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This Louisiana Crunch Cake recipe is a moist, buttery pound cake studded with toasted pecans, coconut flakes, and topped with a brown butter glaze that takes it over the top! It’s crunchy coconut pecan streusel topping and tender crumb make this Southern dessert the star of every table!
For more cake recipes, make my Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake and Butter Pecan Pound Cake!
This Louisiana Crunch Cake is seriously one of my favorite cakes. It’s nutty from the pecans with a hint of coconut flavor, and the buttery cake just makes every bite freaking incredible.
It’s the kind of cake that disappears real quick at family gatherings—don’t say I didn’t warn you! If you’re a fan of texture, flavor, and cakes that steal the spotlight, this one’s calling your name.
And if you love brown butter, you have to try my cannoli cake recipe next. It has brown butter buttercream that’s insane!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s got show-stopping Southern charm. Between that crackly topping and brown butter glaze, it looks like it came straight from your favorite magazine, only better (because you made it 😊)
- Moist and tender, no dry cakes here! Thanks to evaporated milk, sour cream, and just the right balance of butter and shortening, the texture is melt-in-your-mouth perfect.
- It’s rich, buttery, and loaded with flavor. Butter vanilla emulsion, coconut extract, and almond extract bring serious bakery-style vibes in every bite.
Louisiana Crunch Cake Ingredients
(full instructions and list of ingredients with quantities can be found in the recipe card)
- Unsalted Butter and Butter Flavored Shortening come together and give the cake richness and flavor while helping create a tender, moist crumb when creamed with sugar. You can substitute the shortening for butter, however, it the cake may turn out a bit more dense.
- Cake Flour has lower protein content than all-purpose flour and a finer texture. This yields a soft, fine crumb and helps the cake stay light and fluffy.
- A mix of evaporated milk and sour cream adds a delicious tangy yet buttery flavor to the cake. The extra fat and acidity from the sour cream also help the cake stay super moist for days!
- For extracts, we’re using butter vanilla emulsion (you can also use a mix of vanilla extract and butter extract), coconut extract, and almond extract. They work together to create a rich, layered flavor that makes this Louisiana Crunch Cake taste like it came straight from the bakery.
- Granulated sugar does double duty in a pound cake—it sweetens the batter and helps create a tender, moist crumb by aerating the butter during the creaming process. It also contributes to that beautiful golden crust as the cake bakes.
- Pecans add an extra crunch and a buttery, nutty flavor to the cake. We toast them in the oven to enhance their flavor and add the to the cake and the coconut topping for texture!
- Sweet Coconut Flakes are folded into the batter and used in the crunch crust and topping for added texture and flavor.
Recipe Substitutions
- If you don’t have evaporated milk, you can use whole milk, just make sure it’s room temperature before using.
- For a nut free cake, just omit the pecans and if you don’t like coconut, don’t add that either! This classic dessert is meant to be enjoyed however you like it!
- Cake flour isn’t always the easiest to find. If you can’t find it, all purpose flour works just fine… OR you can make your own! Here’s a homemade cake flour recipe you can use!
How To Make Louisiana Crunch Cake
Roast the Pecans and Make the Crunch Topping
Step 1: Start by roasting the pecans. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and spread pecans out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove and give them a good toss. Place back into the oven for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool completely.
Step 2: Use a brush to coat an 18-cup tube pan or bundt pan with shortening (you can also use Baker’s Joy). Add about 2-3 tbsps to the pan, ensuring the entire pan is covered, dust off any excess flour. Place the cake pan in the refrigerator (this prevents the cake from sticking, trust me on this!).
Bake The Cake
Step 3: Remove 1 cup of pecans from the baking sheet and chop them up into small bits and all to a large bowl. Then add in the remainder of the dry ingredients – cake flour, nutmeg, coconut flakes, baking powder, and kosher salt.
Step 4: Chop up the remainder of the pecans and place into a large separate bowl – this will be for the streusel. Add in coconut flakes, sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Toss together and pour in melted butter and mix until it becomes crumbly.
Step 5: Add room temperature butter, butter flavored shortening, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on medium speed for 5 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl and reduce mix to low speed. Begin adding in eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add in the butter vanilla emulsion (or vanilla extract), coconut extract, and almond extract. Mix until just combined.
Step 6: Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined – the pour in the evaporated milk and sour cream and mix until just combined (the batter may split, this is OK). Add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until everything is smooth.
Step 7: Sprinkle half of the streusel onto the bottom of the pan.
Step 8: Pour batter on top of the streusel, then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the cake batter. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 1 hour and 25-35 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove and place onto a wire rack to let the cake cool completely.
Now Make the Brown Butter Glaze
Step 9: Add butter to a skillet over medium heat and melt. Stir until the butter becomes becomes foamy and browned bits begin to collect on the bottom of the pan, this will take about 10 minutes. (it should also smell like a nutty caramel) Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl and add in powdered sugar, milk, and a splash of vanilla extract. Whisk together and begin adding milk one tbsp at a time. Add more milk for a looser texture, less for a thicker texture.
Pro Baking Tips For The Perfect Cake Every Time!
- Always start with room temperature ingredients! Cold eggs, butter, or buttermilk can prevent your batter from emulsifying properly, which affects texture and rise. Let everything sit out for 3 hours before starting (depending on the temperature of your house).
- Layer the crunch coating first – Add the coconut-sugar mixture to the pan before the batter. This ensures the signature golden “crunch” forms on the top once you flip it out.
- Tap out air bubbles – After pouring the batter in, tap the pan on the counter a few times to release trapped air. This prevents holes and tunnels in the finished cake.
