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This Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle is a show-stopper dessert. But it will be our little secret…it’s so easy to make!
A Super-Easy Bundt Cake Recipe
Looking for a special dessert for a special occasion? Look no further than this gorgeous Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle!
This easy bundt cake delivers on so many levels! A moist, sweet, brown sugar cake is full of milk chocolate toffee bits and chopped pecans. Then – the cake is covered in a rich, sweet caramel drizzle that is sugary perfection!
Why You’ll Love this Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle
- It’s gorgeous! Your dinner guests are sure to be very impressed when you bring this cake to the table.
- This cake is absolutely fantastic – in fact, my husband Jack said this is one of the best cakes I’ve ever baked.
- It’s so easy to make.
Reader Review
“I have made this cake twice now and have to say it is the best cake I’ve ever made. I am a baker and always trying new recipes but this one is at the top of the scrumptious list.” – Cheryl
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour – No special cake flour is needed for this recipe.
- Baking Powder – Make sure it’s fresh!
- Salt – For baking, we recommend the common table salt (unless the recipe specifically states a different kind of salt).
- Butter – We always bake with unsalted butter. Butter is used in both the cake and the glaze.
- Light Brown Sugar – Don’t swap in dark brown sugar. In addition to making the baked cake darker in color, the additional molasses in the dark brown sugar could make the cake stick and scorch. This is used in both the cake and the glaze.
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs – Use large eggs
- Whole Milk – Don’t be tempted to swap in a lower fat milk. You want the full amount of milk fat for this cake recipe.
- Milk Chocolate Toffee Pieces – We buy the Heath brand chocolate covered toffee bits. Just note that there are Heath baking bits sold with and without chocolate – we used the chocolate-coated bits, but you can also use the plain toffee bits if you prefer.
- Chopped Pecans
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Vanilla Extract
Special Tools Needed
- Large Bundt Pan – at least 12-cups in size and no larger than 15-cups. Because of the sugar content in this cake, avoid using bundt pans with lots of very small crevices.
- Baking Spray – You want to use the non-stick spray with flour to prepare your bundt pan, but avoid the non-stick cooking spray.
- Pastry Brush
- Stand mixer, or hand mixer with large mixing bowl.
- Toothpicks or thin skewers, to test the cake for doneness
- Cooling Rack
- Medium Heavy Saucepan, to make the glaze
- Heat-Safe Whisk
Helpful Tips
- Because of the high sugar content in this cake, avoid using bundt pans with small crevices. This is the bundt pan we used in our photos.
- After spraying the pan with baking spray, brush the spray into the crevices with a pastry brush to help avoid sticking as you turn out the cake.
- Invest in a good-quality, non-stick bundt pan. The lighter aluminum pans can sometimes allow the outside of the cake to scorch as it bakes long enough to cook the inside of the cake – but a heavier pan can prevent this from happening.
How do I make Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Prepare your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray. Use a brush to make sure that all of the pan crevices are coated.
- Mix the cake batter (see details in recipe below), then fold in toffee bits and pecans.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 75 to 80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean. Note that the baking time will vary based on the size of your bundt pan. (A 12-cup pan will take longer than a 15-cup pan.)
- Cool the cake completely.
- Prepare the glaze, then drizzle over the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
- My glaze came out too thick. What can I do? You can thin the glaze by whisking in some milk.
- My glaze is too runny. What can I do? You can try simmering it for longer. Or, if that doesn’t work, you can add a little powdered sugar to thicken it.
- How can I adapt this cake recipe to higher-altitudes? Unfortunately, living near the east coast, we are not experienced at all in high-altitude baking. You might find this article to be helpful.
- My cake stuck to the pan. How can I avoid that in the future? We mention several tips above: Use a good-quality/heavy bundt pan, prepare it with baking spray and brush the spray in the crevices. Also check your oven to make sure the temperature is accurate – an oven that runs hot may allow scorching and burning which can cause sticking.
- Can I make these as cupcakes or a layer cake? We’ve only made this cake in a bundt pan, so I’m afraid I can’t give you any advice about that. Here’s an article you might find helpful.
Recipe adapted from Lady Behind the Curtain
This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in 2015. We’ve updated the post with more tips and tricks, but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle
Ingredients
For the Cake
- Non-stick baking spray with flour
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 bag (8-ounces) milk chocolate toffee pieces
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
For the Caramel Drizzle
- 14 ounces (1 can) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray with flour. Use a brush to make sure that the spray has gotten inside all of the pan crevices. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy. Add both sugars and beat again until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until blended. Alternate adding in flour mixture and milk, mixing until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Stir in toffee chips and pecans by hand, blending well. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 75-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cake is cool, prepare the Caramel Drizzle as follows:
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk and brown sugar in a medium, heavy–bottomed saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, whisking very frequently.
