Homemade Southern Pecan Pound Cake is the most moist and tastiest pound cake ever! It has so much flavor and comes out perfect every time!
SOUTHERN PECAN POUND CAKE
If there is one classic dessert recipe that I go back to time and time again, it’s pound cake. It has stood the test of time for a reason. Every southern cook has a favorite pound cake recipe. You can put so many little twists on the basic recipe and it also makes a great base for other desserts. One of my favorite ways to serve pound cake is with fresh strawberries and whipped cream on top.
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
CAN I USE WALNUTS INSTEAD OF PECANS?
I was inspired by the south for my recipe, like my SOUTHERN PECAN PRALINE CAKE WITH BUTTER SAUCE. Pecan trees are in abundance here and they just so happen to be my favorite! I added just a bit of sour cream to this recipe to make it a bit more moist. But you could certainly use walnuts or even macadamia nuts. For an even more decadent dessert, try serving with a little drizzle of caramel sauce!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
chopped pecans
all-purpose flour
baking powder
salted butter
sugar
eggs
vanilla extract
sour cream
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN PECAN POUND CAKE:
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Spray a 12-cup Angel Food Cake Pan with nonstick cooking spray. I like to use the nonstick spray that has flour in it. This is made especially for baking and really makes it a breeze to pop the cake out after it is done cooling. It’s super important that you spray the entire inside of the cake pan.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup chopped pecans with 1 tbsp. flour. Stir well then set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp. baking powder. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. If you are using a stand mixer, be sure to occasionally scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl.
Slowly add in eggs (one at a time) mixing after each addition. Then stir in two teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Once combined, slowly add in flour mixture. You want to add it in slowly so that it incorporates fully and also so that it doesn’t fly everywhere when you turn on your mixer.Then stir in sour cream. Finally, stir in (by hand) floured pecans. Batter will be thick.Pour batter into prepared angel food cake pan. Using the back of a spoon, spread out batter as evenly as possible. Top batter with 1/4 cup chopped pecans and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar.Bake for about 55-65 minutes (until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.) Allow to cool for an hour, then turn out onto a serving dish.
Then stir in sour cream. Finally, stir in (by hand) floured pecans. Batter will be thick.
Pour batter into prepared angel food cake pan. Using the back of a spoon, spread out batter as evenly as possible. Top batter with 1/4 cup chopped pecans and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar.
Bake for about 55-65 minutes (until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.) Allow to cool for an hour, then turn out onto a serving dish.
Enjoy!
Originally published: March 2016
Updated & republished: July 2019
SOUTHERN PECAN POUND CAKE
Homemade Southern Pecan Pound Cake is the most moist and tastiest pound cake ever! It has so much flavor and comes out perfect every time!
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Servings: 10
Calories: 526kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) (softened to room temperature)
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F degrees.
- Spray a 12-cup Angel Food Cake Pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 cup chopped pecans with 1 tbsp. flour.
- Stir well then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp. baking powder.
- Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Slowly add in eggs (one at a time.)
- Then stir in two teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- Once combined, slowly add in flour mixture.
- Then stir in sour cream.
- Finally, stir in (by hand) floured pecans.
- Batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into prepared angel food cake pan.
- Using the back of a spoon, spread out batter as evenly as possible.
- Top batter with 1/4 cup chopped pecans and sprinkle with 1 tbsp. sugar.
- Bake for about 55-65 minutes (until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.)
- Allow to cool for an hour, then turn out onto a serving dish.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2.1mg
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I always look forward to viewing and making your delicious recipes. This pound cake looks amazing. I can't wait to make it. Thank you for all your postings and deliciousness.
Ronnie
I made this last week. So light and pecan filled! Not as heavy as usually I expect pound cakes to be. And makes lots more than the loaf style.
Thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed this pound cake. Try it with the caramel drizzle, my goodness!
Looking for the Caramel Drizzle Recipe you mentioned above
Woo-hoo! This must be really a deviation from the plain pound cake my mother used to bake! Can't wait to try this. Thus must be super duper yumyum!
I made this super cake over the weekend and it as total WINNER!!!!!! So very delicious!!!! THANKS
edgar
Edgar, that is wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it.
This cake was awesome! Totally loved it!
Esta buenisimo, el mejor!
It is a keeper, so glad you enjoyed it.
Can this cake be made in a Bundt pan, with the pecan topping put in the pan first?
I made this for my family and they absolutely loved it! Was a total hit. I’ll be making again. Can this be made in a bundt pan instead?
Woo Hoo!! Yes, it can be made in a bundt pan but it needs to be a LARGE (10-cup bundt pan) and you will want to butter and flour the bundt pan very well to make sure it will come out. Pound cakes like to get stuck in the nooks and crannies of the bundt pan sides.
Perfect. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again for sharing such wonderul recipes!
Wow! We love this cake. It’s not super sweet, which I really like. The texture is incredible. Will definitely be making again and again!
Woo hoo! Thanks so much Melissa!!
I wonder how this would be to substitute cream cheese for the sour cream? It looks wonderful.
Can this be made in a loaf pan??
