This recipe for Pumpkin- Pecan Cake with Butterscotch Glaze is made rustic-style, in a cast-iron skillet.
I have to be sneaky about adding nuts to my recipes since my husband often declares boldly that “we are not a nut family.” I’m not sure exactly how he came to that conclusion. I put sliced almonds on just about everything I eat. Pistachios and raw almonds are often brought out for munching during football Sunday. And my husband is crazy about pecans and walnuts in his salads. But if I add nuts to my cakes or cookies or pies, he sighs heavily and reminds me that we are “not a nut family.” WHAT??! So for this recipe I took my chances and added some finely chopped pecans to create some texture for this cake.
Using a cast iron skillet to bake cakes is something my grandmother used to do. I love the rustic result. A butterscotch glaze is drizzled on top…
… a generous drizzle!
Flaky sea salt sprinkled on top makes it fun too, but that’s totally optional. If you love the sweet/salty thing, then go for it. If you’re not into it, you can leave the salt out of it.
Since the recipe makes some extra glaze, you’ll want to save it to drizzle on individual servings. It’s quite a nice fall treat- not a heavily flavored pumpkin cake, and it has a nice texture with some pecan crunch hidden inside.
So I’m sure you’re wondering what my husband thought of this cake… WELL… the report from my husband is that the cake tastes good all on its own without ruining it with pecans. So there you have it- I have noted that the pecans are optional!!
Pumpkin Pecan Skillet Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1½ cups granulated white sugar
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
GLAZE:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ cup butterscotch or caramel syrup
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- flaky sea salt, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
MAKE THE CAKE:
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the sugar and butter until they are well mixed. Mix in the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Stir in the pecans (if using). Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared skillet and smooth the top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). Let the cake cool completely in the skillet.
ADD THE GLAZE:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, syrup and 1 tablespoon of milk. If the mixture is too thick, add another teaspoon or more of milk. It should be of thick "drizzling" consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze onto the cake in the skillet. Save the extra glaze (in a covered container) to add extra drizzle to individual servings. If you're into adding sea salt, sprinkle it on top!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Any substitute for the cast iron pan? I don’t have one that size
An oven safe skillet or pan that is the same size?
Making this now for friends
At the end of the recipe in the box that lists ingredients, it says updated September 24,2021. In the list of ingredients, it says whole wheat flour, which is not included in the recipe ingredients. Is this in place of, or an additional ingredient?
Sorry about that, and thank you for pointing it out. No whole wheat flour!
Oh my god, this cake looks incredible! I am so excited about the butterscotch glaze, yum!!