Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake

In this cake recipe you are getting not one, but TWO trade secret recipes in one. This is my favorite type of chocolate cake, layered with the pecan pies we make every holiday. And I’m not sure why I’ve never published either, they are both fool-proof and so GOOD. And yes, this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake is designed for a chocoholic, but with layers like that, I think anyone can be a chocoholic??

This is the third and final cake I made at my wedding, so it holds a special place in my heart. I hope it might be as special for you, too. (Also yes, it was the crowd favorite!).

Why make this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake?

Oh my gosh, there are so many reasons to make this cake!!

• Two desserts in one — Chocolate cake meets pecan pie, and they become greater than the sum of their parts. The textural contrast alone is enough to try it once!
• The layers are visibly stunning, but you don’t have to do that much to achieve them. The pecan pie crust looks like a layer, but you baked it right in. The brown butter bourbon buttercream looks like a gorgeous layer on its own, but it is so easy to assemble. And the pecan bourbon filling turns into the perfect cake layer surprise. People will keep asking you “what is this magic?”.
• The sweet pecan pie is perfectly balanced by the bittersweet chocolate layers. I would never want to overwhelm your sweet tooth, so this cake is designed to be balanced. The chocolate is bittersweet and low on sugar, where the pecan pie is caramel-y and rich. Together they make the perfect bite.
• And let’s be honest, it’s celebration-worthy. This is probably the easiest of my layer cakes, but it is the most impressive and celebratory every time. Everyone loves a chocolate layer cake!

How to make the bourbon pecan pies

I joke in my video that these pies are fool-proof, because I’ve never had a moment where I messed them up. All the ingredients go in one bowl, and voila! You can a stunning, delicious pecan pie.

And this isn’t just any pecan pie—it’s the kind of pecan pie that’s been passed down to me, starting as a hand-written recipe and now refined into this more specific recipe that I’m so excited to share with you. Rich, gooey, deeply nutty, and now nestled right in the middle of a cake. Here’s how to make it work in layer form.

Start with a press-in graham cracker crust

You’ll pulse two whole packs of graham crackers (yes, 36 rectangles!) in a food processor until they’re finely ground, like sand. Then mix in melted salted butter until the crumbs hold together just slightly. Divide this mixture between two 8-inch springform pans and press it into a flat, even layer using the bottom of a cup or measuring cup.

Tip: Don’t worry if the crust seems a bit loose at this stage. The pie filling will hold it together.

Toast your pecans for deep, nutty flavor

A quick toast makes all the difference here. Add the pecans to a dry sauté pan over medium-low heat and toast for about 6–8 minutes, just until they’re fragrant and a little darker. You’ll be tempted to skip this step, but it’s worth it for the extra depth of flavor!

Set aside ½ cup of the nicest pecan halves to decorate the top of one pie, then roughly chop the rest.

Whisk together the filling

This filling skips the corn syrup and uses maple syrup instead, which adds natural sweetness and a warm complexity. In a large bowl, whisk together:

• Dark brown sugar
• Eggs
• Maple syrup
• Melted butter
• Bourbon (for warmth and a hint of complexity)
• Vanilla, salt, and a touch of flour for structure

Then stir in the chocolate (semi-sweet or a chopped 70% bar, your call) and your chopped pecans. It will be thin but will bake up thick and gooey—exactly what you want.

Divide and bake

Pour the filling evenly into your two pans over the graham crusts. On one of the pies, decorate the top with that reserved ½ cup of pecan halves—go for concentric circles, if you can!

Bake the pies on a sheet pan at 375°F for 40–45 minutes, or until they are domed and look golden and firmed up.

How to make the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake layers

The chocolate cake is simple, but it uses one of my favorite cake methods, which is Reverse Creaming.

Instead of creaming the butter and sugar first, the method is a bit different:

1. Start by mixing the sugar and flour together.
2. Add softened butter directly to the dry mix until you get a dense cookie dough-like texture. See the image above.
3. Then add your wet ingredients in stages.

So what is this doing? Reverse-creaming makes it so that your sugar doesn’t create too much aeration when mixed with the butter, since the flour is already present. It also slows down gluten formation, so you have a cake that is moist but still light.

So you get a a tender, plush crumb with less risk of overmixing. Plus, it also gives your cake a naturally flat top—perfect for stacking. No leveling needed.

(You can now see why this chocolate cake batter is one of my favorite batters of all time, it’s so pretty).

