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Pecan pie bundt cake is a seasonal twist on pecan pie, made extra delicious with a brown sugar pecan ribbon and golden praline topping! This rich and buttery pecan bundt is a breeze to make and a total showstopper for the holidays.
A splash of bourbon and plenty of vanilla extract complement the rich flavors of praline (a delicious combination of brown sugar, butter, and vanilla) and toasted pecans. For even more indulgence, serve this bundt cake with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of maple cinnamon whipped cream!
How to Make the Perfect Pecan Pie Bundt Cake
Room Temperature Ingredients – Bring butter, eggs, egg yolk, and heavy cream to room temperature before beginning.
Pecan Ribbon – To create the ribbon, spoon half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smooth the batter with an offset spatula and tap the pan sharply to reduce air bubbles. Sprinkle evenly with the pecan mixture. Spoon the remaining cake batter evenly over the pecan layer, carefully smoothing with an offset spatula. Tap the pan sharply again to reduce air bubbles.
Baking Time – Bake cake until golden and the top springs back to the touch. A tester inserted in the center should come out with a few crumbs attached. Your baking time may vary depending on the shape of your bundt pan, so start testing for doneness after 45 minutes.
Praline Topping – The praline topping comes together quickly on the stovetop, so prepare all of your ingredients ahead. Allow the warm topping to cool for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly before drizzling over the cake. Let set before slicing and serving.
Prep the Bundt Pan
To ensure that the cake doesn’t stick to the bundt pan, generously grease the pan with softened butter. Use a pastry brush or paper towel to spread the softened butter evenly inside the pan. Add a small amount of flour to the pan (about a tablespoon) and gently shake the pan to coat the bottom and up the sides evenly with flour. Invert the pan and tap out any excess flour.
How to Toast Pecans
Place pecan halves in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a pie pan. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before chopping.
Pecan Pie Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Pecan pie bundt cake is a seasonal twist on pecan pie, made extra delicious with a brown sugar pecan ribbon and golden praline topping!
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
Pecan Ribbon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Praline Topping
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and generously butter and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter and sugars in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and bourbon until combined. Reduce speed to low and add eggs and yolk one at a time. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with heavy cream (begin and end with flour mixture), just until incorporated.
- Spoon half the batter into prepared bundt pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pan sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- For the pecan ribbon, combine brown sugar, salt, and chopped pecans in a bowl. Add melted butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Sprinkle pecan mixture evenly over the cake batter. Spoon remaining batter evenly over the pecan layer and carefully smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pan sharply again to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until cake is golden, springs back to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully invert onto rack and cool completely.
- For the praline topping, combine butter, brown sugar, milk and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil; boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Pour praline topping over the cake and let set before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
Notes
How to Freeze: Let bundt cake cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, wrap the unglazed bundt cake in plastic wrap or foil and place in a large freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months. The day before serving, allow the bundt cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator (still wrapped to prevent condensation from forming on the cake). Add praline topping just before serving.
More bundt cake recipes to try:
Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
Apple Praline Bundt Cake
Apple Cider Bundt Cake
I am going to be cutting this recipe in half and using a 6-cup bundt pan. Would you recommend just using two eggs and scrapping the extra yolk or some other change. Thank you
Hi Julie, I would use 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk. Happy baking! 🙂
Can you leave out the bourbon? Thank you
Hi Linda, yes you can. I would add 1 additional teaspoon of vanilla extract in place of the bourbon. Happy baking!