🍰 Caramel Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Caramelized Candied Pecans
This is a dense, buttery pound cake flavored with deep brown sugar and caramel notes, topped with crunchy, glossy candied pecans. It’s rich, bakery-style, and perfect for holidays or coffee-time desserts.
🧾 Ingredients
🍰 Pound Cake
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp caramel extract (optional, but enhances flavor)
🍯 Caramel Glaze (optional but recommended)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2–3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
🥜 Candied Pecans
- 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp water
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the pound cake
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F).
- Grease and flour a bundt pan or loaf pan.
- Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (3–5 minutes).
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet mixture alternately with sour cream.
- Stir in vanilla (and caramel extract if using).
- Pour batter into pan and smooth top.
- Bake 60–75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before glazing.
2. Make candied pecans
- In a pan, melt butter with brown sugar, water, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add pecans and stir until coated.
- Cook 3–5 minutes until syrup thickens and sticks to nuts.
- Spread on parchment paper to cool and harden.
3. Caramel glaze (optional)
- In a small pan, melt butter and brown sugar.
- Add cream and simmer 1–2 minutes until smooth.
- Stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt.
4. Assemble
- Drizzle cooled cake with caramel glaze.
- Top generously with candied pecans.
- Let glaze set slightly before slicing.
🍽️ Serve
- Best served at room temperature.
- Pairs perfectly with coffee or vanilla ice cream.
🔥 Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter—keeps the cake tender.
- Sour cream gives a moist, bakery-style crumb.
- Toast pecans lightly before candying for deeper flavor.
If you want, I can also make a bundt cake glaze drip version, a mini loaf version, or a salted caramel cream cheese frosting upgrade.
