Description
This festive Christmas Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake combines the warm flavors of cinnamon and pecans swirled into a moist, tender cake, topped with creamy butter and finished with a luscious caramel drizzle. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this delightful dessert offers a festive twist on classic cinnamon rolls baked into an easy-to-slice bundt cake form.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Swirl Mixture
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Topping
- Caramel sauce, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan or tube pan thoroughly to ensure the cake releases easily after baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Set this mixture aside as your dry base for the cake batter.
- Cream Butter, Sugar, and Cream Cheese: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and softened cream cheese together. Continue mixing for about 3-4 minutes until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and creamy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract to add depth of flavor.
- Alternate Dry Ingredients and Buttermilk: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix each addition just until combined to maintain a tender crumb.
- Prepare Cinnamon Swirl and Pecan Mixtures: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon for the cinnamon swirl. In a separate small bowl, mix the melted butter with the chopped pecans to make the pecan swirl mixture.
- Layer Batter and Swirls: Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Evenly sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the batter, followed by half of the pecan and butter mixture. Using a knife, gently swirl the cinnamon sugar and pecans into the batter. Add the remaining batter on top and repeat the process with the remaining cinnamon sugar and pecan mixture, swirling gently again.
- Bake: Place the bundt pan in the preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake’s center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, drizzle the entire cake with caramel sauce before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Be careful not to overmix the batter after adding the dry ingredients to keep the cake tender.
- Use a toothpick to test for doneness; if it comes out with wet batter, continue baking.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before drizzling with caramel to prevent the sauce from melting into the cake too much.
- You can toast the pecans lightly before mixing with the butter for extra flavor.
- For a richer cake, use full-fat cream cheese and unsalted butter.
