Pecan Pie Layer Cake

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This Pecan Pie Layer Cake is made with moist layers of brown sugar cinnamon cake, homemade pecan pie filling and cinnamon frosting! It’s tastes like eating pecan pie, except you’re eating a delicious cake!

This post is sponsored by Challenge Dairy, but all opinions are my own.

Pecan Pie Layer Cake recipePecan Pie Meets Layer Cake

Now that Halloween has come and gone, it’s time to move on to the next holiday – Thanksgiving! The one problem is that I still have plenty of candy sitting in our kitchen. Our house sits at the top of a bit of a hill, so not as many kids come up to our house. Yet I still always get plenty of candy just in case. I just can’t help it.

This year I made the mistake of getting candy that I actually really like. With so many leftovers, I need to get rid of them quickly, otherwise I might eat it all myself! And that’s not good because I need to keep plenty of room for all the other holiday treats that will be coming in the next couple months. After all Thanksgiving is one of the best food holidays of the year!

So I’m kicking off the mad dash to Thanksgiving with this cake. It’s a fun twist on one of the classic pies. If you’re looking for a way to switch up your favorite pie, this cake is for you!

Best Pecan Pie Layer CakePecan Pie Layer Cake for Thanksgiving dessert

How to Make Pecan Pie Layer Cake

To start, there’s the pecan pie filling. It’s basically a straight pecan pie filling but it’s cooked over the stove, so it really is like eating pecan pie. The eggs serve as the thickener while the flavor is all about that dark brown sugar and pecans. You could use light brown sugar, but I definitely prefer the deeper flavor of the dark brown sugar.

The cake layers are a brown sugar and cinnamon spin on one of my favorite cakes. It’s wonderfully moist and fluffy! Just be sure to not skimp on the creaming of the butter and sugar. It adds air to the batter that helps give it the fluffiness that it needs. Speaking of the butter, I use Challenge butter. Challenge butter is 100% real cream and farm to fridge in two days. It really is so creamy! I always love that when I soften it to room temperature to bake with, I can really tell just how creamy it is and it stays that way, unlike other brands. Makes a wonderful cake! Find where to buy it using Challenge Dairy’s store locator.

And finally the cake is frosted with a cinnamon buttercream frosting. It finishes off the cake perfectly! The final combination is a wonderful twist on the pecan pie! The moist fluffy cake with the pecan pie filling and cinnamon frosting is a wonderful combination! I do recommend cutting the cake at room temperature. It will be a little easier to cut through the sticky filling.

This cake was a big hit for us, so I hope it’s a big hit for you as well!

Pecan Pie Layer Cake delicious layersdecorated Pecan Pie Cake
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”DKtYT01c” upload-date=”Fri Nov 03 2017 15:30:27 GMT+0000 (UTC)” name=”Pecan Pie Layer Cake” description=”This Pecan Pie Layer Cake is made with moist layers of brown sugar cinnamon cake, homemade pecan pie filling and cinnamon frosting!”]
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slice of Pecan Pie Layer Cake
Recipe

Pecan Pie Layer Cake

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • Prep Time: 2 hours
  • Cook Time: 23 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 23 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Servings
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Pecan Pie Layer Cake is made with moist layers of brown sugar cinnamon cake, homemade pecan pie filling and cinnamon frosting! It’s tastes like eating pecan pie, except you’re eating a delicious cake!


Ingredients

PECAN PIE FILLING

  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup dark corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup (108g) dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Challenge unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups (200g) chopped pecans

CAKE LAYERS

  • 3/4 cup (168gChallenge unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (225g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
  • 3/4 cup (173g) sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) milk, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) water, room temperature

FROSTING

  • 1 1/4 cup (280gChallenge salted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups (237g) shortening
  • 10 cups (1150g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 56 tbsp (75-90ml) water or milk
  • Additional pecan halves, for decorating

Instructions

TO MAKE THE PECAN PIE FILLING:

1. To make the pecan pie filling, combine all ingredients except the pecans in a saucepan. Heat over medium until it begins to boil, stirring constantly.
2. Add the pecans and allow to boil for 30 seconds.
3. Remove mixture from the heat and refrigerate until cool and thickened.

