Sweet Pecan Cake with Maple Frosting | Gluten Free Option

This Pecan Cake is made with lightly toasted and sugared pecan pieces nestled inside a buttery soft cake. You'll love the nutty flavor paired with the maple frosting and a cup of afternoon coffee (especially if the kids are napping.)

Tell me all about this pecan cake

• Texture—because it's made with gluten free flour, the cake is closer to the denseness of a coffee cake, less like a layered cake.
  
• Ease—I'd say this cake falls between beginner and intermediate. You'll need to toast the pecans and make "sand" with the butter, but combining the ingredients is pretty simple.

• Baking—This cake bakes at 350°F (175°C) on the center rack of the oven.
  
• Prep Time—Your eggs should come to room temperature, but other than that, you can start this right off. Toasting the pecans takes about 7 minutes and the putting the cake together takes around 10 minutes.

• Bake Time—This cake bakes for 28-32 minutes (I always take mine out at 30 minutes, but every oven is different) with the oven light on so you can watch the magic happen, right?
  

Ingredients for cake and frosting

To prep, you'll need a 9x9 or 8x8 inch square baking pan, 1 medium skillet, a food processor and 1 large mixing bowl.

• Sugared Pecans—Chop up those pecans nice and fine in the food processor and then you'll get them all toasted and fragrant in the skillet with some butter and dark brown sugar. This smell must already be a candle, right?

• GF Flour Blend—Or all-purpose flour if your body isn't terrified by gluten, like mine. My favorite gluten free flour blend is King Arthur Flour Measure for Measure. You can read why here.
  
• Sugar, Salt & Vanilla—All add flavor and texture to the cake.
  
• Buttermilk—This adds a lovely flavor and texture to cake, but it gives the acid to activate the double-acting baking powder.

• Eggs—Lots of eggs for lots of moisture, structure and a perfect crumb.
  
• Butter—I've made this with both regular butter and a dairy free butter substitute and could hardly tell the difference. Both created a delicious buttery flavor and smooth texture.
  
• Baking Powder—Just the right amount to give plenty of rise to this pecan cake.

How to make a simple pecan cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180°C) . Grease or line with parchment paper an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Finely chop pecans in a food processor (or by hand if you like larger pieces of pecan) until pieces resemble large sand.

In a small skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir together. Add chopped pecans and continue cooking until pecans are fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to go into the cake later.

Using a food processor, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Blitz about 5 second to combine.

Add butter and blitz again until mixture resembles rough sand, about 10 seconds.

Remove mixture and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add buttermilk and vanilla, mixing on medium until fully combined.

Don't have buttermilk on hand? No problem, simply mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in with your millk and allow to sit for 5 minutes. This is a great way to make a buttermilk replacement in a pinch!

Add room temperature eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add in the toasted pecans, reserving ¼ C to sprinkle on top, or simply sprinkle fresh pecans on top like I did in the pictures. Either way is delicious.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set on a cooling rack.

Looking for something else gluten free and full of fall flavors? Try our Apple Upside Down Cake.

How to make maple frosting

Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer whisk butter for about 1 minute. Slowly add powdered sugar and maple extract.

To get the maximum amount of maple flavor, I do recommend the extract. Maple syrup is delicious but it would require a lot of syrup for the flavor to really come through.

While whisking on high, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is a spreadable consistency.

Once cake cools, top with maple frosting and sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans.

If you want to try a different frosting, try our cinnamon frosting that we used on our Butterscotch Cupcakes recipe. It would also be delicious on top of this pecan cake!

Can I make this cake gluten free?

Yes! In fact, the cake pictured was made with King Arthur Flour's Measure for Measure gluten free flour blend. You can read why this is our favorite gluten free flour here. The recipe does not require any other adjustments. However, please check ALL ingredients before using to ensure they are gluten free.