This Pecan Upside Down Marble Cake takes your classic marble cake to the absolute next level without much effort! The tender, moist and light cake with layers of vanilla and chocolate topped off with a crunchy, caramelized pecan topping will have you reaching back for more and more.
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WHY I LOVE THIS CAKE
I think you will love this recipe because...
- It is DELICIOUS. This is one of those cakes which tastes WAY better than it sounds - seriously, everyone who taste tested this for me was "pleasantly surprised" and couldn't believe how much they loved it. I personally would take this over pecan pie any day!
- It is EASY. It might look complicated, but it is very straightforward. You don't even need a mixer
- It is QUICK. This cake takes only 15-20 minutes of active time, and comes together in just over an hour. If that's not quick, I'm not sure what is!
- So if you're on the search for a yummy dessert for your tea parties, look no further.
I recommend using a good quality nonstick pan for this cake, as the caramel pecan topping can be quite sticky. I used my beautiful 9" cake pan from Caraway, and highly recommend it! Caraway is offering a 10% off sitewide discount for you guys for a limited time - use this link and the discount will be applied automatically in your cart (note: I am an affiliate with Caraway).
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
Here's what you will need to make this cake (exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below):
Pecan topping:
- Brown sugar
- Corn syrup or honey
- Unsalted butter
- Cinnamon - this is optional, if you don't like the flavor of cinnamon, simply skip it
- Salt
- Pecan pieces and halves - you can use just halves or pieces, but I like a mixture of the two for the best texture! Make sure you toast your pecans before using them, otherwise they will have a raw flavor and texture
Marble Cake:
- Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Cake flour - if you don't have cake flour, you can make it yourself with all purpose flour and cornstarch
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sour cream - if you don't have access to sour cream, I suggest making your own! Read the FAQ below for the recipe
- Cocoa powder - you can use either natural cocoa powder (100% unsweetened) or Dutch processed cocoa powder, both will work great
HOW TO MAKE THIS PECAN UPSIDE DOWN MARBLE CAKE
Let's walk through the steps now, shall we? First, check out this video:
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1. Make the caramel pecan topping
Before starting, pre-heat your oven to 350F and line a 9" cake pan with butter and parchment paper.
Place the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup / honey, salt, and cinnamon in a nonstick saucepan. Stir and cook on low heat for a few minutes until the butter melts and a caramel colored sauce is formed (you don't actually need to form caramel or cook this down, as it will cook further during baking).
Remove from the heat and add the toasted pecan pieces and halves (I toast mine by placing them in the oven at 350F for 5 minutes until fragrant). Stir to combine.
Pour the caramel pecan topping into the cake pan, and spread it evenly on the bottom.
Now, here's a little trick! When adding cake batter on top of the pecan topping, it can easily slide up the sides of the cake pan instead of staying on the bottom (this happened to me, too). I personally think it makes for a unique look, but if you want the pecans to stay on the bottom, place the cake pan in the freezer while you prepare the cake batter. This way, when you pour the cake batter, the pecan topping will be a bit more set and less likely to move around.
2. Prepare the cake batter
Now let's make the cake batter! Add the sugar, melted butter, oil and vanilla to a bowl and whisk for 2 minutes (you can do this by hand). Add the eggs and egg white, and whisk again for 1-2 minutes until the mixture looks aerated.
Next, sift in all the dry ingredients, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. This will be a thick batter. Lastly, add the sour cream and fold it in gently. This will lighten the batter a bit more and make it easier to move around.
3. Assemble the cake
Now for the fun part! Divide the cake batter between two bowls (you can eyeball this), and sift cocoa powder into one of them. Fold until combined.
Remove the cake pan with the pecan filling from the freezer. Add one large scoop of the vanilla cake batter in the center of the pan. Then add a large scoop of the chocolate batter right on top. You can use a large spoon or a cookie scoop. Keep repeating until the entire batter is used up. Then, if you want, you can take a skewer and lightly run it through the cake to create more striation.
3 tips as you assemble a marble cake:
- Place the batter into the pan gently, so you don't move everything around (including the pecan filling)
- Try not to make the quantities so small that the layers become hard to see!
- If running a skewer through at the end, don't mix too much as that will also mix up the batters and reduce the contrast. Personally, I skip the skewer altogether and go for a 'zebra' striped effect
4. Bake and serve!
Bake the cake for 30 minutes at 350F and then turn down the temperature to 330F and bake for another ~15 or so minutes until the cake is done baking.
Let the cake cool for 20 minutes in the pan before carefully turning it out onto your serving stand. And then it's time to enjoy!!!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Instead of substituting sour cream, I recommend making it yourself if you don't have access to it. You have to prepare it 12-24 hours in advance. Mix 1 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in an airtight container or mason jar. Cover and rest at room temperature overnight or up to 1 day. Then mix again, and your sour cream is ready! Excess can be stored in the fridge.
Yes! Just skip the pecan topping, and follow the remaining recipe as it is.
This cake will also be great with walnuts if you don't have pecans.
This can happen if your pan is very nonstick and you move the batter around while pouring it. To prevent this from happening, freeze the pecan filling in the cake pan while you prepare the cake batter.
You can store this cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for 5-7 days.
RELATED RECIPES
If you like this recipe, also check out my incredible simple chocolate cake which comes together in just 1 hour, and my delicious lemon blueberry muffins!
Also, don't forget to leave your rating and review below!