TO MAKE THE CAKE LAYERS:

4. To make the cake layers, prepare three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
5. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
6. Add sour cream and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
7. Add egg whites in two batches, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
8. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine the milk and water in a small measuring cup.
9. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well combined. Add the milk mixture and mix until well combined. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
10. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for about 21-23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
11. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 2-3 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING AND ASSEMBLE CAKE:

12. To make the frosting, combine the butter and shortening in a large mixer bowl until smooth.
13. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
14. Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon and 3-4 tablespoons of water or milk mix until well combined and smooth.
15. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until combined.
16. Add additional water or milk as needed to get the right consistency and mix until well combined and smooth.
17. To assemble the cake, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the top of the cakes.
18. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate or a cardboard cake round. Pipe a dam of frosting around the outside of the cake. I use Ateco tip 808 for the dam so that it’s tall.
19. Spread about 1/3 of the pecan pie filling evenly on top of the cake layer, inside the dam, then smooth out the dam of frosting so that it’s all even.
20. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the dam and pecan pie filling.
21. Add the final layer of cake on top, then smooth out the frosting around the sides of the cake.
22. Frost the outside of the cake. Feel free to use my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake.
23. Finish off the cake by piping a border around the top edge of the cake and filling it in with the remaining pecan pie filling. Press pecan halves into the sides of the cake.
24. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best for 2-3 days and best served at room tempe


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 1156
  • Sugar: 122.9 g
  • Sodium: 390.8 mg
  • Fat: 62.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 145.8 g
  • Protein: 9.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 116.4 mg

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Enjoy!

 

Pecan Pie Layer Cake - layers of homemade pecan pie filling, moist brown sugar cake and cinnamon frosting!



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103 Comments
  1. Chris Wenzel

    I have made a whole lot of your cupcake and cake recipes. I will say I have never had a “Fail” with any of them.
    Each year my friend birthday is a day before mine in October (28 & 29) she has no family here. So I always make her a chocolate cake do some kind. Last year I took you
    “Best Chocolate Cake” recipe and combined it with your Pecan Pie cake.
    It was the most Decadent cake I have ever had. I would love to share a picture of it but I do not know where I can upload the picture to.
    It was a big hit and so good.






    1. Trang Tran

      Wonderful cake. First time I made it, I followed exactly the recipe but the frosting was too sweet, so I made it again with my own creamcheese frosting. It was a big hit, I had lots of compliments. I definitely try your other recipes. Thank you so much!






  2. Shelby

    Hello! Just wondering if you’ve ever tried this as a 9×13 recipe? And if so, could you give me in any hints on how, or if, I need to adjust the quantities? Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      I have not tried it. You don’t need to adjust the quantities for the cake, but I would reduce the baking temperature to 325. You would not need as much frosting. Maybe only about half of it. I’m not really sure how you’re picture adding the filling and frosting, but you could pipe a border around the outside of the cake, and then fill it with the filling. If you do something like that, you may need the full amount for the filling. I hope that helps.

    1. Lindsay

      Pecan pie is typically made with corn syrup. I’ve seen recipes that don’t use it, but I imagine they are fairly different. You could try maple syrup, it just would likely give it a pretty different flavor.

  3. Candace

    Made this for Thanksgiving. Two thumbs up. I was worried it would be too rich but it isn’t! Perfect flavors!

    I didn’t have 8inch pans so I used two 9inch and halved the frosting recipe. Also ran out od all-purpose flour and subbed 1/2 cup od whole wheat. All changes worked perfectly for me.

    This recipe is a keeper!

