Your new Holiday go-to Dessert, Butter Pecan Cake with a Brown Sugar Glaze

**UPDATE: this recipe use to call to boil the water and butter together then add in flour mixture. I have found this to be an unnecessary step and have adjusted the recipe just to melt the butter. **

The holidays are filled with incredible foods, many which are traditions families have been enjoy for decades! And while, I too, enjoy traditions, I also know when something new is worthwhile. Let me tell you, this cake is worth your while! This cake IS the new tradition your family has been looking for during the holiday season.

I first made this cake for my husband’s grandmother. She just turned 95 and we needed a cake to celebrate. I looked and looked for something and stumbled upon many pecan cake recipes and thought that would be the perfect cake for a true Southern Bell like my husband’s grandmother is!

The only problem was all the cakes were either sheet cakes (I do not have a good sheet cake pan) or included ingredients I didn’t have on hand (I did not have time to run to the store). So I took the basic idea from the recipes and created my own using ingredients I had on hand and it turned out amazing!

I used my beloved 9″x13″ Temp-tations pan to bake this in. I love these pans because they are SO beautiful that you can take it from the oven to the table and serve right out of it! Find Temp-tations here on Amazon!

Butter Pecan Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients

Butter Pecans:

3 tbsp butter (I use salted)
2 cups pecan havles – chopped

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (omit if you use salted butter)
2 sticks butter, melted
1 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk (buttermilk works well too)
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Glaze:

1 stick butter
1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (you don’t want any clumps)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)

Directions

Make the butter pecans: add chopped pecans and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned. Stir often making sure not to burn. Spread out to cool.
Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl
Add water and melted butter together and add in flour mixture. Then add milk, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in 3/4 of butter pecans.
Pour batter into 9×13 pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Make the Glaze: In a pot or skillet, add butter and milk and heat until the butter is melted.
Whisk in brown sugar and powdered sugar until well combined. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and salt. Pour evenly over cake. It is okay if the cake is still warm. Sprinkle remaining pecans on top.

The cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

I hope you love this cake as much as my family does!

Happiness is homemade! Let’s Make Some!

@rocketman_dee
Full recipe on my blog! Butter pecans: 3 tbsp butter 2 cups pecans – chopped Heat butter and pecans in skillet until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside Cake: 2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 2 sticks butter 1 cup water 1/2 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 1tbsp vanilla extract Bring water and butter to boil and remove from heat. Add in dry ingredients. After it cools a little, add in milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add in 3/4 butter pecans. Bake cake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from the center. Brown sugar glaze: 1 stick butter 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cup powder sugar, sifted 1/2 tsp vanilla Pinch of salt In skillet, add butter and milk and heat until butter is melted. Whisk in both sugars. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. Pour over cake – it’s ok if the cake is warm! Sprinkle remaining butter pecans on top! Enjoy!!! #holidaydessert #butterpecan #pecans #cake #christmasdessert #dessert #homemadefood #madefromscratch #happinessishomemade
♬ Underneath the Tree (Christmas Songs – One day, everything changed. You’re all I need) – Kelly Clarkson

One response to “Your new Holiday go-to Dessert, Butter Pecan Cake with a Brown Sugar Glaze”

Bob

November 22, 2025

Made this for a Friendsgiving meal and it was a big hit. It was delicious while warm with the glaze freshly applied, and differently delicious 24 hours later when cold, with a more pronounced pecan flavor. Thanks for sharing!

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