Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Southern Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce


I'm gonna start this recipe by saying I am nuts about nuts.
Alright now, get your brains outta the gutter!
I'm talking about pecans and walnuts and macadamia - you name it.
But my absolute favorite is the pecan.

And if you love pecans like I do, then ooohhh doggie, you are in for a treat!
This cake is full of pecan flavor and the sauce just takes this cake over the top.
And did I mention it starts off with a boxed cake mix and you put a tub of frosting in the cake batter?   This ain't your ordinary cake.
Every bite packs such amazing flavor that you will not believe how easy it was to throw together.
Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE
1 (15 0z) box Butter Pecan Cake Mix
1 (16 0z) tub Coconut Pecan Frosting
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pecans

 FOR THE SAUCE:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

butter not pictured
 Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
I know I say this all the time but it bears repeating for the new cooks out there, I love the nonstick spray that has flour in it for baking.
In a medium bowl (or your stand mixer bowl), combine all the cake ingredients except for the chopped pecans.
 Don't forget to add the tub of coconut pecan frosting. That goes into the cake batter too!
 
I just dump it all in there then let the mixer do the work.
Once it's all combined, stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
I love the smell of this batter..mmmm.
Pour batter into greased baking dish.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
As with most baked goods, oven times vary but cake should spring back to the touch and be golden brown.
And if you insert a toothpick into the middle it should come out clean.
This cake is perfectly good just like this.
It is moist and yummy.
But we're gonna take it up a notch with some butter sauce.
In a small pot over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp. butter.
Pour in can of sweetened condensed milk with the melted butter and stir.
Continue to stir until heated thoroughly, then add 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
Stir again then take off heat.
Then spoon this deliciously yummy sauce over individual slices of cake.
I pour the sauce over the individual slices instead of just pouring it over the whole cake because I love to be able to scoop up some of the sauce off my plate as I eat it and I don't want the sauce to just become part of the cake. 
But if you are feeding a crowd, it may be easier to pour the sauce over the entire cake before serving.  This sauce takes this cake from yum to yowsers!
Cook's Note: You can also make this in a bundt pan. Bake for about 50 minutes.

Enjoy!

 Printable Recipe Here
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61 comments:

  1. Good grief I think I just gained 5 pounds looking at that! Might have to make that one real soon...and I LOVE nuts, too. But pecans are ridiculously expensive right now. Thanks for nothing Mr. Drought! Cute kitchen helper you have there...

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  2. Im going to try this. :-) this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. This looks REALLY good with one exception -- my family does not like coconut. Do you have any suggestion for a substitute frosting to use in place of the coconut pecan?

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  4. My dad loves pecan cakes! I'll have to make this for him!

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  5. Thank you for the sweet comments everyone! Always love hearing from you!! Connie - unfortunately the coconut pecan frosting is essential in this. It gives it so much flavor & moistness. I can tell you that my husband (who does not like coconut) ate it & had no idea it was even in there! And I took it to a potluck recently and several people asked me for the recipe & when I gave it to them, they were surprised that coconut pecan frosting was an ingredient! And one of those ladies is a very savvy baker and she said she knew there was something she just couldn't put her finger on in the taste. Guess what? It was coconut! :)

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  6. Oh my, I've been following your blog for a couple days, and just wanted to tell you THANK YOU! I don't remember how I came upon it, but I'm so tickled pink that I did! I made the red velvet poke cake last night and I am now officially addicted to any cake that has the word "poke" in it! Thanks again for sharing all these wonderfully easy things! Will be making the chicken/tater tot cass. this weekend:)

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  7. I love your recipes!!! I have copied so many of them, and the ones I have made are wonderful. YUM

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  8. That is one pretty tasty looking cake.

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  9. Pat yourself on the back!! This is brilliant and in a year of pecan shortage this is going to substitute for out pecan pie this season.

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  10. I been making this cake for a while minus the sauce. Warm the icing up in the microwave for about 45 seconds (my microwave is strong) & pour it right in. This is one delicious cake. Definitely have to make the sauce next time. Thanks Brandie for all the great recipes you share with us. Keep on posting them.

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  11. Now y'all know how to make a girl's day! Thank you so much!! I really hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Katie - I don't warm the frosting up at all. It scoops right out of the tub and mixes just fine with the batter as is. I hope you like this with the sauce when you make it again! Thank you again for your comments! :)

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  12. Just one question. How do you manage not to eat half the tub of frosting before you get it into the cake batter??? OMG, this looks soooooo good!

