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Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting

Finely ground pecans are the star of this pecan cake, infusing every bite with nutty flavor. Fluffy rum frosting is the perfect finishing touch!

Slice of pecan cake with rum frosting on white plate

This nutty pecan cake bakes up tall with a lovely delicate crumb, giving you something a little bit different from your standard dessert. The cake itself isn’t overly sweet, which makes it the perfect complement to the rum frosting.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Pecan Cake With Rum Frosting

  • A cake for nut lovers. Certainly, if you’re the type to pick walnuts out of a slice of banana bread, this is not the cake for you! But if you always add the optional nuts to all of your baking, you’re going to love this pecan cake.
  • Perfect balance of flavors. Because the cake is made with ground pecans, every bite has that nutty flavor. The rum frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness, making this dessert the total package.
  • Easy to make. The recipe is simple and straightforward, without any layering or complicated frosting techniques. A simple garnish of chopped pecans is all you need to finish it off.
Overhead view of ingredients for pecan cake with rum frosting

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

For the Cake:

For the Frosting:

  • Confectioners’ sugar – Also known as powdered sugar.
  • Unsalted butter
  • Rum – Use what you have on hand; if you have to buy a bottle, don’t buy the most expensive, but don’t buy the cheapest either. A step or two above the cheapest is usually perfect for baking!
  • Vanilla extract
  • Heavy cream – This gives you a rich frosting with a nice, fluffy texture.
  • Pecans – For garnish. 

What Kind of Rum Should I Use in Desserts?

While you can use either white or dark rum, I recommend dark rum because of its rich, complex, spiced flavor. However, if you only have white rum on hand, that will work just fine, too.

How to Make Pecan Cake With Rum Frosting

To Make the Cake:

  • Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. 
  • Process the pecans. Add the pecans to the bowl of a food processor and grind finely.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the ground pecans.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until they’re light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
  • Finish the batter. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with 2 portions of the buttermilk, mixing just until combined.
  • Bake. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and spread it evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Then, transfer the cake from the pan directly to the wire rack to cool completely. (Learn more: Why Every Baker Needs Wire Cooling Racks)

To Make the Frosting and Finish:

  • Cream the butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter until they’re light and fluffy. 
  • Finish the frosting. Mix in the rum and vanilla. Add 2 tablespoons of cream and continue beating. Add more cream as needed until the frosting is spreadable.
  • Frost and garnish. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, then sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of the frosting.

Tips for Success

  • Try toasting the pecans first. While it’s not essential, toasting the pecans before grinding them adds an extra layer of flavor and depth to the cake. (You can also toast the pecans for the topping.) Learn more: How to Toast Pecans
  • Bring the eggs and butter to or near room temperature. This will ensure that all ingredients mix evenly and easily. It will also give your cake a little more lift, as softened butter (not quite to room temperature) and room temperature eggs hold more air when beaten. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
  • Line the pan for easy removal. If you’d like, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove the cake from the pan.
  • Make it ahead. This cake can be made a day or two in advance, making it the perfect option for special occasions. Frost it up to 4 hours before you plan to serve it for the freshest results.
Whole pecan cake with rum frosting on platter

Variations

  • Skip the rum. You can simply use extra vanilla extract instead of rum in the frosting.
  • Or make a coffee-infused frosting. A tablespoon or so of strong brewed coffee would be appealing to you coffee lovers out there as an alternative to the rum.
  • Make it gluten-free. Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend to make this cake gluten-free.
  • Garnish with gusto. Sugared cranberries make a beautiful and festive garnish for this cake during the holidays, while glazed pecans add some extra sweetness and crunch to the top. 
Cake server lifting slice of pecan cake from platter

How to Store

Pecan cake with rum frosting can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Can I Freeze This Recipe?

To freeze the pecan cake before frosting, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw it overnight at room temperature before frosting and serving. 

If the cake is already frosted, I recommend freezing it on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the frosting is solid. Then, wrap the cake as described above, and then thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Side view of pecan cake with rum frosting on plate, showing height

More Pecan Recipes

Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting

Yield 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Finely ground pecans are the star of this pecan cake, infusing every bite with nutty flavor. Rum frosting is the perfect finishing touch!

