Let’s create this wonderful Butter Pecan Cake! First, the crucial step: brown the butter. Place the 1 cup of unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt it completely. Increase the heat slightly to medium and continue cooking, swirling the pan or stirring occasionally. The butter will foam, then subside. Watch closely as milk solids sink and start to turn golden, then amber, then nutty brown. It will smell incredibly nutty. Once it reaches a nice amber/medium brown (don’t let it burn!), immediately remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl, leaving any burnt sediment behind. Let this browned butter cool completely to room temperature.

Prepare the oven and pans. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside. Ensure buttermilk and eggs are at room temperature if possible. Finely chop the pecans for the cake batter (a food processor pulsing carefully works well for a very fine chop).

Prepare the cake batter. Interpreting the Mixing Method: The instructions are slightly contradictory. A common method that aligns with adding butter to dry ingredients first (Step 4) is Reverse Creaming, which promotes tenderness. Let’s follow that logic: In a large bowl (preferably your stand mixer bowl), whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, packed light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until thoroughly combined. Add the cooled browned butter (it should be liquid or semi-solid, but cool) and the softened butter pieces (if interpreting step 4 literally combining with step 7’s butter – more likely step 7 butter is for frosting). Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment just until the dry ingredients are moistened and resemble coarse sand (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the room temperature buttermilk, room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually pour about half of the buttermilk mixture into the flour-butter mixture. Mix until just combined, then add the remaining buttermilk mixture. Increase speed slightly and mix for about 30-60 seconds until smooth, but do not overmix. Scrape the bowl. Gently stir in the 1 ½ cups of very finely chopped pecans using a spatula.

Divide the finished batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans. Smooth the tops gently. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back lightly when touched.

Let the cakes cool in their pans on wire racks for about 15-20 minutes. Then, carefully run a thin knife around the edges and invert the cakes onto the racks. Peel off the parchment paper and let them cool completely before frosting.

While cakes cool, make the Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting. Ensure butter and cream cheese are properly softened. In a large bowl using an electric mixer (stand mixer with paddle or handheld), beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese, packed light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together on medium-high speed until completely smooth, creamy, and well combined (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the bowl.

Turn the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing until just incorporated after each addition. Once all the powdered sugar is initially mixed in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2-3 minutes until the frosting is very light and fluffy. Beat in the 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream. Check consistency – if too stiff, beat in a tiny bit more cream (1 tsp at a time). If desired, gently stir in the ⅓ cup of optional finely chopped pecans into the finished frosting now.

Assemble the completely cooled cake. Level the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife if needed for even stacking. Place the first cake layer onto your serving plate or cake stand. Spread a generous layer of the brown sugar cream cheese frosting evenly over the top (about 1 cup or slightly more).

Carefully place the second cake layer on top. Add another generous layer of frosting. Place the third and final cake layer on top (upside down for a flat top is recommended). Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the entire cake. Smooth it with your offset spatula or create decorative swirls.

Garnish the cake with additional chopped (preferably toasted) pecans sprinkled over the top or pressed onto the sides/base, if desired. You can also pipe decorative swirls or borders using leftover frosting if you reserved some. Chill the cake for at least 30-60 minutes to allow the frosting to set before slicing. Serve at cool room temperature.