The picture speaks for itself so I will keep my gushing to a minimum!
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake ~ What more can I say?
Simple chocolate cake recipe mixes up in one bowl with bourbon pecan pie filling that is ready in minutes!

Using a bittersweet chocolate buttercream for the icing gave a really good balance to the sweetness in the entire cake

Topping it off with ganache and caramel pecan drips
Who doesn’t just love a drippy, ooey, gooey cake!?

No affiliation with any product or company linked below, solely for visual reference
Notes for Success:
First of all ~ YES! The bourbon can be left out with no changes to the recipe!
To make this cake gluten free simply sub in a 1:1 All Purpose blend like Bob’s Red Mill for the cake recipe
For the pecan pie filling I use flour as an added thickener but you can use a gluten free flour blend instead
I always use 7″ cake pans for my layer cakes but you can use 2-8″ cake pans instead for a 2 layer cake
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume/spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.
Many times people have complained that their custard is like rubber and they don’t know why!
Whenever I make a cake that is filled with custard like this one
I prefer to build it in a cake ring with an acetate cake strip while the custard is hot off the stove
While not 100% necessary, this method ensures that the custard will cool inside the cake
For a sturdy slice rather than a custard that may have the tendency to smoosh out while serving
Note about molasses:
I understand many people cannot get molasses that I used in the pecan pie filling recipe, so you can leave it out with no changes to the recipe
Another viewer suggested to use date syrup in place of it; and while that sounds like a good idea I have not tried that
WATCH THE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE


Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cake
Ingredients
For the Pecan Pie Filling:
- 1 cup Plant Milk (237ml)
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar (67g)
- ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar (67g)
- 2 teaspoon Molasses (10ml)
- 2½ Tbs Cornstarch *see notes (20g)
- 2 Tbs All Purpose Flour (14g)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 4 Tbs Vegan Butter (56g)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (5ml)
- 1 Tbs Bourbon *optional (15ml)
- 1 cup Pecans lightly toasted
finishing touches
- 1 Recipe Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup pecans for the topping & bottom rim garnish *optional
- ½ Recipe ganache
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate cake recipe as per the instructions on that recipe post & divide the batter evenly amongst 3-7" greased & parchment lined cake pans
- While the cakes are baking prepare the Chocolate Buttercream recipe according to the instructions on that page.
- Next prepare the optional caramel topping & ganache for the drips & reserve the caramel in the refrigerator until it is thick & cold. The ganache stays at room temperature/warm for the drip
- Lightly roast the pecans on a sheet pan in a 250°F oven for approximately 10-15 minutes or when very lightly toasted
- When your cakes are completely cold & the buttercream is ready you can begin to assemble the cake
- Make the custard by combining the sugars with the flour & cornstarch & whisk it to combine well
- Add the sugar mixture to a medium sauce pot along with the plant milk & molasses & whisk it constantly over a medium to high heat until it comes to a boil
- Remove from the heat & add the vegan butter, salt, vanilla extract & optional bourbon. Whisk to combine to a smooth custard
- Add the lightly toasted chopped pecans & then layer it into your prepared cake layers inside the cake ring mold *as shown in the video tutorial
Video
Notes

Absolutely delicious. No one could tell it was vegan.
Just made this cake for my hubby’s birthday ???? it was a real hit…delicious!!! I always want everyone to know it’s vegan. ???? ???? ???? THANK YOU so much, Gretchen…your recipes never disappoint!!!
YAY! thank you for the comment!