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PECAN UPSIDE DOWN MARBLE CAKE RECIPE
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12-14
Description
A soft and tender marble cake with a caramelized, crunchy pecan topping
Ingredients
Caramel pecan topping:
- 1 ¼ cup pecan pieces and halves, toasted for 5 minutes at 350F
- 3 tbsp corn syrup or honey
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (110g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113g)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Marble Cake:
- 1 cup sugar (220g)
- ⅓ cup melted butter (75g)
- ¼ cup oil (50g)
- 2 eggs + 1 egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ¾ cup cake flour (225g, you can also use 200g all purpose flour and 25g cornstarch)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup sour cream (180g)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
Pecan topping:
- Preheat oven to 350F (conventional) and prepare a 9" cake pan with parchment paper and butter
- Mix the butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a nonstick saucepan and cook and stir on low heat until the butter melts and a smooth sauce has formed. No need to cook it further
- Remove from heat and add the toasted pecans. Mix to combine, and pour into the prepared cake pan. Spread evenly on the bottom, and place the pan in the freezer
Cake batter:
- Add the sugar, melted butter, oil and vanilla to a bowl and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the egg and egg whites and whisk for another 1-2 minutes
- Then, sift in all the dry ingredients (except the cocoa powder) and gently fold until combined
- Lastly, fold in the sour cream until a light cake batter forms. Do not over mix
Assembly:
- Divide the cake batter evenly between 2 bowls. To one half, sift in 2 tablespoon cocoa powder and fold until combined
- Remove the cake pan from the freezer
- Use a large spoon or scoop to add a large scoop of the vanilla cake batter to the center of the pan. On top of that, add a large scoop of the chocolate cake batter. Repeat until both batters are used up. Do not shake the pan and handle gently
- You can leave the cake as it is to get zebra stripes, or run a skewer through it to create more of a marbled effect. If using a skewer, take care not to stir the pecan filling at the bottom
Bake:
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes at 350F, followed by ~15 minutes at 330F. Make sure it is fully baked by inserting a toothpick in the middle
- Let the cake cool down in the pan for 20-30 minutes to allow the pecan topping to set. Then carefully flip it over onto a serving stand
- Serve and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
Mrs Lewis says
What a mess! I’m in my 60’s and considered a good cook. I saw this unique cake and thought I’d make it for my pecan loving husband. Never again! I followed recipe to a T. I use excellent cookware and high quality ingredients. It over flowed in the oven. ☹️
Zoha says
Hi Mrs Lewis! I am so sorry to hear that. Perhaps the height of your cake pan was a bit small, causing the overflow. If you don't mind sharing the dimensions of you pan, I can look into this and update the recipe.
Darcie says
made it multiple times and works perfectly for me although i find that maybe you shouldnt put all the cake batter in as it gets quite full
Khadija says
OMG this was a super delicious cake! I made 4 cakes in 2 days. They got polished off in one go. I did freeze the topping till solid and it stayed on top. Also, used walnuts instead of pecans because that’s all I had.
This is the first recipe I’ve tried off your blog and it is a super hit. Excited to try many more recipes!
Jazak Allah khayr for an extremely delicious recipe.
Zoha says
Thank you SOOOO much, Khadija! So glad you enjoyed this recipe and the freezing trick worked for you! <3
Maliha says
Super moist! Delicious! Based on a comment I decided to make it in a false bottom pan (my regular circular tin wasn’t deep enough and I was worried for spillage) and I shouldn’t have bothered! I reduced sugar in recipe (personal preference) and will do same in the pecan topping next time (mine had too much liquid and didn’t look as neat as yours) but wow! What incredible flavours! Thank you for breaking down the sour cream and cake flour recipes (I didn’t have either and used your recipes). Delicious! Thank you Zoha!
Zoha says
Thank you so much for your kind comment, Maliha! I am glad you enjoyed the cake and were able to adjust the sugar to your liking 🙂
Margarita says
Thank you so much for a delicious recipe!! The only obstacle was the topping sticking to the pan. I froze it and all, but it still stuck. Everyone enjoyed the cake. thanks again 🙂
Zoha says
Thank you for trying the recipe!! Did you use parchment paper in the cake, with butter on top?
Sadia says
Hi!
I only have an 8inch cake pan - do you know how to adjust the ingredients? Would definitely like to try this!
Zoha says
Hi Sadia! I think the batter will overflow in an 8" pan. Can you bake it in a 9x9" square pan? 🙂
Haleemah says
Omg this is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had. My parents who aren’t really cake eaters loved it too! The instructions are super easy to follow. Zoha you do an amazing job, I always look forward to your new recipes. I’ve tried most of your recipes and there hasn’t been one that I’m not satisfied with. May Allah continue to shower you with success. Jazakallah
Zoha says
Thank you so much Haleemah! I am so glad you enjoyed this cake recipe. Lots of love <3
Shellin says
This was a hit in my house! Even my picky Pakistani dad loved it! Thank you for sharing!
Zoha says
Yay!!! I'm thrilled to hear that. <3
Katrina says
Hi Zoha,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I'd like to know if I can use yoghurt instead of sour cream in this recipe?
Zoha says
You can use half yogurt half cream!
Roshini says
Sorry I meant Zoha!! 🤦🏻♀️😄
Roshini says
Another fantastic recipe Zoha!!! Thank you
Zoha says
My pleasure!
Zoha says
haha all good
Sarah says
I think it's important to add in instructions that spring form pan shouldn't be used. I used parchment paper and it still spilled over. Loved the process of following the recipe, not so much cleaning the burnt caramel from my oven floor.
Ugne says
First time done this cake it was almost perfect. I did use flan pan though because I thought it would look more impressive (for reference cake batter was half the size inside). It was perfect choice for batter.
The only thing was when I started slicing it was falling apart… so I put in the fridge and next day it was perfect! No crumbling! So that’s my personal tip!
Amazing cake!
Zoha says
Yes, always good to let cakes fully cool down so they don't fall apart when cutting 🙂