Butter Pecan Pound Cake

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This butter pecan pound cake recipe is a ridiculously moist mascarpone pound cake with buttery toasted pecans and a warm butter cake soak and caramel glaze on top! It’s cozy, indulgent, and the kind of cake that tastes like pure comfort.

For more pound cake recipes, try my million dollar pound cake, old fashioned sour cream pound cake and lemon cream cheese pound cake!

butter pecan pound cake on a serving plate topped with caramel and chopped pecans.

Ok, Let’s break down this butter pecan pound cake because it is not here to play!

It all starts with a mascarpone pound cake base, so you already know the crumb is rich, plush, and velvety.

Then, because restraint is not in my vocabulary, the cake is soaked in a warm butter syrup that melts right into every slice and keeps it ridiculously moist. This is my secret for packing that true butter pecan flavor into every bite!

That little step makes a huge difference, trust me.

Then you finish it off with more toasted pecans and a caramel glaze on top. It’s sweet (but not cloying), rich, and perfectly cozy. Basically, it’s the kind of cake you cut “just a sliver” of… and then go back for a real slice. Again and again.

Recipe Highlights: Butter Pecan Pound Cake

🥣 Prep Time: 40 mins
🎂 Cook Time: 1 hour 20 mins
🕛 Ready In: 3 hours
👥Serves: 12-15
🍰 Cook Method: Toast the pecans, bake the cake, soak with butter syrup, and glaze with caramel!
🥣Flavor Profile: Ultra-buttery, nutty, and cozy with deep pecan flavor
⭐Difficulty: Moderate

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Recipe Highlights: Butter Pecan Pound Cake
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Key Ingredients
Variations
How to make Butter Pecan Pound Cake
Pro Baking Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Homemade Pound Cake Recipes
Butter Pecan Pound Cake Recipe

Key Ingredients

a sliced butter pecan pound cake on a white plate with spoons and chopped pecans.

(full list of ingredients in the recipe card below)

Salted Butter provides rich flavor, moisture, and structure. The salt enhances sweetness and balances the richness of the cake.
Mascarpone Cheese adds extra fat and creaminess, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb. It’s buttery flavor also enhances that classic “butter pecan” richness!
Granulated sugar contributes structure and lift, while brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle caramel-like depth that pairs perfectly with toasted pecans.
Nutmeg adds warmth without overpowering the cake. It gives this cake that cozy, bakery-style finish.
Pecans add texture and nutty flavor throughout the cake. We’re gonna toast the pecans to intensify their flavor, making every bite taste just like butter pecans! I use toasted pecans in my hummingbird cake and Louisiana Crunch Cake too – make that next!
Butter Vanilla Emulsion is key for this recipe!! It packs a stronger, longer-lasting buttery flavor than butter extract alone.
Buttermilk adds moisture and a little acidity to balance out the richness of the cake.
Cake Flour – the majority of my pound cake recipes call for cake flour. This is because cake flour has a lower protein content, thus yielding a more tender crumb. You can use all purpose flour, however, for best results, cake flour is highly recommended.

Variations

Skip the glaze – you can dust the cake with powdered sugar instead of making the glaze. I do this with my sour cream pound cake and it’s delicious for a less sweet option!
Add a cream cheese glaze instead! Use the cream cheese glaze from my Sock it to Me Pound Cake!
Use a different nut like almonds or walnuts. I did this with my almond pound cake and it came out SO good.

How to make Butter Pecan Pound Cake

Toast the Pecans and Prep the Bundt Pan

toasted pecans in a bowl with melted butter.

Step 1: Toast the Pecans. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Chop pecan halves into small bits and toast them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet until golden and fragrant. Set aside some for topping, then toss the remaining chopped pecans with melted butter (hello buttery goodness!) and set aside.

dry ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

Step 2: Sift the dry ingredients: cake flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Make the Pound Cake Batter

wet ingredients mixed together in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 3: Mix the wet ingredients together. In a stand mixer, cream butter, mascarpone, oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light, fluffy, and pale in color. Mix in eggs and egg yolk one at a time on low speed until incorporated.

butter pecans folded into the cake batter with a rubber spatula.

Step 4: Finish the Batter. Add half the dry ingredients, then mix in vanilla, butter emulsion, and buttermilk. Finish with the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold in the buttered pecans. Pour the cake batter to a greased Bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Bake and Make the Caramel Glaze

butter syrup being poured into the bundt pan.

Step 5: Make the Butter Cake Soak. While baking, simmer water and brown sugar until dissolved, then melt in butter and finish with vanilla extract. Once the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes throughout and slowly pour the warm butter soak over the cake. Let it absorb and cool completely in the pan.

heavy cream being poured into the caramel glaze.

Step 6: Prepare the Butter Pecan Glaze. Cook butter and brown sugar until bubbling, then slowly whisk in cream and salt until smooth and glossy. Let thicken slightly. Turn cake over onto a wire rack and pour the glaze on top.

caramel glaze poured on top of the pound cake.

Pro Baking Tips

Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This will create the most consistent bakes so that when baking for a special occasion, it comes out just as perfectly as it did the first time.

Cream the butter properly, don’t rush it! Beat the butter, mascarpone, and sugar until pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in texture. This means the full 6-8 minutes! Proper creaming builds structure in a pound cake and helps prevent a dense or greasy crumb.

Chop pecans small and uniform. Large pieces disrupt the crumb and sink more easily. Fine, even chops give you pecan flavor in every bite without weighing down the batter.
When adding the butter syrup, poke several holes, gently, then pour the syrup all over and around the cake and in the bundt pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan to absorb all of that syrup.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use cream cheese instead of mascarpone?

Yes! Just make sure to bring the cream cheese to room temperature before using.

How should I store butter pecan pound cake?

Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring slices to room temp before serving for the best texture. You can also freeze! Just wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.

How do you keep pecans from sinking in pound cake?

Typically, you can toss the pecans in flour, but because the batter for this recipe is so thick, you don’t have to do this. They’ll stay put.

Can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour in pound cake?

Yes. Cake flour produces a softer, more tender crumb, while all-purpose flour results in a slightly denser texture. You can use them both interchangeably!

Can I make butter pecan pound cake ahead of time?

Yes. Butter pecan pound cake actually tastes better the next day as the flavors deepen. You can make this up to 2 days in advance for the best flavor. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature or in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.