Pecan Upside Down Cake

Amethyst · November 3, 2025, 11:10pm

Pecan Upside Down Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

150 g Unsalted butter 82% fat, room temperature (soft)
200 g Granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 Eggs, room temperature
110 g Yogurt thick full-fat Greek or Turkish style yogurt at room temperature
45 g Whole milk, room temperature
240 g All-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt

For the Pecan topping:

300 g Pecan
60 g Sugar, granulated or brown sugar, or a mix
60 g Unsalted butter 82% fat

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 175 °C / 347°F (no fan) and line your baking pan with parchment paper
Place pecans on the bottom of the baking pan
Heat sugar and butter and cook for 1-2 minutes over low-medium heat, mixing it with a hand whisk to avoid butter separating, then pour it over the pecans and set the pan aside

Prepare the cake by creaming soft butter and sugar with an Electric hand mixer for a good 3-5 minutes until fluffy, then add in vanilla

Whip room temp eggs into the mixture very slowly while your Electric hand mixer is still on
Sift dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, and salt

Mix room temperature yogurt and room temperature milk together for a few seconds. This will be your wet ingredients

Switch to a Rubber spatula and fold the dry ingredients and wet ingredients into the mixture in 4 steps: wet, dry, wet, dry

Pour cake batter on top of the caramel pecan layer

Bake the cake for 1h at 175 °C / 347°F (no fan). The cake is ready when it has a nice rise and when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean

Let the cake fully cool before flipping it over and removing the tin

Store at room temperature for 2-3 days

Notes:

INGREDIENT NOTES:

Use always unsalted butter in baking and add the salt separately
All ingredients must be at room temperature to properly emulsify: eggs, butter, yogurt, milk, etc.
Feel free to substitute pecans with walnuts
In baking, cold ingredients don’t incorporate easily. So, make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature, including the milk and eggs, before mixing them.

TECHNIQUE NOTES:

A digital scale is required for a consistent, happy baking experience
Worth using parchment paper on the bottom and sides as well of your pan so you can more easily remove the cake when turning it upside down
Mixing the cake batter is super quick and straightforward however please follow the recipe in regards to 1. every ingredient should be at room temperature 2. whisk butter and sugar until fluffy then slowly add the egg in o the mixture 3. remaining wet and dry ingredients should be added to the mixture in 4 steps: wet, dry, wet, dry using a spatula. Do not use a mixer at that point
When melting the butter and sugar, make sure not to overheat the mixture, as the butter would separate in that case. You can save it by using a whisk and trying to emulsify them back together
Always pre-heat your oven and consider using a digital oven thermometer for the best results
Baking will take a relatively long time (1 hour in my oven). Focus on the texture, not the time, and apply the toothpick check (it should come out clean) to avoid raw cake

Expert tips:

Before jumping into the mixing process, make sure that all ingredients, including the eggs, are at room temperature so emulsification can happen properly.
Be careful during the caramelization process. Don’t overheat, as it can make the sugar and butter separate
Removing upside-down cake can be a little bit messy without correct cake preparation. To avoid this, layer the cake pan with some parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
The approximate baking time is 1 hour. However, instead of watching your clock, focus on the texture. If the cake has risen and looks baked, try to insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick must come out clean, your cake should be ready.
You can adjust the flavor to your liking! Add some citrus zest or spice powder to the cake batter for a more incredible flavor! You can also modify the caramel pecan topping with other nuts or even fruits!

Recipe FAQs

What is the upside-down cake method?

As the name suggests, an upside-down cake is a cake that is baked upside-down. Unlike regular cakes, the upside-down cake is made by preparing a layer of fruits or nuts in the base of the cake pan and pouring the cake batter over it. After the baking process, the pan is flipped over and you will see the fruits or nuts that were at the bottom of the pan before baking, now turning into a topping (upside-down of the cake). Therefore, this cake is called “upside-down”.

Should an upside-down cake cook before flipping?

Yes, it has to be completely cooled before removing it from the pan, otherwise it might break. Let the cake cool in the pan for 2-3 hours at room temperature or 1 hour in the fridge, then flip it onto a plate.

How can I make sure my Upside-Down can doesn’t stick?

Grease your pan and line it with parchment paper before using it.

How do you tell if an Upside-down cake is done?

Carefully open the oven door and insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready.

Can you make an upside-down cake the day before?

Like with most cakes, it is best served fresh; however, it’s still possible to make an upside-down cake the day before and serve it later.

How can I turn this recipe using a Pecan upside-down cake?

Like with most cakes, it is best served fresh; however, it’s still possible to make an upside-down cake the day before and serve it later.

How to store: You can comfortably store this upside-down cake at room temperature (covered) for 2-3 days, and it will stay fresh.

How to Freeze:

Wait for the cake to completely cool down. Then, wrap it with plastic wrap and foil before freezing it for 2-3 months.

Nutritional Facts:

Recipe courtesy of Spatual Desserts.com