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  13. I am definitely going to make this when someone is coming to visit or maybe when I have to take a cake to someone for dessert. I wouldn't be safe having it alone in my house with me because I could feel my hips expanding as I was reading the recipe....imagine what they would do if I was eating it!!! Anyway, I'll be trying as soon as the proper occassion presents itself....like Hunting Season has begun and "let us eat cake"

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  14. Wow!!! Im Happy that I stumbled across your blog... You have just made my day.. I have just recently started back to work and thought how am I go to still cook for my girls without slaving in the kitchen... Well The Country Cook is the answer... Thank You, Thank You... :)

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  15. Oh Sweet Sister (I do mean that literally!=) thanks for another yummy yummy cake recipe. You are Da Cake Queen for sure! I have never heard or read a recipe like this before. YUM-OOOOOO!

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  16. I am always looking for new recipes. This looks really good! I would LOVE for you to come share at my Farm Girl Blog Fest: http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-9.html

    Lisa
    Fresh Eggs Daily

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  17. I saw this on your blog yesterday and made it when I got home from work. We ate a piece after dinner, hubby had another piece for TV, and then breadfast with coffee. Tonight, we finished off the cake except for one piece and my husband has claims on it for breakfast with coffee. We have a house guest that HATES coconut and never even realized there was coconut in it!! I actually like it just as much without the sauce on top. It's moist, wonderful flavor and is great for anytime of the day. This will go in my list of favorites! I have already bought the stuff to make it again! Thanks for sharing the recipe! NOW, who is going to pay for my new stretch pants???

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  18. Sounds awesome! Question - if I take this to my in-laws' for Thanksgiving, should I make the sauce but keep separate, then reheat and pour over before serving after we get there? Will it get too mushy if I pour it over ahead of time?

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  19. So happy y'all like this one!! Anonymous - since you are going somewhere where you can heat the sauce up before serving, I would put the sauce in a microwave safe container, then warm it up before serving. This cake is fine at room temperature but I think it is even yummier when you pour the warm sauce over top before serving. :)

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  20. Julie Calhoun, Augusta, Ga.November 22, 2012 at 8:12 AM

    This cake is baking in the oven as I type! I can't wait to surprise my family today with this scrumptious recipe!!! Thanks for sharing! PS: The smell while it's baking is oh so yummy!!!! My mouth is watering RIGHT NOW! :-)

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  21. I am baking this cake as we speak! I can not wait to taste it, and i hope the family enjoys it!! I'll post later.Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

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  22. This dessert was a HIT during my holiday festivities.
    The butter sauce takes this cake to another level!!!
    This will definitely be a staple recipe for my family to enjoy year after year!!!!

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  23. Made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a big hit, everyone loved it and requested it to be on the menu again next year. I spread the butter sauce on the entire cake rather than on individual pieces. Thanks for a great recipe. I was thinking this recipe might also be good in a German chocolate cake mix.

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  24. I want to thank you for this recipe. I cook all the dinners and special events for our church and today was a women's event and I made this as one of the desserts and it was a big hit! There is a grouchy lady who is not very kind and when she ate this cake she smiled and asked for another piece. Got me to thinking how much of an effect food really does have on people.

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  26. Adding ing. to my gro list ...plan on making this for our church family Christmas get-together next Sun..can not wait. Normally pecans are a luxury item..but I just happen to have about 3full bags in the freezers..I just live it when I don't have to skimp on the pecans.

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  27. Omg this looks soooo yummmy...one question do you wait till the cake cools down before adding the sauce or do you eat the cake warm with the sauce.....love your blog...jasmine

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  28. What makes a butter pecan cake mix different from a butter cake mix? I have a butter mix. Don't ever remember seeing butter pecan mix at the store. Is there something I could just add to the butter? THANKS

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  29. This recipe was delicious, but I found it impossible to find any store that carried the Butter Pecan cake mix. I had to order from a private company and then had to order a minimum of 6. I tried Walmart and every other market.

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  30. You, ma'am, for no reason in particular...are awesome! I am going to try this recipe. I am a decent country cook, but as a guy, I cannot bake to save my life, but I think you and this recipe may be my shot at a second chance at baking!

    AC

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  31. My family LOVES every single recipe Ive tried from you and I know this cake will not disappoint either. I am going to make this one right now... Thank for sharing :)

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  32. I can't find the cake mix anywhere. Can u use just a butter flavored cake mix?

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  33. I will say that I have only ever made this with the Pecan Cake Mix. So truthfully your guess is as good as mine whether it will be yummy with another kind of cake mix. The pecan cake mix has such a unique flavor that I just don't know how this will turn out with another flavor. If you try it, I'd love to know how it turns out for you!

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  34. Oh Brandi...You had me at "dump a tub of coconut pecan frosting" into the cake batter!

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  35. This cake is wreaking havoc on my weight loss goals! I've already eaten two pieces. It's incredible. Is the sauce supposed to be thin (like milk) or thicker (like a glaze)? I couldn't seem to get it to thicken, no matter how long I let it cook. It was still phenomenal, though! The sauce soaked into the cake and... mmm! I better quit, before I talk myself into another piece! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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  36. This a great recipe. Something quick to bake and has a great taste. And the glaze with thepecans makes it extra special, if you like nuts.