Whole pecan cake with rum frosting on cake plate

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (177ml) buttermilk

For the frosting:

  • 2 cups (220g) confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Instructions

To make the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. If you like, first line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  2. Place the pecans in a food processor or grinder and grind finely.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the ground pecans. Set aside.
  4. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with 2 portions of the buttermilk. Mix just until combined.
  6. Transfer the batter to prepared pan, and spread evenly. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Then, transfer the cake from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting:

  1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the confectioners' sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the rum and vanilla. Add 2 tablespoons of cream and continue mixing. Add more cream as needed until the frosting is spreadable.
  2. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of the frosting.

Notes

The cake can be made a day or two in advance. Frost the cake up to 4 hours before serving. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. 

Recipe adapted from Real Simple.

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    20 Comments on “Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting”

  1. One of my all-time favorite cake recipes. I’ve made the Real Simple version many times.

  2. Do you think this would be alright baked in a springform pan…maybe with a layer of pecans pressed into the sides and the bottom? My 9″ cake pans seem like they might almost be too shallow to bake this.

  3. I love pecans, and this cake looks wonderful. I think I’d have to incorporate coconut somehow, as pecans and coconut go hand in hand for me!

  4. I’m a lover of pecans too! Looks delicious and the rum frosting is a must! 🙂

  5. Susannah, you can use a springform pan. I used a standard cake pan, and it baked up a bit taller than the pan but without spilling over.

  6. Great photos & I’m sure the pecan cake will taste the same!

  7. you are making some wonderful recipes lately?
    can I have some of your baking mojo?
    i’ve lost mine, i blame it on all the blizzards.
    does that count? lol

  8. I am a huge pecan fan myself so this cake definitely appeals to me! This is just lovely and I bet that frosting is so nice. Rum and pecans sound like such a fantastic combination. Definitely want to give this cake a try.

  9. A perfect cake for weekend coffee!

  10. Jennifer, this sounds so delicious. I immediately thought of my Papa when I saw the recipe and will have to make it for him sometime soon! He will love it.

  11. This recipe looks like it could be a favorite! I love pecans!

  12. I just made the cake! And the rum frosting is delicious!!! It makes a lovely tea time cake especially with the frosting.

    When I first made the batter, I found it extremely thick, and although I should have let my baking experience and had better judgement, I went against it and added a few tablespoons of milk! The batter still tasted delicious! But the next time I will definitely try it without adding the extra milk.

    Another note: In India, buttermilk is very different from American buttermilk — I used a substitute: Milk:Vinegar = 1cup: 1 tblsp. So for this cake, I used this substitute and it still turned out great! 🙂

  13. This cake looks sooo good. I’m obsessed with pecans. I’m definitely making this soon, thanks for the recipe! 🙂

  14. I, too (like one of your other readers), thought about my father when I read this post. He loves anything with pecans in it. The texture of the cake seems amazing – the crunch of the nuts against the smooth creamy frosting. Thank you for sharing!

  15. This cake is on my kitchen counter as I write…  Beautiful texture; nicely flavored (I used black walnuts) and, more importantly, beautifully moist a day later.  Hubby gives it an enthusiastic thumbs up!  We will enjoy this cake often.  Further, baking this cake a day before you need a dessert, is a comfortable option.  Thanks for a keeper recipe, that does not disappoint!

  16. Can I use a usual milk instead of buttermilk?

  17. No hablo ingles, como hsgo para ver tus recetas en español para poderlas hacer gracias 

  18. Si tienes problemas con las recetas, puedes utilizar Google Translate. Simplemente copie y pegue el texto de la receta en el espacio “ingresar texto”, luego dígale que lo traduzca al español. Google Translate es bastante fácil de usar y puede copiar la traducción en un programa de texto para imprimirla. Utilizo este método todo el tiempo cuando estoy en sitios que no están en inglés. Espero que esto te ayude.

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