Gluten Free Pecan Upside Down Cake (Easy Buttermilk Recipe)

Have you ever craved a dessert that’s pure, old-fashioned comfort? I’m talking about a cake that’s equal parts decadent topping and tender, moist crumb. For many on a gluten-free diet, finding a cake that isn’t dry or crumbly is a challenge. What if you could make a stunning, bakery-quality cake that no one would ever guess is gluten-free?

This Gluten Free Pecan Upside Down Cake is that show-stopping recipe. It features a rich, bubbling caramel pecan layer that becomes the most glorious topping. Underneath lies an incredibly tender, tangy gluten-free buttermilk cake that stays moist for days. This isn’t just a simple dessert; it’s a celebration in a pan, perfect for a cozy afternoon or a holiday gathering.

Ingredients for Your Pecan Upside Down Cake

This recipe is broken into two simple components: the sticky caramel pecan topping and the incredibly moist buttermilk cake. Using room temperature ingredients for the cake batter is key!

Component	Ingredient	Amount/Quantity
Caramel Pecan Layer	Light Brown Soft Sugar	100 g (½ cup)
	Golden Syrup (or Corn Syrup)	100 g (4½ tbsp)
	Heavy/Double Cream	80 g (⅓ cup)
	Ground Cinnamon	½ tsp
	Salt	¼ tsp
	Pecans, roughly chopped	150 g (1¼ cups)
Buttermilk Cake	Light Brown Soft Sugar	150 g (¾ cup)
	Buttermilk, room temperature	150 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp)
	Large Eggs, room temperature	3
	Neutral-Tasting Oil (Canola, etc.)	70 g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp)
	Vanilla Bean Paste	½ tsp (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
	Plain Gluten-Free Flour Blend	200 g (1⅔ cups)
	Baking Powder	2 tsp
	Xanthan Gum	½ tsp (Omit if your blend has it)
	Salt	¼ tsp

Recipe Timing

This stunning cake comes together much faster than you’d think, with most of the time being hands-off baking.

• Preparation Time: 20 minutes
• Cooking Time: 40 minutes
• Cooling Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (A truly impressive dessert in just over an hour!)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat Oven and Prepare Your Pan

First, let’s get the oven ready. Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat it to 350ºF (180ºC). Grab a 9-inch (23cm) round cake pan. Lightly butter the pan and, most importantly, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

• Actionable Tip: Do not use a springform pan! The buttery caramel is liquidy at first and could leak out during baking, creating a smoking mess in your oven. A solid cake pan is a must.

Step 2: Cook the Caramel Pecan Topping

In a medium saucepan, combine the light brown sugar, golden syrup, heavy cream, cinnamon, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute longer while stirring.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add your chopped pecans and stir well until every single nut is coated in that luscious caramel mixture.

Step 3: Prepare the Topping Layer

Pour the hot caramel pecan mixture directly into your prepared cake pan. Use a silicone spatula to spread it out into a fairly even layer, making sure the pecans cover the bottom. Set this pan aside to cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the cake batter.

Step 4: Mix the Wet Cake Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, room-temperature buttermilk, room-temperature eggs, oil, and vanilla bean paste. Whisk until everything is smooth and well combined.

• Actionable Tip: Using room-temperature buttermilk and eggs is crucial. It helps the ingredients emulsify properly, which is the secret to a tender, even crumb in your gluten-free buttermilk cake.

Step 5: Mix the Dry Cake Ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together your gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, xanthan gum (if using), and salt. Whisking the dry ingredients first ensures the baking powder and xanthan gum are evenly distributed, which is essential for a good rise and texture.

Step 6: Combine Batters and Pour

Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl of wet ingredients. Whisk everything together until you have a smooth, fairly runny cake batter with no dry flour clumps remaining.

Gently pour this batter on top of the caramel pecan layer in your cake pan. Smooth the top into an even layer with your spatula.

Step 7: Bake the Cake

Place the cake pan on the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 38-40 minutes.

You’ll know it’s done when the cake is a beautiful golden brown on top, has risen well, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (with no wet batter).

• Actionable Tip: If you notice the cake top is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil (shiny side up) and continue baking until the center is cooked through.

Step 8: Invert and Serve Your Upside Down Cake

This is the most important part! Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. It must be inverted while it’s still hot, or the caramel will set and stick to the pan.

• Actionable Tip: If needed, run a thin knife or a small offset spatula around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan.Place a large serving plate (larger than the cake) upside down over the pan. With oven mitts on, confidently and quickly flip both the pan and the plate over. Lift the pan away.Don’t panic if some of the caramel pecan topping sticks to the pan! Just use a silicone spatula to scrape it off and arrange it back on top of the cake. Serve this masterpiece either warm (highly recommended!) or cooled completely to room temperature.

Nutritional Information (Estimate)

This is an indulgent dessert! This estimate is per serving, assuming the cake is cut into 10 large slices.