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  37. This looks so yummy! I think I might try adding a little cinnamon to the icing mixture! :)

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  38. I have this cake in the oven right now! I will let you know how it turns out.

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  39. This was a birthday cake for the pecan-loving boyfriend's 30th birthday, and it came out so beautiful and delicious. I was scared of the sweetened condensed milk because I hate the flavor but a few minutes stirring over the heat with the butter and then the pecans and it became a delicious sweet sauce with no trace of its origins. I used your example and baked in glass rather than metal and it prevented my temperamental bottom-burning oven from ruining the cake. Another hit, thank you!

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    1. That is so great to hear Beverly! Thank you for letting me know!

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  40. I found your Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole recipe a few months ago and finally got around to making it today. But while I was digging up the recipe before my run to the grocery store, I started poking around at your other recipes, and I just couldn't pass this one up. So I bought the ingredients for this as well, and made it after dinner tonight. OMG, YUM!!!! Just amazing. I did make a bit of a tweak to the sauce, though - I realized as I was putting it together that it appealed to me b/c it reminded me of one of my favorite restaurant desserts, Applebee's Maple Butter Blondie. So on a whim, I added some more butter (another 2-3 Tbsp, I think) and then around 1/2 cup of maple syrup. It turned out so similar to their sauce - we all just loved it! Applebee's serves theirs with vanilla ice cream and pours the sauce over that, too. I think I may have to try that next time!

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  41. I am wondering how this would be as a poke cake letting the butter sauce ooze down into the cake? I want to take this to work and think it would be easier to have the sauce already on the cake. What do you think?

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    1. Donna, sorry I am so late in seeing this. I hope it worked out good for ya. But yes, a poke cake or even just drizzling it on top would be great!

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  42. I made this with a German chocolate cake mix and it was great... I think I will try doing it as a poke cake next :)

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    1. Thank you for letting me know how it turned out with the German Chocolate Cake. Sounds really good!

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  43. I am making this tonight to take to work tomorrow as a treat. Not going to be really feasible to keep the sauce heated for pouring over individual slices. Any thoughts or ideas on maybe doing the "poke" type cake or just pouring over the top as a glaze? Should I wait til in morning or go ahead and do it tonight? Help!

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    1. I think that should work just fine. It will be great as a poke cake or even just drizzling it on top :)

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  44. I just made this this evening for my husbands birthday because he is a butter pecan LOVER! We have had the butter pecan cake mix and store bought icing before and it was really good. So I could wait to make this with these variations. It was WONDERFUL!!!! It is amazing how something so SIMPLE could taste this good. I think I will try it as a poke cake next too. I was worried that since it is so watery that it may make the cake mushy. Anyone tried it as a poke cake yet?

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    1. Thank you so much!! This would be great if you poked holes and poured the sweetened condensed milk on top. :)

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  45. I just found your blog and have enjoyed looking at all of your recipes. My question is this : does the coconut pecan frosting play an integral part in the flavor of the cake or can I substitute another flavor since I am allergic to coconut and would like to be able to enjoy this with my family.

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    1. Hi Amber! Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that you are allergic to coconut. It really is a big part of this cake. I wonder if you could make your own pecan frosting but without the coconut? and add that to it. I don't know if you want to go through all that trouble though and I'm not sure how much it would change the consistency. Or you could try making this cake without the frosting and then while warm, poke small holes in the cake and add the sweetened condensed milk on top followed by chopped pecans. It won't taste exactly the same but I'm sure it would still be pretty yummy!

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  46. can you use individual servings of the sauce and maybe put it in the fridge for a while. Will this keep for a couple of days to heat just what you need at the given time?

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  47. Does this need to be made in a glass dish? I wanted to make it to take and I have a great "carrier" cake pan where you bake & take, but it is metal. By the way, I LOVE your site and have made so many of your recipes! Thank you!!

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    1. Renee, that shouldn't be a problem at all. I have a carrier cake pan that is metal and it turns out fine. As long as you spray it really well with nonstick spray :)

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  48. I make a cake similar to this but use jarred caramel sauce over it...super easy and sooooo good. I will have to try this with the pecans. As for the coconut you can't even tell it is in there, no one in family even noticed.
    Thanks for posting, I am new to your site and just love it.

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    1. Ooooh caramel, sounds heavenly! And thank you for mentioning about not being able to taste the coconut. I tell people that all the time. The frosting really just adds great flavor but no one ever can usually detect the coconut. :)

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  49. I am going to try this cake with yellow cake mix and homemade cream cheese icing.

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    1. Would love to know how it turns out for you!

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  50. I just bought the stuff at walmart to make this later today. I can't wait. It looks so good.

    Karen

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