Ingredients
Scale
For the cake:
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the cinnamon-pecan swirl:
- ½ cup (100g) brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (60g) chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp melted butter
For the caramel-pecan glaze:
- ½ cup (1 stick / 115g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (300g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (60g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13″ pan.
- Make swirl: Mix brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, pecans, and melted butter until crumbly. Set aside.
- Make cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla; mix until smooth. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
- Assemble: Pour half the batter into pan. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-pecan swirl. Top with remaining batter (don’t stir—it will bake into a tornado swirl!).
- Bake 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 min.
- Make glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in cocoa and milk; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in pecans.
- Pour warm glaze over warm cake. Cool completely before slicing.
💡 Tip: For extra gooeyness, poke holes in warm cake with a skewer before glazing.
Prep Time & Nutrition (per slice, serves 12):
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr
Servings: 12 | Calories: 480 | Net Carbs: 62g | Fats: 26g | Protein: 6g
Servings: 12 | Calories: 480 | Net Carbs: 62g | Fats: 26g | Protein: 6g