• Calories: 475 kcal
• Protein: 5 g
• Carbohydrates: 62 g
• Sugar: 42 g
• Fat: 24 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Sodium: 210 mg
• Fiber: 3 g

Healthier Alternatives & Variations

While this cake is a treat, you can make a few swaps:

• Dairy-Free: To make this a dairy-free pecan upside down cake, swap the heavy cream in the caramel for full-fat canned coconut cream. Use a vegan “buttermilk” (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp of unsweetened almond milk + 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, left to curdle for 5 mins). Ensure your gluten-free flour blend is also dairy-free.
• Different Nuts: Not a pecan fan? This recipe works beautifully with chopped walnuts or even slivered almonds.
• Sugar Reduction: You can slightly reduce the sugar in both the caramel and the cake batter, but it may affect the final texture and moistness.
• Spice it Up: Feel free to add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg or allspice to the cake batter’s dry ingredients for an even warmer, spiced flavor.

Serving Suggestions

This Gluten Free Pecan Upside Down Cake is a true show-stopper all on its own, especially when served warm from the oven.

• A La Mode: A scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream melting over a warm slice is absolute heaven. The contrast of warm, nutty caramel and cold, creamy vanilla is unbeatable.
• With Cream: A simple dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or a drizzle of heavy cream is also fantastic, as it cuts through the sweetness of the topping.
• The Perfect Occasion: This is the ultimate holiday dessert. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any fall or winter gathering where you want a cozy, impressive, and comforting treat. It’s also a wonderful addition to a weekend brunch!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Follow these tips to ensure your upside down cake is perfect every time.

• Using a Springform Pan: As mentioned, that hot caramel will find a way to leak, creating a burnt-sugar mess on the bottom of your oven.
  • Solution: Always use a solid 9-inch round cake pan.
• Inverting the Cake When Cold: If you let the cake cool completely in the pan, the caramel will harden like candy and stick, pulling your entire topping off.
  • Solution: You must invert the cake while it is still hot, after only 10-15 minutes of cooling. This ensures the caramel is still liquid and releases cleanly.
• Forgetting Xanthan Gum (if needed): Gluten-free baking needs a binder. If your flour blend doesn’t have one, your cake will be a crumbly mess.
  • Solution: Read your flour blend’s ingredient list! If it doesn’t list xanthan gum or another binder, you must add the 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum as the recipe states.
• Using Cold Ingredients: If you use cold buttermilk or cold eggs, they will “shock” the other ingredients and won’t mix in smoothly.
  • Solution: Take your eggs and buttermilk out of the fridge at least 30-60 minutes before you start baking.

Storing Your Cake

This cake is wonderfully moist and keeps well.

• Countertop: The cake keeps well in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (or on the counter) for 2-3 days. Because of the buttermilk and cream, I prefer the fridge.
• Refrigerator: Storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator will keep it fresh for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheating: This cake is amazing when reheated. Place a slice on a microwave-safe plate and warm it for 20-30 seconds. The caramel will become soft and gooey all over again!
• Freezing: You can freeze individual slices. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge.

Conclusion

This Gluten Free Pecan Upside Down Cake is more than just a recipe; it’s a celebration of flavor and texture. From the crunchy, nutty, bubbling caramel to the unbelievably tender and moist gluten-free buttermilk cake, every bite is pure comfort. It’s the perfect, impressive dessert to prove that gluten-free baking can be every bit as delicious (or more so!) than its traditional counterparts.

We hope you fall in love with this sticky, sweet, and nutty cake! Try it out and let us know what you think in the comments below. Did you serve it with ice cream? We’d love to hear your feedback. Don’t forget to rate the recipe and share it with your fellow gluten-free bakers!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is Golden Syrup and can I really use corn syrup instead?

Golden syrup is a thick, amber-colored inverted sugar syrup that is very popular in British baking. It has a rich, buttery, and slightly toasted flavor that is unique. You can use light corn syrup as a 1-to-1 substitute if you can’t find it, but as the recipe notes, the golden syrup will give you the best, most authentic caramel flavor.

Q2. My gluten-free flour blend already has xanthan gum. What do I do?

Great question! If your gluten-free flour blend (like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1) already contains xanthan gum, you should omit the ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum listed in the recipe. Adding extra can make the cake gummy.

Q3. Can I make this with regular all-purpose flour (with gluten)?

Yes, you can! To make this cake with regular flour, simply swap the 200g of gluten-free flour blend for 200g (or 1 ⅔ cups) of regular all-purpose flour and omit the xanthan gum. The rest of the recipe and instructions remain exactly the same.

Q4. I don’t have buttermilk. Can I make a substitute?

Yes! A homemade buttermilk substitute works perfectly here. For this recipe, measure 150g (or ½ cup + 2 tbsp) of regular milk (whole milk is best). Add 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to the milk, give it a stir, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. It will thicken and “curdle” slightly. You can then use it just like regular buttermilk.

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