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This Easy Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake is everything we love about a cozy Southern dessert — buttery, rich, and incredibly tender, with warm notes of bourbon and plenty of crunchy pecans in every slice. The sour cream keeps the crumb beautifully moist, the pecans add irresistible texture, and the bourbon brings a subtle caramel-vanilla depth that makes this cake feel extra special.
And just wait until you pour on the silky Caramel Glaze — it drapes over the bundt perfectly and gives each bite that sweet, buttery finish no one can resist.
If you love cozy, classic desserts, you’ll also enjoy my Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Classic Pound Cake, Million Dollar Pound Cake, and Apple Cobbler — all longtime reader favorites.
So grab your prettiest bundt pan — this is one of those cakes that makes the whole kitchen feel like home. 💗
Before You Start ✨
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✨ Use a true nonstick baking spray (with flour). This batter is thick and the cake is dense — you need the kind that releases beautifully.
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✨ Underbake slightly for the best texture. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.
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✨ Use a full 12-cup bundt pan. This cake rises high and needs the space. Place a baking sheet underneath just in case.
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✨ Choose good-quality butter. It builds the flavor and structure of this pound cake — don’t skimp.
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✨ Toast your pecans. It deepens the nutty flavor and adds incredible aroma. (Instructions in Pro Tips!)
Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake Ingredients + Key Notes
This is just a quick glance at what you’ll need. For exact measurements and the full ingredient list, head down to the recipe card below.
CAKE
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Butter — Softened, high-quality butter gives this pound cake its rich flavor and velvety crumb.
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Sugar — Just the right amount to balance the bourbon and pecans.
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Eggs — Six whole eggs create that classic dense, luxurious pound cake texture.
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Flour — Use name-brand all-purpose flour for consistent absorption.
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Baking powder — Helps lift this otherwise heavy batter.
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Salt + Nutmeg — Nutmeg adds a subtle Southern warmth.
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Sour cream — Moisture, richness, and tenderness.
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Bourbon — Adds complexity and a caramel-vanilla note.
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Pecans — Chopped and mixed throughout for crunch and flavor.
CARAMEL GLAZE
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Butter + brown sugar — The base of a classic caramel-style glaze.
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Milk + vanilla — Create smoothness and depth.
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Powdered sugar — Thickens the glaze just enough to cling.
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Additional pecans — For that signature crunchy topping.
🔬 The Baking Science
Pound cakes rely on emulsification — beating butter, sugar, and eggs long enough to build tiny air pockets that expand in the oven and create that luscious, velvety crumb. The sour cream brings acidity and moisture, which keeps the crumb tender, and the bourbon’s alcohol helps dissolve aromatic flavor compounds, enhancing sweetness and depth.=
⭐ Pro Tips
⭐ Toast your pecans. Spread them on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Let cool before adding to the batter or glaze topping.
⭐ Don’t overbake. A dry pound cake is simply a tragedy — remove it when the toothpick has crumbs, not a clean pull.
⭐ Use baking spray with flour. This is crucial. It creates a thin barrier that helps this dense cake release smoothly from the bundt pan. Spray right before adding the batter.
⭐ Don’t rush the creaming. Those first 2–4 minutes of beating the butter and sugar establish the entire cake’s structure.
⭐ Let the cake cool completely before glazing. Otherwise the glaze melts and slides off.
How to Make This Cake
Make the batter: Cream the butter until fluffy, mix in the sugar, then beat for several minutes until pale. Add the eggs one at a time. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir the sour cream and bourbon together, then add both mixtures to the batter alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and fold in the pecans.
Bake: Spray a 12-cup bundt pan generously with baking spray, fill it with batter, and bake at 325°F for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool 15 minutes in the pan, then turn out to cool completely.
Glaze: Cook butter, brown sugar, and milk until bubbling, whisk in vanilla and powdered sugar, then pour over the cooled cake and top with pecans.
Storing, Freezing & Make-Ahead Tips
Storing
- Keep covered at room temperature for 3–4 days. The bourbon actually helps the cake stay moist longer!
Freezing
- Wrap slices or the entire cake tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before serving.
Make-Ahead
- Bake the cake 1–2 days in advance and glaze the day you plan to serve. The flavor deepens as it rests — classic pound-cake magic.
