Mini Pecan Pie Cakes

These Mini Pecan Pie Cakes are the dessert you need to make. Warm, gooey pecan pie filling sits on top of a soft, moist cake. Serve these cakes warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce for a delicious fall treat. These would make a great addition to the Thanksgiving dessert table.

When I think about Thanksgiving, my mind immediately begins to think about all of the delicious pies. I guess I really am meant to be a baker, huh? Or, I just really love dessert, which is true! Anyways, I feel like there are three classic pies at Thanksgiving – apple, pumpkin and pecan.

I’m actually not a huge pie fan. I like it, but it’s not my go to dessert, or the one I gravitate towards making. Mostly because they take a long time to bake. Pies can take 45 minutes to an hour to bake! That doesn’t even include the prep time. I know, I know, good things take time, and pie certainly is GOOD! But, I don’t always have that much time to spare in a day.

These pecan pie cakes are like the best solution to making a pie when you don’t feel like it, and honestly? I think they are way better. A warm, gooey, homemade pecan pie filling sits on top of a soft, moist cake. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce and mmm! You’ve got yourself a dessert that is out of this world, delicious!

I love the mini size of these pecan pie cakes. They would be great for the Thanksgiving table, since they are already portioned out. They would also be great for your dessert, or even a brunch dessert during the fall season.

The details

Ingredients

• Cake
  • unsalted butter – butter adds richness and great flavor to these cakes.
  • granulated sugar – I love using the blend of granulated and brown sugar in these cakes. The brown sugar adds extra flavor, thanks to the molasses component in brown sugar and contributes to a bit more moisture in the cake, which in turn makes the cake a bit more dense. The granulated sugar, on the other hand contributes to the delicate, light, fluffy structure of the pecan pie cake. The blend of both sugars offers the best of both worlds.
  • brown sugar
  • eggs – eggs provide structure for the pecan pie cake
  • vanilla extract – this helps to enhance the flavors in the pecan pie cake
  • sour cream – this is the secret ingredient that makes these cakes ultra moist and tender. I love using sour cream when making cakes.
  • milk – milk adds sweetness and contributes to the tenderness of the cake.
  • all-purpose flour – this is needed to hold the structure of the cake
  • baking soda – baking soda and baking powder have different properties when it comes to leavening a cake. Baking soda works with the addition of an acid. In this case, brown sugar is the acidic ingredient. Since baking soda and baking powder work in different ways, they do produce a different texture in baked goods. That’s why I like using a mix of both.
  • baking powder
  • salt – salt enhances the flavor of the pecan pie cake
  • ground cinnamon – I love the addition of the cinnamon. It adds great flavor to the pecan pie cake.
• Pecan Pie Topping
  • heavy cream – this helps make the mixture gooey and delicious.
  • pecans, chopped – what’s pecan pie without the pecans!?
  • brown sugar – the rich taste of the brown sugar pairs perfectly with the buttery pecans
  • unsalted butter – the butter adds delicious rich flavor to the mixture
  • salt – this enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness int eh pecan pie topping for the pecan pie cake
  • ground cinnamon
• Caramel Sauce
  • unsalted butter – this makes the caramel sauce delicious and buttery
  • granulated sugar – granulated sugar creates the best rich caramel taste
  • heavy cream – this contributes to the richness and creaminess of the caramel

Here’s how to make these Mini Pecan Pie Cakes

Make the pecan pie topping first. While this comes together quickly, this is the first component that goes into the muffin tin, so I like to make this first. To make this, you’ll add the butter to a skillet and cook until melted. Add in the pecans and cook for a minute or so to lightly toast the pecans. The pecans toast in the melted butter, which makes them ultra delicious.

Next, you’ll add in the remaining ingredients for the pecan pie cake and allow the mixture to thicken for a couple minutes. Immediately add the mixture to your prepared muffin tin.

Now, it’s time to make the pecan pie cake batter. In your large mixing bowl, you’ll add the “wet” ingredients, which include butter, sugars, egg, vanilla extract, sour cream and milk. Whisk to combine then add in the remaining ingredients and mix JUST until combined.

Evenly divide the cake batter among the prepared muffin tin and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Just before serving the pecan pie cakes, make the homemade caramel. Alternatively you can use store bought if you prefer. Don’t forget to top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! YUM!

Let me know what you thought!

If you make this recipe for Pecan Pie Cake, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I absolutely love reading all of your comments! Also, make sure to snap a picture and tag me @simplebakingwithpep on instagram. It truly makes my day to see all of your wonderful creations.

social

Make sure you follow me on facebook, youtube, or instagram to stay up to date on all of my latest baking creations and some fun behind the scenes

Print