How to know when the chocolate cake layers are done

You want your layers to be just set but still moist and tender. Here’s what to look for:

• The top will spring back when gently pressed.
• A toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, but I try to avoid pucnturing cakes if I can, go by sight first!
• The cakes will dome slightly in the oven, then flatten as they cool—that’s normal and actually helpful for stacking. But you want them in a tall dome to know they are done!

Avoid overbaking: it’s better to check a few minutes early than to dry it out. After making this cake a few times, I’ve learned how to tell just from sight when it’s ready. See the image below, it’s pretty telling!

The best way to make American buttercream

This recipe uses two buttercreams: a brown butter bourbon version and a classic chocolate one, both built on the American buttercream technique (no meringues or sugar syrups here). This makes the icings a bit less stable than other buttercreams, but they are the easiest frosting to make, and so so delicious. I think it captures the nostalgia of this cake perfectly, since this is the icing that will most closely reflect the icings you’re used to having on birthday cakes.

For ultra-smooth American buttercream:

• Start with very soft butter—room temperature, not melted. It’s important to note for the brown butter bourbon buttercream you don’t want it looking any softer than the image below.
• Whip your butter first, this makes it a consistent smoothness, which is good to have before we start adding the sugar.
• Add sugar gradually, adding powdered sugar slowly helps avoid any clumps. Resist the urge to speed up the process! Only add another spoonful once the first has combined.
• Finish with heavy cream, it may seem like a small amount that you can skip, but it completely transforms an American buttercream into something fluffy and light!

My biggest tip with an American buttercream – evaluate it by sight. The butter and sugar will aerate, making a deeply fluffy frosting that the heavy cream will only make fluffier. See the image below for how your buttercreams should look before frosting. Extra light and extra spreadable 🙂

How to assemble this cake

For my other cakes, you see I like to layer them in the pans I baked them in, then flip them onto the surface I plan to decorate on. While this works well for most cakes, it won’t really cut it with this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie one, since the pecan topping is meant to be on top from the start.

The assemble this layer cake, I suggest a few steps:

1. Find the base you plan to serve it on. You *can* transfer this cake later, but it’s much easier to start where you plan to serve. If you are transporting this cake, you can decorate it on a cardboard cake base and then easily take that base wherever!
2. Start with chocolate cake on the bottom. Center it as best as you can.
3. Add a layer of brown butter bourbon buttercream. The only time we are using this buttercream is for in between the layers, So add a liberal amount, don’t be shy!
4. Add the undecorated pecan pie layer. This will adhere easily to the chocolate cake layer.
5. Repeat: more buttercream, another chocolate cake, more buttercream. Delicious.
6. Top it off with your decorated pecan pie layer (the one with the pecan circles, see image below).
7. Use the chocolate bourbon buttercream to smooth out the sides. You want the pecan pie to peek out on top, but a nice even chocolate edge all around.

Tip: Finish with a hot spatula swipe around the outside for clean lines. Chill the whole cake for a few hours so it slices like a dream. The chocolate icing should darken a shade in color!

Can I make just the pecan pies or chocolate cakes on their own?

Absolutely! In fact, it’s one of my favorite things to do to make a very reasonably-sized (lol) and transportable dessert!

For the pecan pies – just halve the recipe and you’ll have one perfect pie.

For the chocolate cakes – keep the recipe as-is, but only choose one frosting to make. You’ll be left with a two-layer easy birthday cake that I love pulling out for fun occasions!

Storage suggestions for this cake (either whole or slices)

• If the cake is still whole: Store it in the fridge under a dome or loosely wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. A cardboard cake box works too. The frosting helps lock in moisture, so the layers stay tender.
• If the cake is sliced: Keep individual slices in an airtight container in the fridge. Use parchment or wax paper between layers if stacking. This protects all of the frosting and edges, plus makes it easy to go in and grab individual slices as you need them!
• Freezer-friendly: Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 30–45 minutes. It’s such a treat to know there’s cake somewhere in the house.

Tip: If you made this ahead of time and haven’t decorated it yet, you can keep the crumb-coated cake in the fridge for up to 2 days before finishing the frosting and coconut. I suggest 24 hours for peak freshness, but there is wiggle room!

Make it ahead:

This cake is a great candidate for breaking up the prep:

• Pecan pie layers: These can be baked up to 5 days in advance. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once they’ve cooled completely and keep them in the fridge.
• Chocolate cake layers: These can be baked 2–3 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and stored at room temperature. Or freeze them for up to 1 month—just thaw at room temp, still wrapped, before assembling.
• Buttercreams: You can make the buttercreams 1–2 days ahead and store them in airtight containers in the fridge. Let them come to room temperature and re-whip them with a paddle attachment before using.

And that’s it for this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3