Food Safety
- If you’d like more info on food safety, check out this link.
✦ Frequently Asked Questions
✦ Does the bourbon make the cake taste alcoholic?
No — it bakes out, leaving a warm, deep caramel-vanilla note rather than a boozy flavor.
✦ Can I skip the bourbon?
Yes. Replace it with milk + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. The flavor will be slightly different but still delicious.
✦ Can I use whiskey instead of bourbon?
You can — but bourbon has a sweeter profile that complements the pecans and caramel better.
✦ Why is my pound cake dry?
Most often it’s from overbaking or using overly compacted flour. Check early, measure flour by spoon-and-level, and don’t wait for a clean toothpick.
✦ How do I prevent sticking in the bundt pan?
Use baking spray with flour and spray heavily right before adding the batter. Cooling 15 minutes before unmolding also helps.
Still have questions? Drop them in the comments — I love helping you cook with confidence! 💗
More Pound Cakes!
- Orange Pound Cake with Orange Syrup and Orange Glaze – Every bite is like sweet sunshine!
- Oreo Pound Cake– A rich, chocolate-studded pound cake with crushed Oreos folded into every buttery bite. Cookies-and-cream heaven!
- Lemon Pound Cake – Moist and tender with the perfect lemon flavor!
- Coconut Pound Cake – Soft, tender, and full of sweet coconut flavor with a delicate crumb that practically melts on your tongue.
- Buttermilk Pound Cake– Light, buttery, and beautifully moist thanks to tangy buttermilk — a classic, crowd-pleasing favorite every time.
Tried This Recipe?
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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! 💗 Kathleen
Easy Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake With Caramel Glaze
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
Glaze:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC).
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter (1 cup) on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in sugar (2 1/2 cups), gradually, then beat on medium for 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time (6) and beat just until yolks disappear.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour (3 cups), baking powder (2 teaspoons), salt (1/2 teaspoon), and nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon); set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together sour cream (8 ounces) and bourbon (1/2 cup). Add to butter mixture, alternately with the flour mixture, starting with and finishing with the flour mixture. Combine just until blended. Mix in pecans (1 1/2 cups).
- Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
Glaze:
- Melt the butter (1/4 cup) in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar (1/2 cup) and milk (3 tablespoons). Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Continue to boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Stir in vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) and powdered sugar (1 cup) and mix until smooth.
- Pour glaze over cake (completely cooled) then add chopped pecans (1/2 cup) to the top, pressing them gently into the glaze.
Notes
- Toast your pecans. Spread them on a sheet pan and bake at 350°F for 6–8 minutes until fragrant. Let cool before adding to the batter or glaze topping.
- Don’t overbake. A dry pound cake is simply a tragedy — remove it when the toothpick has crumbs, not a clean pull.
- Use baking spray with flour. This is crucial. It creates a thin barrier that helps this dense cake release smoothly from the bundt pan. Spray right before adding the batter.
- Don’t rush the creaming. Those first 2–4 minutes of beating the butter and sugar establish the entire cake’s structure.
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing. Otherwise, the glaze melts and slides off.
Nutrition
I was looking for your pecan pie cake recipe and it keeps taking me to this one. Please tell me how to get the pecan pie cake recipe!. My family loved it and I thought I had it saved but this is what I get.
Hey Lori. Sorry there was a little glich. Paste this into your browser and you should get it right away! https://www.gonnawantseconds.com/pecan-pie-cake/
This cake was amazing. Made it for my dad’s birthday after randomly searching Pinterest for a cake with pecans and liquor. SUCH a lucky find! Three people at the party said it was maybe their new favorite and definitely in the top 5. And I think it may have been even better the next morning with a cup of coffee. The only thing I did differently was to toast the pecans that went on top. 11 out of 10, will definitely make again! Thank you for making me so popular! 🙂
Corrie, I’m so happy this was a big hit for you!! I hope you try some more of our recipes!
Amazing, I didn’t have bourbon so I used a pecan whiskey instead and it complimented it very well!
