Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake
A dense cream cheese pound cake swirled with cinnamon sugar and finished with warm pecan caramel, tested four times to get the caramel to set instead of soak through.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 495kcal
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Pound Cake Batter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Cinnamon Swirl:
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
For the Pecan Caramel Topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream
- 11/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease every ridge of a 12-cup bundt pan thoroughly with a butter-and-flour combination or baking spray with flour.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated after each. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add to the batter in three additions on low speed, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour for the swirl. Stir in the melted butter to form a thick paste.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the top. Spoon the remaining batter over the swirl and drag a knife through the layers once in a gentle zigzag.
- Bake for 60–70 minutes, until deep golden and a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for exactly 15 minutes, then invert onto the rack and remove the pan.
- While the cake bakes or cools, melt the butter for the caramel in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and cook for 2 minutes until bubbling.
- Slowly whisk in the heavy cream (the mixture may look separated briefly — keep whisking) and simmer for 2–3 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and toasted pecans.
- Pour the warm caramel evenly over the cake while it's still resting at the 15-minute mark, letting it drip down the ridges. Let set for 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- **Make-ahead:** Bake the cake up to 1 day ahead and store wrapped at room temperature. Make the caramel fresh and pour it just before serving.
- **Freezing:** Freeze the baked cake without caramel for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add fresh caramel before serving.
- **Preventing a sunken swirl:** Don't skip tossing the cinnamon-sugar mixture with flour — it's what keeps the swirl suspended in the batter instead of sinking.
- **Pan alternative:** Two 9x5-inch loaf pans work in place of a bundt pan; reduce bake time to 50–55 minutes and check with a toothpick.
- **Toasting pecans:** Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Cool slightly before chopping.
- **Gluten-free swap:** Substitute a 1:1 cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend in both the batter and swirl for a slightly denser but still moist crumb.
- **Doubling:** This recipe can be baked in two bundt pans for a double batch, but make the caramel in two separate batches rather than doubling it — a doubled caramel batch takes noticeably longer to reach the right consistency.
- **Storage:** Store covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days; bring to room temperature or microwave briefly before serving.## More Recipes You'll Love