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Sticky Brown Butter Pecan Cake

A rich, moist brown butter pecan cake baked over a sticky layer of toasted pecans and caramel, then finished with dark rum syrup. Flip it after baking for a glossy, nutty top that sinks deliciously into the cake.
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Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:50 minutes
Keyword: brown butter cake, brown butter pecan cake, caramel pecan cake, dark rum cake, easy pecan cake, pecan cake, pecan upside down cake, rum pecan cake, sticky pecan cake, sticky pecan upside down cake, toasted pecan cake
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

  • Sticky pecan layer
  • 70 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g dark brown sugar
  • 30 g maple syrup or golden syrup
  • ¼ tsp fine sea salt
  • 160 g pecan halves lightly toasted
  • 1 tbsp dark rum
  • Brown Butter Pecan Cake
  • 180 g unsalted butter
  • 150 g light brown sugar
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50 ml dark or aged rum
  • 200 g plain flour
  • 70 g finely ground toasted pecans
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 120 g sour cream
  • Rum syrup
  • 35 g dark brown sugar
  • 30 ml water
  • 30 ml dark rum

Instructions

Sticky Pecan Layer

  1. Grease a 22cm cake tin and line with baking paper. Pre-heat oven to 170°C conventional / 155°C fan.
  2. For the topping, melt the butter with the brown sugar, syrup and salt. Simmer gently for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the rum.
  3. Pour into the base of the lined baking tin. Arrange the pecans over the caramel. You don’t need perfect concentric circles, simply cover the base with pecans.

Brown Butter Pecan Cake

  1. Brown the cake butter. Cook the 180 g butter until deep golden and nutty. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for about 10–15 minutes.
  2. Whisk the brown and caster sugars into the butter. Beat in the eggs individually, followed by vanilla and rum.
  3. Combine flour, ground pecans, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream. Don’t overmix.
  5. Carefully spoon the batter over the pecan layer and level it without disturbing the nuts.
  6. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted through the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Rum Syrup

  1. Heat the brown sugar and water just until dissolved. Remove from the heat, cool for a couple of minutes and stir in the rum and salt.
  2. When the cake comes out, poke it several times with a fine skewer and spoon over the rum syrup.
  3. Leave it for 10–15 minutes only, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a serving plate. Peel away the baking paper.