Pecan Upside-Down Cake

An upside-down cake such as this pecan upside-down cake recipe, is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a cake, baked upside-down, with the toppings at the bottom of the pan. Once removed from the oven, it’s flipped over onto a plate, turning it right-side up. With buttery pecans as the topping of choice in this sweet-and-salty cake, you have a rich, thick, caramelized pecan topping, and a nice moisture-rich cake at the bottom. It’s similar to a pecan pie, but with much less work. Serve it as a dessert in a meal of Southern dishes, or all on its own with fresh, creamy homemade ice cream.

Ingredients for Pecan Upside-Down Cake

• Wet ingredients: To make this cake as moist as it is, you’ll need large eggs (you’ll be separating these later), melted butter and 2% milk.
• Dry ingredients: For dry ingredients, you’ll use brown sugar, ground cinnamon, well-chopped pecans, sugar, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar.
• Whipped cream (optional): Although whipped cream is not a required topping, it does complement pecan upside-down cake exceptionally well. Make homemade whipped cream for an even better treat—it’s definitely worth the extra effort.

Directions

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Step 1: Prepare the egg whites

Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Make the pecan topping

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a greased 9×9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and cinnamon; gently stir in the chopped pecans. Spread this mixture into the prepared pan.

Editor’s Tip: Yes, you will grease the pan as well as the parchment paper, but this is an important step to being able to flip the cake when it’s time. Grease the pan no matter what, even if you are using a nonstick pan.

Step 3: Make the cake batter

Next, in a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add the sugar and beat until thick and smooth. In another small bowl, combine milk and vanilla. And in still another small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour gradually to the yolk mixture, alternating with the milk mixture and beating well after each addition.

Step 4: Add the egg whites

Add cream of tarter to egg whites; beat with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. Fold this into the batter, and then pour the entire batter mixture over the pecan mixture.

Step 5: Bake the cake

Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, or about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for two minutes; run a knife around the outside edge, and then invert onto a serving plate. Serve still warm, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Variations

• Swap the nuts: While this is a pecan upside-down cake, you can swap the nuts if you prefer. Some favorite options include walnuts or hazelnuts, but even a combination of nuts would be delicious with this recipe as the base.
• Add orange: Fresh orange zest is particularly yummy in this cake. To add this, freshly grate a few tablespoons of orange zest and add it during the pecan topping process (step one).

How to Store Pecan Upside-Down Cake

We recommend storing pecan upside-down cake in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container, and consume it within four days for freshest taste and best texture.

How do you reheat pecan upside-down cake?

Part of the beauty of this cake is the first day of serving it–it’s still warm, the pecans are gooey and delicious, and ice cream melts into all of the nutty nooks and crannies. So how do you achieve this after the first day? You can simply pop it in the microwave on high for 45 seconds, or until you have achieved your desired warmth.

Pecan Upside-Down Cake Tips

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How do I keep the cake from sticking?

Greasing the pan as well as the parchment paper is an important one for this very reason. However, if your cake is still sticking, try using a different pan and grease. A bundt pan thoroughly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, a cast iron pan generously greased with coconut oil, and a nonstick 9×9 pan, well greased, are all fine options. You’ll still need to grease parchment paper, though.

What’s the easiest method for removing the cake?

Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, run a knife along the sides of the cake and then place a heatproof serving plate upside down over the top of the pan. Turn both the plate and the pan over, but leave the cake still in the pan. After a few minutes, remove the pan. Gravity often works well to remove the cake. Additionally, this allows all of the syrupy pecan goodness to settle on top of the cake before fully removing the pan.

How do I keep the cake from drying out?

A pecan upside-down cake is often a bit tricker to tell if it’s done. After the proper amount of time, check to see if the cake is pulling away from the edges of the pan. If it is, that’s a surefire way to tell that the cake is done. Insert a toothpick in the center, and if it comes out clean, it’s definitely done. You don’t want to bake it for too long, though, as it will dry out. It’s important to keep an eye on the cake to check for signs that it’s done.