This Brown Sugar Pecan Pound Cake recipe combines the caramel flavors of brown sugar with a dense, moist, all-butter pound cake and adds pecans for good measure!

When the cool weather approaches, I automatically go into fall recipe mode. And when that happens, pecans always come to mind. Team my love for pecans with my love for a good pound cake, and it’s a win-win! That’s exactly why I created my Brown Sugar Pecan Pound Cake. It’s not fussy and is super delicious. Your guests will think you worked your day away in the kitchen on this amazing cake.
Whether this recipe finds you in fall or really any season, I highly recommend you give this recipe a try. I’ll even share a little money-saving tip for you… purchase your pecans in pieces rather than whole. Whole pecans can get a little pricey. Plus, very few recipes call for whole pecans, so there’s no sense in paying a premium when you are just going to chop them up anyway. And, it saves you a step!

Perfect Pound Cake Tips
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This allows the cake ingredients to emulsify together resulting in the best texture.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly. The method I recommend is to spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup and then use the back of a butter knife to level off the flour in the cup.
- Cream the butter and sugar together very well. The process typically takes about 5 minutes. Yes, five whole minutes.
- Don’t over mix after adding the eggs or flour. Once the eggs and flour go into the batter, you want to mix just enough to get everything combined, but not too much. Whipping too much air into the batter can cause the cake to overflow and eventually fall. It can also create too much gluten in the batter and result in a dense or gummy cake.
- Be sure to pick the right pan and grease and flour it well. I typically use a paper towel to smear vegetable shortening on the entire pan surface, dust the pan in all-purpose flour, and shake the excess flour out. Many have had success using homemade cake release. To do this, simply mix equal parts of all-purpose flour, vegetable shortening, and vegetable oil together until smooth and use a pastry brush to coat the pan before adding the batter. Extra release can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for several months. We tested many different cake pans, but determined that the newer cake pans did the best with releasing the cake over our antique pans.
- Make sure the cake is done. The cook time will vary based on the specific oven, pan type, etc. The cake should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. A few moist crumbs are ok. I typically like to also temp my cakes using an instant read thermometer. I shoot for between 208ยฐF and 210ยฐF.

Can I use a different pan than a Bundt pan?
Yes, you can swap out a Bundt pan for another pan, but you’ll need to make sure you pick the right-sized pan. A tube pan works great, too. Before you start, check how much the Bundt pan holds. Most commonly used Bundt pans have a capacity of 12 to 14 cups, so make sure your alternative pan holds at least that many cups.
For example, a 13×9-inch pan is a perfect trade because it holds 14 cups so that’s more than enough to replace the typical 12-cup volume Bundt cake pan. If you do choose a pan that holds less than 12 cups you may have to discard some of your mixture or you can just use multiple pans, like in the case of a 9-inch round pan. You could use two 9-inch round pans because they each hold 6 cups. You could also use two loaf pans.
So if you have the right-sized pan, youโre good to go! Just keep an eye on your cake as it bakes. Pans with different sizes and shapes will call for different cook times.
Also, keep in mind with most baking, I recommend using a light-colored aluminum pan rather than glass or ceramic.
Recipe Card
Brown Sugar Pecan Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 5 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ยฐF and grease and flour a 14.5-cup bundt pan.
- Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined after each addition.
- In another bowl, stir the flour and salt together and carefully add the flour to the mixer a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and pecans and stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and just pulling away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before inverting on a serving platter.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Brittany
Iโm planning to make two of these and stacking them to make a pumpkin shape for Thanksgiving! This recipe looks amazing and sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe and being thorough with directions and tips! ๐
So creative! Hope y’all enjoy it!
Jo
Very good pound cake, but a little dry. We are still enjoying it. All the other recipes I have tried of Stacey’s have been five+ stars.
Thanks, Jo! Dry pound cake can have a few different causes. It’s often caused by over-baking, too much flour, or not enough fat or liquid. Be sure to measure ingredients correctly, avoid overmixing, and use room temperature butter and eggs for a moist, tender cake.
Penny
Hello, Stacey! Off the subject, my Dadio is craving bean salad and green bean salad like from the old days… He is 81 years young and a Vietnam Veteran. I’d love to surprise him with these salads. Any suggestions? Love you as always, Penny!
I don’t have any like that, but these from my friend Donya over at A Southern Soul look great! https://www.asouthernsoul.com/three-bean-salad/ https://www.asouthernsoul.com/green-bean-salad/
angie
merci
You’re so welcome!
Joy
Thanks so much, Stacey! Looking forward to making this. All of your recipes are delicious and easy to make.
Thank you so very much!
Joy
Stacey, this looks fantastic! Just was wondering how this would convert to a good-sized loaf pan. I donโt have a bundt pan.
Thanks!
P.S. I finally got your cookbook and love it!
Thanks so much for the support, Joy! It should certainly work. This might be helpful: https://www.thekitchn.com/can-you-bake-a-bundt-pan-recipe-in-a-regular-pan-236652
Jacquelyn
Is there any liquid other than the eggs? Milk or sour cream? Sounds delicious and can’t wait to make it! Just want to be sure the liquid wasn’t accidentally left off the ingredients list. Love your recipes!
Thanks, Jacquelyn! No, this recipe doesn’t include any milk or sour cream. Enjoy!
Valeria
Delicious and super easy! Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Belinda
I made this and it was delicious but would like it to be more cake like. Any suggestions?
When you say, more cake-like, what do you mean? Lighter? Fluffier? Denser?
Martha
I’m going to make this tomorrow for my son to take to work. Just to be sure—there is NO baking powder in this recipe, right? Thanks!
That’s right. No baking powder.
Diane
Do you recommend salted or unsalted butter?
Unsalted, though either will work.
Beth
Have you ever tried the Pecan Praline Sauce you make for the pumpkin bread drizzled on this pound cake? Looks like it could be used on this as well?
Absolutely! I think that sounds AMAZING!
Edgar Mathews
I made this over the weekend and it was a super version of one of our favorite cakes. I tweaked the flavors a bit using bourbon instead of vanilla – then I made a vanilla bourbon glaze for the top!!
Sounds great, Edgar!
Barbara Wells
I noticed there is no liquid in the cake is it still moist?
Kari
Yum! Pound cake is so good. I love this take on it!
Kari
https://sweetteasweetie.com
Pat
Oh, I love pound cakes and I love pecans! Can’t wait to try this! Do you recommend dark or light brown sugar? Thanks so much for sharing!
Janice Orvig
My cake was so good Thanks for sharing