Upside Down Pecan Cake

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.

Table of Content

• Why make this pecan cake?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• How to make upside down pecan cake
• More recipes with pecans
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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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.

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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

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