  4. Jody

    Oh my lord! You’re killing me here. I found this recipe from a link you provided on your pecan filling cupcakes. I’ll ask here as well lol, can I use light corn syrup?
    I need to stop looking at these kinds if recipes 😩 it’s pure torture! Can’t wait to make this! And devour a huge piece 🤣

  5. Megan

    I made this for Thanksgiving to satisfy those who love pecan pie and others who prefer cake. Everyone raves about how great it was! Thanks so much for the recipe. I made all the parts ahead of time no assembled Thanksgiving morning. I still had about 1/3 of the frosting left over so would make a smaller batch next time… and sounds like there will definitely be a next time!






  6. Lori

    I made this cake last night and cannot wait to try it today, although it made sooooo much frosting. I believe that I could’ve halved the frosting portion of the recipe and still had more than enough. I’ve saved the remaining frosting and will be looking for another use for it.

  7. Emily

    This looks amazing and I cannot wait to try it! Quick question – I want to bake for Thanksgiving and was looking to bake tonight so I do not have to tomorrow. Can I frost it tonight or should I bake tonight and frost and build tomorrow? If I can frost tonight does it need to be in the fridge? Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, you could make the whole thing tonight. Because of the filling, I’d refrigerate it. Just bring it back to room temperature before serving.

      1. Tracy

        I made half the recipe to make a mini 2 layer 6” cake (layers only for a make ahead cake), and those layers smelled AMAZING! The smell reminded me of my homemade oatmeal cream pies! I haven’t made the filling for buttercream yet, but I will in a few days! Can’t wait!

    1. Lindsay

      Glad to hear you enjoy the blog! I use Wilton baking pans – both the 8×2 and 8×3, depending on how deep I want them.

  8. A

    When you say ” Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for about 21-23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.”

    Maybe this is a silly question, but I’ve never made a cake before. How do you ensure the batter is divided evenly? Is it best to eyeball it? Or should it be weighed on a food scale?

    1. Lindsay

      Eyeballing it would be ok, but not as accurate. I tend to use a food scale to weigh them, but you could also measure it out with measuring scoops. The main thing here is to try to get layers that are going to be about the same height. It’ll look better in your cake and they’ll bake more evenly and should be done baking at the same time. I hope that helps!

  9. Christina Ramisch

    Hi I’m baking this scrumptious cake for my sons first birthday and I want to have 4 or more layers using a 10 3/4” pan. Also I’ll make a 8” for the top. Enough to feed 30 people. Should I double the recipe in this case? Also how many pans can I place in my oven at a time. I’m using a regular home oven nothing fancy. Thank you so much for your time and delicious recipe  






    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t ever made this cake in that size, but I think doubling it would probably be fine. As for how many pans you can make it once, I wouldn’t try to squeeze too many in there. The best place to bake a cake is in the center of the oven so if you start putting cakes towards the top and bottom they may not bake as well. I often bake three cake pans at a time. Two in the middle and one on bottom. The one on the bottom does bake slightly differently but not so much that it bothers me. I probably wouldn’t suggest doing more layers at one time though. Especially in the larger size.

  10. Kathy

    The cake is delicious – thank you for the recipe. I’d love to make it again but it is very soft and crumbly, hard to cut and collapsing. What did I do wrong?

    1. Lindsay

      It’s hard to say if you necessarily did anything “wrong”. What do you mean by crumbly? Like, the cake has a lot of crumbs? As for being hard to cut – was it cold when you tried to cut it? Because the filling will be firmer when cold, it’s best to cut it at room temperature. And for collapsing – is that due to cutting? Or is it lopsided or something? If it’s more of a lopsided issue, it might be that the dam of frosting that is holding in the filling isn’t quite thick/firm enough. Check out my tutorial for how to fill and stack a layer cake for some help with that. I hope that helps!

  11. Chelsea

    The frosting looks like it has some vanilla bean flecks. Did you add some vanilla bean in addition to the extract?

