Pecan Upside Down Cake

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Love sticky buns? You're sure to love this easy to make Pecan Upside Down Cake just as much or more. This straightforward, easy and uncomplicated recipe goes together in minutes.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pecan Cake, Pecan Upside Down Cake, Upside Down Cake

Servings: servings

Calories: 482kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

9x2" round cake pan

Ingredients

Pecan Topping

½ cup unsalted butter (114 grams or 1 stick)
¼ cup golden syrup, corn syrup or honey
½ cup dark or light brown sugar (100 grams)
1 teaspoon vanlla
1 cup pecan pieces (150 grams)

Yellow Buttermilk Cake

4 large egg yolks (68 grams)
⅔ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups cake flour (200 grams)
1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
½ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
½ cup unsalted butter (114 grams or 1 stick)

Instructions

Pecan Topping

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x2 or 9x3 inch round cake pan with a solid bottom with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.
In a medium size saucepan , combine the butter, the syrup, brown sugar and vanilla. Just as it begins to come to a simmer wash the sides of the pan down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. As soon as it just comes to a boil remove it from the heat.
Stir in the pecans. Pour into the prepare pan and set aside.

Yellow Buttermilk Cake

The butter must be very soft, but not unny in anyway, A emperatue of about 75°F is ideal.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Whisk the yolks, ¼ of the buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix briefly to blend. Add the butter and the remaiing buttermilk. Mix on low until the ingredients are moistened, then raise to medium and beat for 2 minutes, Scrape down.
Add the egg yolk mixture in thirds, beating 30 secnds after each addition. Scrape down between additions.
The batter will be thick. Transfer it to the cake pan with the pecans and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until deeply browned and a tester comes out clean. If the top is browning to much, tent it with foil.
Let the cake rest in in its pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Then carefully invert it onto a serving plate or cake board.
After cooling completely, the covered cake can be store for several days, at room temperature.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Let the pecan topping mixture just come to a boil. Do not let it boil any longer.

Follow the times given for beating the batter for the best results.

The cinnamon and nutmeg are optional. If omitted it becomes a yellow cake.

If the nuts are large or halves, chop them smaller.

Be sure to wait 10 to 15 minutes to release the cake but no longer or it the caramel will cool too much and separate from the cake.

Wash the sides of the pan down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.

A temperature of about 75° to 77°F works well.

Either golden syrup, corn syrup or honey will work well with the pecans. Of the three, honey is my least favorite as it can burn easily.

The cake isn't yellow because I added optional spices to it.

Nutrition