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Bourbon Pecan Cake Recipe

A small bourbon bundt cake with a brown sugar and toasted pecan layer through the middle, finished with a thick bourbon glaze.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Cooling Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 382kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer

Ingredients

Cake

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ cup salted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • ¼ teaspoon maple extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup Kentucky bourbon

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
  • 2 tablespoon chopped toasted pecans, for topping

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread all of the chopped pecans on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and let cool, then reduce the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Spray the bundt pan with cooking spray or cake release.
  • In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
    Glass bowl with brown sugar and chopped pecans on a marble surface, surrounded by eggs, butter, a teal spatula, a striped cloth, and gold measuring spoons.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
    A glass bowl with flour and spices, a whisk, eggs, chopped pecans, brown sugar mixture, measuring spoons, and a blue checked cloth on a white surface.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream 1/2 cup salted butter, softened, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon maple extract with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
    A glass bowl with butter, sugar, and vanilla, an electric mixer, whole eggs, chopped pecans, and brown sugar on a marble countertop.
  • Add 2 large eggs and beat on medium-high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
    Electric mixer in a glass bowl with cookie dough and two eggs, surrounded by eggshells, chopped nuts, and mixing tools on a marble countertop.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture, 1/4 cup sour cream, and 1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon. Start on low speed until the flour begins to work in, then increase to medium-high and mix for 2 to 3 minutes, just until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
    Glass mixing bowl with flour, eggs, and butter being mixed by a hand mixer, surrounded by eggs, chopped pecans, and a bowl of brown sugar on a marble countertop.
  • Spoon one third of the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles, then smooth the top.
    Bundt cake pan filled with batter, surrounded by cracked eggs, chopped nuts, brown sugar, a spatula, and a checkered towel on a marble countertop.
  • Spoon the brown sugar pecan mixture over the batter, leaving about a half inch of space around the outer edge.
    Unbaked bundt cake batter in a pan, topped with brown sugar and chopped nuts, surrounded by eggshells, a bowl of nuts, and a spatula on a marble countertop.
  • Add the remaining batter over the pecan mixture and tap the pan on the counter again, then smooth the top.
    Bundt cake batter in a pan surrounded by eggs, butter cubes, chopped nuts, and a checkered towel on a marble countertop.
  • Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
    A baked bundt cake in a pan is on a cooling rack next to eggs, butter, chopped pecans, and a cake server on a marble countertop.
  • Cool the cake in the pan for 15-20 minutes. As the cake cools, it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. You should see a gap of about 1/8-1/4 of an inch between the cake and the edge of the pan at about the 15-minute mark. Turn the cake out onto a plate and cool completely before glazing, about 2 hours.
    A whole bundt cake on a white plate, surrounded by eggs, butter, chopped nuts, and a cake server on a marble countertop.

Glaze

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened, and 3 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon with an electric mixer. Beat until smooth. The glaze will be very thick.
    A glass bowl with butter and powdered sugar, eggs, a hand mixer, chopped pecans, and a bundt cake on a white surface.
  • Spoon the glaze over the top of the cooled cake and let it drip down the sides.
    A hand spoons white icing over a bundt cake on a white plate, with eggs, chopped nuts, and baking tools nearby on a white countertop.
  • Sprinkle with toasted pecans and enjoy!
    A bundt cake with white icing and chopped nuts on top sits on a plate. Eggs, a bowl of nuts, a green spatula, and a bowl of icing are nearby on a marble surface.

Notes

  • The glaze butter must be softened, not melted, so it whisks smoothly.
  • Do not overmix the batter, as that can cause tunneling through the crumb.
  • The cake domes a little in the 8-inch pan and settles flat as it cools.
  • Bake and cool the cake up to a day ahead; keep it wrapped at room temperature, and glaze it the day you serve it.
  • A glazed cake keeps covered at room temperature for about three days.
  • To freeze, wrap the unglazed cake tightly and glaze it after it thaws.
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