Over this past year of doing this blog and the million desserts I have slaved over in the kitchen, I have really enjoyed making itty bitty mini cakes. Nevertheless, please welcome old fashioned butter pecan cake (mini).
Mini cakes that have a buttery pecan flavor and frosted with a brown sugar buttercream. Each bite just hits the palate perfectly and well, the hips as well. Not a super healthy treat, but with Thanksgiving coming up, don't all calories go out the window anyways?
Mini cakes are so underrated!
Anything mini is super fun to make and definitely underrated. How many times do you go to a party and just see a larger cake that will be cut up for the guests when it is time to celebrate? ALL THE TIME! But wouldn't it be great to see these little butter pecan mini cakes served instead? I THINK SO!
They are itty bitty and can just be split into 2 or if you have a super sweet tooth (like I do), just scarf one of these babies down. I promise I won't tell! These cakes can take some time, but if you are patient, it will be worth it!
Please try my Mini red velvet cakes, they are just as delicious!
Ingredients
- Pecans: chopped, if you buy them whole, just chop up in a plastic bag or food processor
- All-purpose flour: may also use cake flour
- Buttermilk
- Milk
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
Step by step instructions
- Prepare oven and pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini round cake pans and set aside.
- Brown pecans: in a skillet melt 4 tablespoon of butter and pour in pecans. Brown for about 4 minutes and then put on baking sheet covered in parchment paper to dry out.
- Make cake batter: Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Alternate adding in buttermilk mixture and flour mixture (beginning and ending with flour mixture). Fold in buttered pecans.
- Bake until set: Pour batter into prepared mini round cake pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean in center. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack for complete cooling.
- Make Buttercream frosting: While the cakes are baking, add in all your ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and blend until you have a whipped brown sugar buttercream frosting. It will take about 5 minutes.
- Assemble cakes: Either frost one cake alone and serve that way or level two cakes and frost to serve that way. Pick whichever you desire! Taste will not be altered!
Tips for success
- You can either use Wilton mini round cake pans like I did or bake cake in a 9x13 and cut out mini cakes with a cookie cutter. I have done both methods, but if you are pressed for time bake the cake in a 9x13 pan and cut out mini cakes.
- Cakes can be served as one or double them up and frost them with the brown sugar buttercream frosting.
- If doubling them up, be sure to use a serrated knife to cut the tops off to make the cakes more level.
Substitutions and variations
- Use the box cake mix for a quicker recipe
- Frost with a cream cheese frosting
- Substitute with cake flour versus all-purpose flour
FAQ's
Vanilla and maple go well with a butter pecan dessert.
Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temperature.
Butter Pecan Mini Cakes
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Two Wilton 3x2 round cake pans
- Skillet
- spatula
Ingredients
Butter pecan mini cakes
- 2 cups pecan halves chopped
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup 2% milk
Brown sugar buttercream frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Butter pecan mini cakes
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two mini cake pans with shortening and flour. Shaking out excess. Set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a skillet. Add in the chopped pecans once the butter has melted, stir and toss frequently (3-4 minutes). Line a baking sheet with a paper towel or parchment paper and put pecans on sheet and allow to dry.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium, cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add in one egg at a time and mix well after each addition. Add in the vanilla.
- Alternate mixing in the flour mixture with the milk mixture (starting and ending with the flour mixture). Add in about ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Next, add in about ½ of the milk mixture and mix until combined. Repeat the process once more. Lastly, pour in the last ⅓ of the flour mixture.
- Fold in the pecans with a spatula. Fill prepared cake pans (since I have only 2 pans I will have to repeat process until no more batter is left). Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then invert on wire rack to complete cooling.
Brown sugar buttercream frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium until smooth and creamy (2 minutes). Add in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Beat on low until just incorporated. Add in the heavy cream. Increase the speed until frosting has reached desired consistency.
Assembly of mini cakes
- Level cakes if need be with cake leveler or serrated knife. Frost one of the cakes and layer with another cake. Frost a crumb coat on each cake. Put in fridge for 15 minutes. Layer an additional layer of frosting on top and around cake. Garnish with leftover pecans on top if desired.
Nutrition
More cake recipes
Fun fact of the day!
Apples give you more energy than coffee! Man, I will have to start eating more than one a day!
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