Pecan Pie Loaf Cake

Looking for a delicious twist on a classic? This Pecan Pie Loaf Cake is just the thing for a cosy Autumn treat! Brown sugar, cinnamon spice, and candied pecans come together in this comforting autumn recipe for a soft, fluffy spiced cake with an extra decadent layer of cinnamon sugar. Topped with tangy cream cheese frosting and candied pecans, it’s like a cosy hug in every bite!

This recipe is kindly sponsored by Tala Cooking.

Ingredients For Pecan Pie Loaf Cake

To make this easy twist on a classic, you will need:

• Unsalted butter – make sure this is at room temperature so it’s easy to work with! It’s no fun trying to incorporate fridge-cold butter into a cake…
• Golden caster sugar – this sugar adds a delicious caramel flavour which works really well with spices such as cinnamon. It’s the PERFECT sugar for autumn bakes. If you don’t have golden caster sugar to hand, use white caster sugar instead.
• Eggs – use the best-quality eggs you can find and make sure they are at room temperature. This recipe uses either 3 large eggs of 4 medium eggs.
• Self raising flour – the added raising agent in self-raising flour gives the loaf cake a lovely rise and fluffier texture. If you’re using all-purpose plain flour just add 3 teaspoons of baking powder.
• Milk – using full fat milk will result in a moist cake but use whatever you have to hand.
• Chopped pecans – chop these into small chunks so you get some pecan flavour in every mouthful!
• Light brown sugar – the best sugar for an autumn bake! It adds a real depth of flavour that works well with spices such as cinnamon.
• Ground cinnamon – the star of the show! Cinnamon adds a delicious, warming flavour to the cake.

Making The Candied Pecans

Candied pecans are a great way to top this cake and work really well with the cream cheese frosting. They’re easy to make too!

1. Line a small baking tray with baking paper and set aside for now.
2. Measure the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, water and golden syrup into a frying pan. Place over medium heat and stir for 2 – 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.
3. Add the pecans and coat in the mixture. Heat for a further 3 – 4 minutes until the pecans are lightly toasted and the mixture is thick and bubbling. Stir the entire time to stop the pecans from burning.
4. Pour the mixture onto the baking tray and leave to cool. The coating will initially be sticky but as the pecans cool down, it will harden.

Once the pecans are cool you can add them to the top of the cake. Don’t add them while they’re hot, or they’ll start to melt the cream cheese frosting!

Let’s Talk Loaf Tins

The Tala Performance 2lb Loaf Tin is a must-have for baking loaf cakes, with one of the best non-stick coatings available, rust-resistant and no brown spots. The tin is built from robust 1.0mm thick carbon steel to ensure an even bake and each piece of the Tala Performance range comes with a 10 year guarantee, meaning you can bake delicious cakes for years to come! It’s important to use the same-sized loaf tin to get the best results from this recipe. The ingredient measurements and the baking time are only accurate if you use a 2lb loaf tin. However, if a 1lb loaf tin is all you have, try halving all of the ingredients and reducing the baking time to 45-50 minutes. 

Pecan Pie Loaf Cake

Enjoy cosy, autumnal flavours in every bite of this delicious Pecan Pie Loaf Cake! The fluffy sponge is studded with pecans and has a delicious brown sugar cinnamon swirl throughout. It’s topped with a tangy cream cheese frosting and finished with candied pecans for a little crunch.

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Prep: 45 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10

Ingredients

For the Loaf Cake

• 300 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
• 250 grams golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 300 grams self raising flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 150 grams pecans chopped
• 50 grams light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 75 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
• 75 grams full-fat cream cheese keep in the fridge
• 150 grams icing sugar

For the Candied Pecans

• 50 grams whole pecans
• 25 grams light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Start by making the loaf cake :

• Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Grease and line the Tala 2lb Loaf Tin with baking paper.
• In a small bowl, stir the light brown sugar and ground cinnamon together. Set aside for now.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and golden caster sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding one tablespoon of the flour with each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.
• Add the remaining flour and milk, and fold together to make a smooth mixture.
• Fold in the chopped pecans.
• Pour half of the cake mixture into the baking tin and spread it out into an even layer. Scatter half of the cinnamon sugar on top.
• Dollop spoonfuls of the remaining mixture on top, then gently spread it out into an even layer being extra careful not to push the cinnamon sugar around too much underneath.
• Scatter the rest of the cinnamon sugar on top, then use a knife or spatula to swirl through the layers just a couple of times. Be careful not to swirl too much otherwise the mixtures will start to blend together.
• Bake for 60 – 70 minutes. The loaf cake should look golden brown, have risen and spring back when lightly pressed in the middle.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Whilst the cake is cooling, make the candied pecans:

• Line a small baking tray with baking paper and set aside for now.
• Measure the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and water into a frying pan. Place over medium heat and stir for 2 – 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling.
• Add the pecans and coat in the mixture. Heat for a further 3 – 4 minutes until the pecans are lightly toasted and the mixture is thick and bubbling. Stir the entire time to stop the pecans from burning.
• Pour the mixture onto the baking tray and leave to cool. The coating will initially be sticky but as the pecans cool down, it will harden.

Once the cake is cool, make the cream cheese frosting:

• Beat the butter until soft and pale in colour.
• Sift in the icing sugar and beat well until smooth and combined.
• Add the cold cream cheese and gently fold it in to make a smooth and creamy frosting. Be careful not to over-mix as otherwise the cream cheese will loosen and the frosting will become runny.

To decorate:

• Spread the cream cheese frosting on top and use the back of a spoon or spatula to make a swirly pattern.
• Break up the candied pecans, scatter on top, then slice and enjoy!

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