I just took the cake out of the oven…for the second time! The first time it came out in pieces and crumbles…but the flavor was good. The second time, after watching a view YouTube videos on how to remove a bundt from pan, both ladies stated that they never use cooking spray. They both did the two step method (shortening and flour); one melted the shortening and used almond flour, and the other used solid shortening and regular flour. This is what I did. I also read a tip in one of the video comments that stated once the cake come out of the oven to place it on a kitchen towel which has been ran under cold water for ten minutes. I did this and the cake came out PERFECT! Taking it to my in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner. I can’t wait to see how it goes over!
That’s amazing, Melissa! Thank you for sharing your experience. I gotta try that method too 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!
Has anyone made this cake using cake flour instead of all purpose? If so do you still need baking powder
Hi, Bertha. I haven’t tried using cake flour for this cake.
Here’s what I found in Southern Living: “Add an extra 2 tablespoons per cup of cake flour to equal the quantity in 1 cup of all-purpose flour.”
Hope this helps! Let us know how it turns out 🙂
I’ve made this twice. One in the oven right now! Guess i could say it’s pretty darn tasty!
Hi, Angie! OMG, thank you so much! It’s so good and I hope you’ll bake more, more batches! <3 🙂
This is the 2nd time I have made this DELICIOUS cake. The first time, I had a devil of a time getting it out of my Nordic Ware Anniversary Edition Bundt pan. In fact, it came out in pieces. I checked with Nordic Ware, and they said never use non-stick spray in their “non-stick” cookware. So… this time I carefully greased the pan with Crisco. Again, it wouldn’t come out of the pan. I fooled around with it for about 45 minutes, and it finally came out, in one piece, but all of the wonderful crust on the cake stayed in the pan. Any suggestions?
Gosh, Chuck, I haven’t had problems with this cake sticking like that. I have to confess, I do indeed use nonstick cooking spray in my nonstick Nordic Ware. I use the Bakers version and have never had a problem with any of my cakes. 🙂
I don’t have problems but if you wait and prep your pan JUST before putting in the batter that is best. Also use a pastry brush and get every nook and cranny but be careful not to use too much prep!
I just discovered your blog after seeing this recipe on pinterest. It looks like you have alot of tasty recipes. This pound cake looks so delicious, I am thinking about making this for Christmas.
Thank you so much Jessica! I hope you make the Bourbon Pecan Pound Cake for Christmas!
Is there a bourbon glaze that can be made instead of the one with milk or would that be too much bourbon
Hey Cindy. You certainly could add some bourbon to the glaze. It is very strong so I’d literally start with adding just a splash. If you don’t want any milk in the glaze, it can be made with water instead. The water glaze will, however, be more clear so it adds flavor but not the pretty color.
I would to make this cake but I can’t see all of the recipe – your picture is covering up the first ingredient.
Sorry about that! We were experiencing a glitch with the program on our new site. Should be all fixed!
Can you leave the bourbon out of this cake? If so, do you need to add another liquid?
Hey Betty. Gosh, I’m sorry I’ve never made this recipe without the Bourbon. Sorry!
lol the bourbon gives a wonderful flavor, don’t leave it out
I’d love to try this, but I live in Wyoming above 5000 ft. I never know what adjustments need to be made with a cake from scratch. Can you help?
Hi Sandi. I’m sorry I don’t have any experience baking at altitude. I’m at sea level 🙂
Oh boy, this is tempting, very much. I just have to check my pantry and let’s start… Thank you !
Hope you enjoy 🙂
Can you use a pound cake pan instead of a Bundt cake pan? What kind of bourbon did you use?
Thanks!
Hey Felicia. I used Wild Turkey. Honestly, I use whatever we have on hand. I’m sorry but I’m not sure what you’re referring to as a bundt pan. Are you talk about a tube pan? The most important thing is the volume capacity of the pan. The pan needs to accommodate 12 cups. LMK if this helps!
This is the third time I have made this cake. I use cognac brandy. I use the good expensive brand. This time I used my Grandmother’s old tube pan. Solid bottom. Sprayed with Baker’s Joy and then coated it with pure Cane Sugar. Love the crust it makes.
I used rich buttermilk. Not low fat!! It makes the icing taste like a creamy pecan praline!! You wanted to know if we substituted some ingredients. I would rate this receipe 10 Stars. Every one loves it!!
Wow thank you so much, Lanny!❤️❤️ I’m so glad to hear it turned out GREAT for you and everyone enjoyed it 😀