Name: Brown Butter Pecan Pound Cake with Brown Butter Caramel Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 3 cups granulated sugar; 6 large eggs; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 2 cups chopped pecans; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1 cup sugar; 1/3 cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla

A beautiful Brown Butter Pound Cake that’s packed with pecans and made extra delicious with a brown butter caramel sauce drizzled all over!

A slice of brown butter pecan pound cake on a white dessert plate. There is a metal fork on the plate.

An Irresistible Pound Cake

Butter browned to that irresistible nutty flavor combined with chopped pecans in a dense, moist cake drizzled with a brown butter caramel sauce. This Brown Butter Pecan Pound Cake will make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven. Simply delicious!

A pound cake drizzled with caramel sauce on a large white platter.

The Cake That Makes The Party

Every time I bake or eat cake, I think of the amazing Julia Child’s quote, “A party without cake is just a meeting.” So very true! And this cake is party perfect! Just baking it makes me want to invite all my friends and family over to enjoy it with me.

I’ve been making my mom Susu’s Sour Cream Pound Cake for years. My pumpkin pound cake recipe shows up at least once a holiday season. And my chocolate chip pound cake rivals anything you get in the coffee shop drive thru. But the addition of brown butter makes this pecan pound cake even more exceptional.

A pecan pound cake cut into several slices on a white cake plate.

The extra effort it takes to brown the butter for both the cake and the sauce, is so worth it not only for the deliciousness of the cake but also the smell that will fill your home. It’s hard to beat the aroma that butter gives off as it’s browning. Incredible and intoxicating!

This cake is simple to make and obviously sweet to eat. Whether it’s the upcoming Holidays, a special celebration or just a Sunday family gathering, this cake is party perfect!

A slice of brown butter pecan pound cake on a white dessert plate with a fork.

Ingredients and Supplies

(see recipe card at the bottom of this post for measurements and details. To learn more about specific baking ingredients and how they function in baking recipes, reference my Complete Guide to Baking Ingredients)

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter (softened): the browned butter adds a more complex flavor than regular melted butter. The butter overall adds richness, moisture and flavor. I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted. Just adjust the recipe to account for the added salt.
Granulated sugar: sweetness that helps with texture, browning and moisture retention.
Large eggs: bind ingredients together, adds structure and contributes to the richness and moisture.
Heavy cream: adds moisture and tenderness. The fat content helps give the cake its rich and tender inside. It also helps thicken the caramel sauce.
Vanilla extract: complements the brown butter notes with a warm, sweet aroma in the both the cake and caramel sauce.
All-purpose flour: balances the wet ingredients to make sure the cake holds together.
Baking powder: the main leavening agent. It creates lift and tenderness and is crucial for that amazing pound cake texture.
Chopped pecans: add delicious crunch to the cake.

Supplies:

10-inch (12 cup) round bundt pan
Nonstick cooking spray
Light colored pan
Whisk
Electric stand mixer
Cake stand or serving platter

Ingredients to make Brown Butter Pecan Pound Cake in small glass dishes on a white marble counter.

How to Make Brown Butter Pecan Pound Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch (12 cup) round bundt pan (round tube pan) and set aside.
To make the cake: Place the butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat and whisk constantly as it melts. The butter will start to bubble and foam and then subside as the water evaporates and the milk solids start to turn a light brown color. Just as it starts to turn light brown and you smell that nutty aroma, remove it from the heat to let cool for about 10 minutes. (Once the butter starts to brown, it will race into burnt, so watch it carefully and remove from the heat as soon as it starts to brown.)
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the brown butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined.

Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.
Add the flour and baking powder.
Beat until just combined.

Stir in the chopped pecans.
Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan.
Bake for 75-90 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Steps to make Brown Butter Pecan Pound Cake.

Let cake cool in pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the sauce: Brown the butter the same way you did the butter for the cake.
Once butter is browned, whisk in the sugar, heavy cream and vanilla.
Let simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes and then pour into a bowl to cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Once cake is cooled, place it on a serving plate or stand and pour half of the sauce over the top of it, letting it drizzle down the sides. Reserve the remaining sauce to drizzle over individual slices.

Storage

Store wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter for up to three days.

A pecan pound cake with several slices missing on a white cake plate.

Cakes Made for Celebrating

From a simple cake for a kid’s party to something a little fancier to wow the crowd, look no further than my Cakes Made for Celebrating! Sheet cakes, layer cakes, ice cream cakes, and more. There’s something for every taste and every occasion!

Pumpkin spice pound cake, naked confetti cake, fudge caramel stout cake, and zucchini sheet cake.

If you make my Brown Butter Pecan Pound Cake, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me @thebakermama on Instagram so I can see. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!

xoxo,