- Measure flour correctly!! This can make or break your cake. Use a kitchen scale (volumetric measurements can be found in the recipe card) or spoon flour into your measuring cup, then level it off. Don’t scoop directly from the bag or you’ll pack in too much and end up with a dense, dry cake.
- Use an oven thermometer – Home ovens can be wildly inaccurate. For consistent results, bake with an oven thermometer to make sure you’re actually at 325°F. I always use an oven thermometer and the results may actually shock you as to how wildly an oven can vary in temperature!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can absolutely make this cake without coconut! Just don’t use it, it’ll still be delicious, no need to substitute with anything else.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container. It’ll last for up to 4 days. Otherwise, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months.
Is this recipe similar to the store-bought version like Entenmann’s Louisiana Crunch Cake?
This recipe is like the glow-up version of Entenmann’s Louisiana Crunch Cake! It’s got that same moist, buttery texture and sweet coconut crunch you love—but with richer flavor, toasted pecans, and a brown butter glaze that takes it to the next level. It’s homemade with love, and trust me, your taste buds will know the difference.
Yes, you can use all butter instead of shortening, but the texture will be slightly different. Butter adds more flavor, while shortening helps create a lighter, more tender crumb that holds its shape.
You don’t have to do anything extra! Just sprinkle the streusel on top and as it bakes, it’ll cling to the batter. No worries about it falling off!
More Southern Pound Cake Recipes
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Louisiana Crunch Cake
Equipment
- 18-cup Tube Pan
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Pecans
Coconut Pecan Crunch Topping
- 1 cup Pecans, (chopped, from above)
- 1 cup Coconut Flakes
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 2/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, (melted)
Louisiana Crunch Cake
- 3 1/2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 cup Coconut Flakes
- 1 cup Pecans, (chopped, from above)
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Butter Flavored Shortening, (or butter)
- 3 cups Granulated Sugar
- 6 large Eggs
- 4 tsp Butter Vanilla Emulsion
- 1 1/2 tsp Coconut Extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk
- 1/4 cup Sour Cream
Brown Butter Glaze
- 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, (browned)
- 2 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
- 4-5 tbsp Whole Milk
- Splash Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Start by roasting the pecans. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and spread pecans out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove and give them a good toss. Place back into the oven for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool completely.
- Use a brush to coat an 18-cup tube pan or bundt pan with shortening (you can also use Baker's Joy). Add about 2-3 tbsps flour to the pan, ensuring the entire pan is covered, dust off any excess flour. Place the cake pan in the refrigerator (this prevents the cake from sticking, trust me on this!).
- Remove 1 cup of pecans from the baking sheet and chop them up into small bits and all to a large bowl. Then add in the remainder of the dry ingredients – cake flour, nutmeg, coconut flakes, baking powder, and kosher salt.
- Chop up the remainder of the pecans and place into a large separate bowl – this will be for the streusel. Add in coconut flakes, sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Toss together and pour in melted butter and mix until it becomes crumbly.
- Add room temperature butter, butter flavored shortening, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on medium speed for 5 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl and reduce mix to low speed.
- Begin adding in eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and add in the butter vanilla emulsion (or vanilla extract), coconut extract, and almond extract. Mix until just combined, about 10 seconds.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined – the pour in the evaporated milk and sour cream and mix until just combined (the batter may split, this is OK) and mix until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until everything is combined and smooth, about 10-15 seconds.
- Remove the tube pan from the refrigerator and sprinkle half of the streusel onto the bottom of the pan. Pour the cake batter on top of the streusel, then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the cake batter. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 1 hour and 25-35 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove and place onto a wire rack to let the cake cool completely.
- Add butter to a skillet over medium heat and melt. Stir until the butter becomes becomes foamy and browned bits begin to collect on the bottom of the pan, this will take about 10 minutes. (it should also smell like a nutty caramel)
- Pour the browned butter into a medium bowl and add in powdered sugar, milk, and a splash of vanilla extract. Whisk together and begin adding milk one tbsp at a time. Add more milk for a looser texture, less for a thicker texture.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and top with leftover pecans.
Notes
- Always start with room temperature ingredients! Cold eggs, butter, or buttermilk can prevent your batter from emulsifying properly, which affects texture and rise. Let everything sit out for 3 hours before starting (depending on the temperature of your house).
- Layer the crunch coating first – Add the coconut-sugar mixture to the pan before the batter. This ensures the signature golden “crunch” forms on the top once you flip it out.
- Tap out air bubbles – After pouring the batter in, tap the pan on the counter a few times to release trapped air. This prevents holes and tunnels in the finished cake.
- Measure flour correctly!! This can make or break your cake. Use a kitchen scale (volumetric measurements can be found in the recipe card) or spoon flour into your measuring cup, then level it off. Don’t scoop directly from the bag or you’ll pack in too much and end up with a dense, dry cake.
- Use an oven thermometer – Home ovens can be wildly inaccurate. For consistent results, bake with an oven thermometer to make sure you’re actually at 325°F. I always use an oven thermometer and the results may actually shock you as to how wildly an oven can vary in temperature!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today. Impressive cake, in taste, appearance and size… big enough to feed a crowd. I did have to bake it about 25 min longer than stated, but my oven may be off in temp. Moist but crunchy on top, bottom, edges. Super pleased that it popped right out of pan. Didn’t have the butter-vanilla emulsion; used a little extra almond and vanilla instead. Ordering the emulsion now for the next time I make the cake. Thanks for sharing. Great recipe!