Description
This Pecan Upside-Down Cake offers a delightful twist on the classic dessert with a rich, buttery pecan topping caramelized with brown sugar and honey, combined with a moist, cinnamon-spiced cake base made with sour cream or Greek yogurt for extra tenderness. Perfectly served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is an indulgent treat that balances sweetness, nuttiness, and spice in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Topping
- Butter or cooking spray, for the pan
- 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup honey or light corn syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups raw pecan halves (about 5 ounces), coarsely chopped
Cake Batter
- 3/4 cup sour cream or plain full-fat Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable, or canola
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Optional
- Flaky salt, for sprinkling
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan and Topping: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a cake pan with butter or cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 8 tablespoons of butter pieces, 1/4 cup honey or light corn syrup, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Spread this mixture evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle the coarsely chopped pecan halves evenly over this caramel mixture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and ground cinnamon until well combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the sour cream or Greek yogurt with the eggs until smooth. Add the granulated sugar, neutral oil, water, and vanilla extract and whisk thoroughly until the mixture is uniform and slightly frothy.
- Make the Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix, as this will affect the texture of your cake.
- Assemble the Cake: Pour the batter carefully over the pecan topping in the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula to ensure even distribution.
- Bake: Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.
- Cool and Invert: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides, place a serving plate over the pan, and carefully invert the cake onto the plate so that the pecan topping is on top.
- Serve: Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired, slice, and serve warm. For an extra indulgent treat, accompany each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure even mixing and a tender crumb.
- Coarsely chopping the pecans adds a pleasant texture contrast.
- Honey or light corn syrup in the topping helps create a glossy, sticky caramel effect.
- Letting the cake cool slightly before inverting prevents the topping from sticking to the pan.
- Serving warm enhances the flavor and pairs beautifully with cold vanilla ice cream.
- Flaky salt is optional but adds a nice balance to the sweetness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 cake)
- Calories: 545
- Sugar: 43.6 g
- Sodium: 381 mg
- Fat: 29.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18.6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65.1 g
- Fiber: 3.0 g
- Protein: 8.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