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, that should be fine. Just wrap them well in clear wrap and then foil and a Ziploc bag and then thaw in the fridge when ready.

  12. Tanya

    Hi this cake looks divine!,I attempted to make and this was my first go at making cake mix from scratch,I used a hand mixer as well,I followed the instructions as such but when it came to adding and the sour cream and vanilla after blending it looked curdled I know sour cream tends to have that texture ,it just did not look like what was presented in the video,was wondering if I did something wrong or is it supposed to look like that ? Did I over mix or perhaps not enough before addding the sour cream.Would love some tips as I really love to bake and want continue improving.Thank You!
    I would love to try this recipe again,I love your recipes ! Thanks! 😊

    1. Lindsay

      It probably was just the texture of the batter at that point. It’s fairly normal to have it look a little curdled at one point or another, often when adding the milk in the final few steps. Did the cake turn out alright?

  13. Louise

    Made this for our Christmas dessert. Turned out great. I love making your cakes because they always look so pretty!! And taste delicious too, of course 🙂






  14. Jenny

    Hi! I’m super excited to make this cake. Do you think it would work to replace the shortening with cream cheese? 

    1. Lindsay

      It could be. You probably want to double the amount of filling for the number of cupcakes it’d make. I would suggest baking the cupcakes for roughly 15-17 minutes.

  15. Kaye Vanfossan

    I made this cake a few weeks ago and as with all your cake recipes, I had FUN!  Even after adjusting  the recipe for high altitude, it turned out perfect. It was easy and so very delicious!  I bake for my neighbors, so the large size is nice! Your tutorials are so helpful too.  I’ve learned so much since  discovering your wonderful blog! 
    Thank you!

  16. Valerie

    Hi Lindsay! I am so excited to bake this cake! Most of my cake recipes can be baked, cooled, refrigerated, and then leveled/assembled/frosted the next day.

    Does that work with this recipe? I just want to make sure the cake stays moist. I know the pecan pie mixture with add some moisture once the cake is assembled…I just want to know your opinion on overnight refrigeration for this recipe.

    Thank you so much!

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, that’s typically what I do – bake one day and put the cake together the next. I don’t refrigerate the cake layers though. I think leaving them in a well sealed container at room temperature works best, but you can certainly refrigerate it if you prefer. Once it’s all assembled, then I’ll refrigerate it.

    1. Lindsay

      They actually “toast” when they are cooked in the pan filling, so no need to pop them in the oven. I hope you enjoy the cake!

    1. Lindsay

      Doubling might be too much for 9 inch pans. You could either use the same amount of batter and have thinner cakes (that bake less time), or try using 1 1/2 recipes worth.

  17. Dominique

    I was wondering what brand of sour cream you use. I find that different brands have different consistencies. I would imagine it could change the final product.

  18. Suzy-q

    Oh, my! Pecan pie cake!!!! I wish I could try a piece right now! You hit this one out of the park, Lindsay! I just might add this to my Thanksgiving table. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes!

  19. Aunt J

    This looks delicious and positively elegant. I want to put on my party clothes to try this one. I love your videos demonstrating the frosting/icing dam that holds the filling exactly where it belongs, so every bite gets a taste of (in this case) the remarkable pecans. God knew what He was doing when He thought of pecans. I can’t wait to try this beauty; hubs loves pecans.

  20. Carole Mitchell

    I am going to get fat! Love the Pecan Pie Cake and plan on making it for our family get-together in December. Almost wish I had another occasion to make it sooner.

  21. Grace

    ive never seen egg whites alone added to a cake unless they’ve been whipped. do you know why this recipe does that? just curious–id like to make this for thanksgiving!

    1. Lindsay

      There are actually plenty of cakes that use just egg whites. The whites and yolks perform different functions in baking and in this particular cake, whites are all that’s used. If you were to substitute whole eggs, the recipe wouldn’t turn out. I hope you enjoy it for Thanksgiving!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29