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    Home » Cakes » Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake

    Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake

    Published: Sep 28, 2016 · Modified: Dec 4, 2019 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pie or cake? Have both! This Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake recipe is the best of a light and tender cake and deliciously sweet pecan pie filling.Slice of Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake on a wooden plate with a bite missing

    I am a cake-lover in a family of pie-lovers.

    When Thanksgiving rolls around, everyone else is looking forward to pumpkin pie, apple pie, and even mincemeat pie. But not me. I'm all about the cake.

    Slice of Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake on two stacked wooden plates

    I actually love pie fillings. It's just a crust thing. I can't get into a plain pie crust.

    So, I swapped out the crust for light and tender vanilla cake and kept my favorite part of my favorite pie.

    This Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake really is fantastic. The topping alone is worth making the cake for. It's sweet and perfectly sticky like pecan pie filling.

    It will be right at home on your Thanksgiving table and is the perfect dessert option to end any pie vs. cake issues!

    Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake

    Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake

    This Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake recipe is a light and tender cake and delicious sweet pecan pie filling.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 494kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    Cake

    • ½ c . butter softened
    • ¾ c . granulated sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • â…” c . buttermilk
    • 1 teaspoon . vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ c . cake flour
    • 1 teaspoon . baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon . salt

    Topping

    • 2 T. butter melted
    • ¾ c . brown sugar packed
    • ¼ c . dark corn syrup
    • 2 T. heavy whipping cream.
    • 1 c . pecans I use a mix of halves and pieces

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
    • In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until well-combined.
    • Scrape down sides, and add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
    • Mix in buttermilk and vanilla.
    • Add flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • Stir until just combined. Set aside.
    • To make the topping, stir together butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and whipping cream until well-combined.
    • Pour into pan.
    • Top with pecans.
    • Gently spoon batter over pecans. If you pour it in, it may push the pecans in the middle aside, so gently add the batter on top of the pecans.
    • Place pan on rimmed baking sheet.
    • Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out without any cake crumbs.
    • Run a knife around the edge, and then invert cake onto plate.

    Notes

    *Nutrition facts are estimates.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 485IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

     

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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela

      October 27, 2019 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      So good. Definitely hard not to eat the whole cake!

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 28, 2019 at 9:13 am

        Thank you! I'm so happy to hear that it was a hit. Thanks for commenting! =)

        Reply
    2. Rebecca

      November 18, 2018 at 9:06 pm

      I’d like to make this for thanksgiving. Should it be served immediately or can I make it earlier in the day? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 19, 2018 at 11:26 am

        My preference is to have it while it's still a little warm. However, I've served it at room temperature, too, and it tasted just fine. I think you'd be ok to make it earlier in the day. Happy Thanksgiving! =)

        Reply
    3. Kelly

      May 10, 2018 at 11:51 am

      Could I make this in a 9" spring form pan? Or it's best in a 9" cake pan?

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 11, 2018 at 3:10 pm

        I haven't tried it in a 9-inch springform pan. A 9-inch springform is a larger pan than a 9-inch cake pan, though, so you would need to adjust the baking time. Good luck!

        Reply
        • Kelly

          May 12, 2018 at 10:13 am

          Was I supposed to let it cool before taking it out of the pan? I didn't see that in the instructions, but when I inverted it onto my place the liquid in the topping all ran off. From your picture it doesn't look like your did that?

          Reply
          • Kate

            May 12, 2018 at 12:51 pm

            I'm sorry to hear that! I don't let it cool because it sticks to the pan as it cools. I just let it sit long enough to run the knife around the edge. I have had to replace a few pecans that stick, but I've never had the topping run off. How thick was the topping when it was in the pan (before baking)?

      • Kelly

        July 02, 2018 at 3:26 pm

        5 stars
        It thickened quite bit as it cooled, but it was too late because the topping had run all off because I removed it from the pan approx. 5 minutes after taking it out. It was runny enough that it spread around the pan when I first put it into it before baking. Maybe it wasn't thick enough? The pecans were fine on top.

        It tasted delicious though! I just wish the topping hadn't run off.

        Reply
    4. Patty

      April 25, 2018 at 10:39 pm

      Can I make this in a 9/13 pan. How long to bake?

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 26, 2018 at 1:52 pm

        I haven't tried to make it in a 9x13, so I'm not sure how it would work or how long you'd need to bake it for. If you try it, I'd love to hear how it comes out!

        Reply
    5. Sarah

      April 19, 2018 at 12:10 am

      5 stars
      This turned out amazing, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop my husband from eating it all.

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 19, 2018 at 12:13 am

        Thanks! Glad you two liked it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment. =)

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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    14.1K shares