Frequently asked questions
This cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. You can keep it well wrapped in the fridge for up to a week. Or, you can even freeze this cake for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight for best results.
Absolutely, you can make it up to 2 days ahead of time. Make sure to invert it when the cake is still warm then wrap well to prevent it from drying out.
If you leave the cake to cool in the pan the caramelized sugars in the pecans will cool and get stuck to the pan which causes the cake to stick to the pan. If this happens, place the cake pan on the stovetop over low heat for just a minute or more until you feel the cake is released from the pan as the sugar melts. Immediately invert and let the cake cool before serving.
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Printable Recipe
Upside Down Pecan Cake
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Video
Ingredients
Pecan layer
- 7 oz (200 g) Pecans (chopped)
- ¾ cup (175 ml) Golden syrup (or dark corn syrup )
- ⅓ cup (70 g) Brown sugar (light or dark )
- 4 oz (113 g) Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Cake
- 2 Eggs (large)
- 1 cup (200 g) White sugar
- 2 cup (250 g) All-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) cooking oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) Buttermilk
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Spices - pumpkin spice, gingerbread, cinnamon powder ((optional))
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 325°F / 165°C / Gas Mark 3
- Grease an 8 x 3-inch deep round cake pan or a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan with butter. (i used an 8 x 2-inch round cake pan) Pro tip - I prefer not to line the pan with parchment paper as it prevents the sugar from caramelizing.
Pecan pie filling
- In a bowl combine all the pecan pie ingredients. Golden syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, and butter. Set aside.Pro tip - Toast pecans in the oven at 50°F/ 100°C for 10 minutes add a wonderful flavor.
Cake
- Dry ingredients - Combine flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt - set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs for a minute. Then gradually add the sugar and whip until light and foamy. Pro tip - add the sugar gradually so it combines with the eggs to make a light and airy batter.
- Next, gradually add oil, followed by vanilla extract and buttermilk.Pro tip - adding the oil gradually will emulsify the eggs and prevent them from curdling.
- Finally, add the flour and combine well. Scrape the sides and bottom to ensure you have no dry flour. Pro tip - we do not want to activate the gluten in our batter nor do we want to lose all the volume in the eggs so do not overmix at this point.
- Pour the pecan pie filling in the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Then, pour the cake batter over the pecan filling. Spread evenly and tap a few times to help the batter settle. Pro tip - make sure the batter is spread evenly so there are no large air pockets in the cake.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 35 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for only 5 to 7 minutes. Pro tip - every oven is different and while 35 minutes is a standard cooking time for a 9-inch cake, you may need a 5 to 10 minutes more in some ovens
- Carefully invert the cake over. Place a plate or platter larger than the cake pan on top. Using a kitchen cloth or gloves hold the top and bottom firmly. Carefully but in one quick motion just flip the two together.Pro tip - The cake must be inverted while it's still warm otherwise the caramelized sugar in the pie will stick to the pan when cooled. A quick swift motion while scary works best to prevent accidents.
Recipe Notes
Caution - HOT
- The juices in the pecan mixture are caramel and very HOT so please be extra careful when inverting the cake.
- Do not touch the juices after the cake has been inverted as the sugar is hot and stringy which can cause serious burns if touched.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Julie Ivanko
Lovely recipe. Reminds me of guy fawkes (bonfire and fireworks) night in the UK. I made it with gluten free flour and added xanthum gum and a little bit of milk as gluten free flour can make the bakes very dry.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Julie. SO happy to hear this one worked well with all the changes you made. Thanks for sharing. So happy you enjoyed it.
Marisa Franca
This not only reminds me of pecan pie but also a super rich coffee cake with a streusel topping. I love the nutty brown sugar topping and this would be a huge hit in our family. I think in the cake form it wouldn't be quite as heavy. This is a must try!!
Veena Azmanov
Thanks Marisa. We love this one and the topping is really wondeful.
Denise
You have won me over with this one. I have just developed a love of pecan pie over the last few years but I'm not much of a pie person. Cake on the other hand is the perfect vehicle for that pecan pie flavor!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Denise. I love pecan pie and any cake with pecans too. I hope you try this one.
Dahn
What a great Fall dessert. I love pecan pie and this is such a great idea to combine the flavors with a cake. It looks amazing.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Dahn. I hope you try this one.
swathi
Your upside down pecan pie cake looks delicious, just like Rhea i too like that caramelized pecans. The cake looks so soft. I am going to try it, Pecan pie is my do list for long time, now I think I will change it to pecan pie cake.
Veena Azmanov
Thanks, Swathi. I don't blame you. The top is definitely the best part.