Hi Alice! I wouldn’t recommend a loaf pan. It needs to be a large bundt pan or and angel food cake pan. 🙂
The flavor is not very sweet which could be a bonus if you wanted to serve for breakfast with coffee but if you’re expecting a super sweet pound cake this one is not it.
Can you use Splenda instead of sugar, I love pound cake , so many are trying to watch their sugar intake
How about the carb count?
Just put this in the oven. Can’t wait to try it.
Do y’all have a lemon icing recipe that might compliment this outrageously tasty treat?
Lemon curd!!! Yum!!!
What can you use instead of sour cream?
I used full fat Greek yogurt , a lovely moist cake,
Do you need to sift the flour?
I use White Lily flour and it is pre-sifted. But, having said that, I almost never sift flour. Feel free to do so if that is what you usually do. 🙂
My boys do not like pecans in anything…??? Any suggestions to substitute??
Can’t wait to make this.Looks so good. I love your Angel cake pan. Could you tell me where did you get your pan from?Thank you for sharing
I do like to make this, but would need to use spelt due to a wheat allergy. Still learning how to bake with Spelt. They say to use it like regular flour, but it tends to get dryer than regular flour. Does anyone know how much milk or water to add for extra moisture without ruining this?
I made this for a client for Easter. He had planned to take it to his sister’s for dessert after their Easter dinner. I just saw him for the first time since then, and he went on and on about how good it was. He wanted a cake that wasn’t too sweet and had no icing and specifically asked for a ‘pecan cake.’ This was the winner! I made it in two loaf pans and it was perfect. He told me he ended up trying it the day before Easter and it was so good he kept it all for himself. Both loaves! ???? I’m sure he will be requesting it again, so thanks for this great recipe!
Absolutely LOVE pound cake and this one looks amazing!! Must try!
This was a very delicious cake! I made it today for the 4th of July and I have about half a cake left. It’s moist, but not overly sweet. And the pecans give it a nice crunch. Will definitely be making this cake again!
Does anybody know can I add more sugar in southern pecan pound cake recipe
My favorite creamer is Southern Butter Pecan. This looks amazing. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
This cake looks so good, pecans are my fav nut. I have a question; Could you recommend a good Angel Food Cake pan and where to get it?
I just saw one that looks like hers on Walmart’s site. The angel food cake pan. The brand is Nordic Ware. There are about 4 different ones on the site. We are going to an early Thanksgiving dinner this Sunday and hubby is wanting to take this cake as our dessert contribution.
The cake was absolutely delicious! Great idea to toast the pecans as well – makes such a difference! I just put them on a pizza tin & toasted them in the oven as it was preheating – about 10 mins. Also appreciated the toss with flour after crisping — truly prevented them from sinking to the bottom of the baking pan. BTW, I used a Bundt pan. This will be a great holiday hostess gift as well…..if we can part with it! Thank you!
In using a bundt pan, did you sprinkle the pecans and sugar on the bottom (top) of the pan?
This looks so good I am planning to make this for our church dinner and for our son Joshua’s fund raiser for Kidney disease, which he is battling. I will let you know how it goes.
If I use unsalted butter, then how much salt should I add to the recipe? Thanks
I was wondering the same thing so googled it and it says to add 1/4 tsp.salt to 1 stick of butter.
Hi Rosemary – thanks so much for commenting and helping out! 🙂
Hi, CORRECTION!!! If using unsalted butter, you add 1/4 teaspoon of salt too the whole recipe, NOT per stick of butter!!!
Such a beautiful cake ~ I used unsalted butter and added 1/4 tsp of salt to 1 stick of butter. Turned out perfect! Thank you Brandie for the post.
So happy this one turned out so good for you! Thank you Stephanie!
I was wondering if it would be ok to substitute brown sugar for the sugar sprinkled on top. Has anyone tried it before?
I made this in a bundt pan and cooked it for 60 minutes. When cooled, I added a vanilla glaze (powdered sugar, vanilla, & a little milk). I topped it with pecan halves and it was very good and looked very nice for the retirement party that I took it to. Very moist, nice texture. I would definitely bake again.
Love it! So glad it turned out good for you Lee! And thank you for mentioning that you made it in a bundt cake and whipped up a glaze for the top!
What should the baking time and temperature be if I were to bake this in two 1.4 QT loaf bakers?
I am sorry – I haven’t tested it using those sizes so I honestly couldn’t say. I am sorry!
How many days ahead can this be made?
Hi Sandy, I wouldn’t make it more than a day ahead.
Great cake!!
The cake was very tasty, not overly sweet, but I found it to be not as moist as I expected. Next time I will use less flour, maybe a little more sour cream. I did bake it in a bundt pan instead of an angel food pan but don’t think this would make a difference.
I was really excited to make this Southern Pecan Pound Cake! However, I was a little disappointed. The cake looks beautiful and it has a nice texture but I would not call this a pound cake. It is more like a coffee cake. It is not as sweet as I was expecting either. I feel like it’s missing something, either a confection sugar drizzle or some cinnamon/sugar combination.
It was good but I’m not sure I will make it again.
Has this been tried in a 9×13 or 8×11 tray pan with a couple of inches of height? Think it should be ready in 40 minutes, just wanted to check if anyone had anything to add.