- Reduce the heat under the pan and simmer gently for about 8 minutes, whisking constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Allow the mixture to sit in the pan for about 5 minutes – then drizzle over the cake. (You will want the drizzle to still be fairly hot when you drizzle it over the cake – it does harden a little after it cools.)
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Pat says
Can’t have nuts; should I double the Heath bits or just omit the nuts?
Martha says
Sure Pat – I’m not sure I’d double the Heath bits but you could go a little heavier on them, or just leave the nuts completely out.
Lynn says
Great, but I really cut back on ALL the sugar for the cake & the drizzle!!
Martha says
Thanks Lynn
Michelle Krz says
I don’t often leave negative reviews, so I’ll temper this with advice and admit to possible user errors. I am a seasoned baker, so I read the ingredients and knew this cake would be delicious if prepared properly. I followed the directions completely, yet this cake turned out very, very dry. I suggest anyone making this case to bake it for at least 10-15 minutes less than the suggested 75-80 minutes. I baked at 75 minutes and it was well over-baked by then. As for the drizzle, cooking it at a low simmer for 8 minutes produced a semi-soft toffee, way too think to pour over the cake. I had to thin it with about 1/2 cup of heavy cream to even consider pouring it, and even that didn’t make it thin enough to create the beautiful drizzle that I expected. That said, this cake can be saved by baking less (maybe even adding some sour cream for a more tender crust) and the drizzle can be saved by cooking it for less time and adding some cream to create the consistency preferred
Martha says
Thanks for your feedback Michelle.
Janet Tracy. says
I tried twice to make this cake once I used a heavy bunch pan I baked it for one hour and fifteen minutes it looked delicious after I let it cool and cut it to sever it it was not done very wet. Now this is the second time I tried baking it in a lighter weight pan this time it cooked out of the pan and I still baked it for one hour and fifteen minutes. This time when I went to dump it it was not done and was very wet. Just fell out of the pan. I know I followed your recipe I can’t figure out why it wouldn’t get done this time it was almost burnt on the outside.
Martha says
Hi Janet- I’m sorry you didn’t have good results with the recipe – it’s always hard to troubleshoot from a far. We had one other reader comment with similar issues and at the time, we suggested trying a slightly a higher oven temperature. Every oven is different so it’s possible our oven runs hotter than others. Hope that helps!
Ab says
Wow, this cake look delicious. I never get tired of baking so adding this to my favorites.
Martha says
Hope you enjoy the cake!
Lana McLain says
Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake – I made this about 5 years ago and I had a big mess in the oven where it went over the top of the pan. My bundt cake pan is a Nordic Ware Anniversary edition which is 12 cups. I made not substitutions; however, I live at 8000 ft. in Colorado, so was wondering if this was part of the problem. I saw another post on a website where another person had a similar problem, but did not state her elevation. Do you have any recommendations or conversions?
Than you Lana
Martha says
Hi Lana – I’m afraid we don’t have any experience in high altitude baking (we live close to sea level ourselves). You might find this article helpful: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Charlotte says
Hi I Just Made This Delish Brownies Sugar Bunt Cake.oh My It Smelled So Wonderful But I Checked It After 80 Minutes.Wasnt Done.so I Kept Checking on It But Had To Cook It For A Total Of 2 Hours And 40 Minutes.It Still Didn’t Seem Done But Took It Let It Cool When I Started To Turn. It Up and Dump It Into A Plate Well It Fell out of the Bunt Pan Still Wasn’t DONE THEN UT CAME OUT All Over The Counter!! What Could Have DONE To Screw It Up So Bad ?? I Evern Checked The receipt 3 Times To Make Sure Everything Was Correct.Im SO Upset I Wanted To Make it For A Friend.. Help!!🤔
Martha says
I’m not sure Charlotte…without being there in the kitchen with you, it’s always hard to tell what went wrong. If you’ve already confirmed that you measured all of the ingredients correctly, I’d double check that your oven is working correctly. (After baking for more than 2 1/2 hours – it sounds like the baking temp might have been off?) I’m sorry you had a problem with the recipe!
Wendy Bonds says
Extremely sweet and heavy. Would not make again.
Martha says
Thanks for your feedback Wendy – sorry you were disappointed
Marilyn O'Neil says
A big hit!
Martha says
Thanks Marilyn!
DeAnn says
Does this have to be refrigerated?
Martha says
Hi DeAnn – It would probably be OK for a day or two at room temperature well covered. We do refrigerate it ourselves.