Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce is so scrumptious that no one will know it’s made with a cake mix! All topped with a sweet butter sauce!
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!
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE COCONUT?
I get this question a lot. All I’m gonna say is I have made this cake SO many times for coconut haters and they love it. You can’t even really taste the coconut that is in the frosting. However, if you’re the one making it and you know it’s in there, you almost are trying hard to taste it. Unfortunately, I have not found an acceptable substitute yet for this flavor and consistency. It’s the same frosting used for German chocolate cake. This cake is full of pecan flavor and the sauce just takes this cake over the top.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
For the cake:
butter pecan cake mix
coconut pecan frosting
eggs
oil
water
chopped pecans
For the sauce:
sweetened condensed milk
butter
chopped pecans
HOW TO MAKE PECAN PRALINE CAKE WITH BUTTER SAUCE:
Enjoy!
Originally published: November 2012
Updated & republished: May 2019
PECAN PRALINE CAKE WITH BUTTER SAUCE
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box box Butter Pecan Cake Mix
- 1 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Spray a 9 x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- 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! Mix well then stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
- Pour batter into greased baking dish.
- Bake for about 40 minutes.
- Oven times vary but cake should spring back to the touch and be golden brown.
- Or insert a toothpick into the middle it should come out clean.
- For the 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
CRAVING MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS ONE? GIVE THESE A TRY!
FRUIT COCKTAIL CAKE
SWEET SOUTHERN PECAN CAKE
BROWN SUGAR PECAN POUND CAKE
ITALIAN CREAM CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
I made this cake and it was delicious! I tried it in a bundt pan. However, after letting it cool for an extended amount of time I tried to pop it out and it completely fell apart. Like into large chunks of crumbs. Do you think the center may have been too warm still? I want to take this to a gathering and would like to dress it up a bit, but am nervous to try it in the bundt pan again. Any thoughts? Thanks!
I’d like to make this recipe the day before an event. Will it still be good, or should it be served the day of?
Thanks!
You can make it the day before. I would just maybe add the butter sauce right before serving or pour it on individual slices when serving. 🙂
Thank you!
Is there anyway you could omit the coconut frosting and just use a caramel Pecan frosting
Most caramel pecan frostings have coconut in them (as far as I am aware) but if you find a thick one that doesn’t have coconut – go for it! 🙂
I have substituted oatmeal for coconut in a homemade German Chocolate Frosting recipe with good results. Since it is baked into the cake, appearance does not matter. PJ
Thanks so much for the tip PJ!
I guess I could be labeled a “coconut hater.” From the time I was a child, I could taste coconut oil in a cookie, and it was a taste I did not like.. With that said, I have made a version of this recipe and substituted oatmeal for the coconut in a homemade German Chocolate Frosting with good results. Just a thought…
Bundt cakes should not be completely cool before being unmolded.Ten or fifteen minutes of cooling is recommended;then carefully turn the cake out on a cooling rack and allow to cool thoroughly. I am a retired cake decorator and this always worked for me. Good Luck.
Thanks for your input Doris!
I’m guessing this would need refrigerated since the sauce is made with milk?
Hi Denise, I usually don’t refrigerate it if I will be eating it within a day or two. If not, then you’ll want to refrigerate it. 🙂
I poured the sauce over the cake the first time I made this and it was awesome, even better the next day. I am going to make it again today! Can’t wait!
Getting ready to make it again, per husbands request! We love this cake!
Woo hoo!!!
Can this be done as a layer cake?
Hi Kim! It is a super tender cake. I’m not sure that it is stable enough to be a layer cake. But having said all of that, I haven’t actually tried it so can’t say for certain. If you try it, please let me know!
I love this recipe! It is without a doubt the favorite of all of my family. Would love to see your cookbook!! Thanks for a great recipe! It is quite the crowd pleaser.
I am so happy you love this recipe as much as I do! It really is absolutely one of my favorite recipes on my site. Thank you!
This is by far the best recipe I have ever tried!!!! The only thing I did different was that I poured the sauce over the whole cake! It was like we were eating at a fine dining restaurant defiantly will make again, and again, and again…… but you better have a big glass of milk handy!!
Could you poke cake with fork before pouring icing over the top so it could soak in the day before I take to work.
I don’t see why not. 🙂
FYI, I made this cake the first time without reading the instructions completely. Therefore, I added the sweetened condensed milk to the cake – not the icing. I realized it the moment I took another look at the icing recipe. Luckily I had another can of the milk to make the icing, but I was afraid I had ruined the cake. I baked it without much hope of it being edible. Was I surprised when the cake cooled and I cut a piece. YUM! This was the moistest cake I’ve ever eaten, and the best tasting. Thanks so much for this recipe. (I baked it in a 9×13″ pan.)
I hate anything coconut but could not taste any coconut in this cake. It was delicious!
I’m going to bake this cake. It looks delicious. I have a recipe for the coconut pecan icing. I just leave the coconut out, since I don’t like coconut.
Great idea Sarita!
I have looked on line and in tons of stores. No where around here do they sell the cake mix. Any substitution recommendations? I bought all the other ingredients already
Hi Suzette, I just recently purchased it at Walmart. Also at Kroger. I haven’t tested it with any other type of cake mix. I suppose you could use a yellow cake mix but I don’t think it would be nearly as good.
This is a GOOD cake. The first time I made it I thought it was a little too sticky or gooey but still delicious. The next time I made it I only mixed a little less than 3/4 cup of the frosing in the cake. I liked.the less frosting best because the cake was just the right amount of gooeyness. Also you can cut the cake easier and it makes a much neater cake when serving to guests. . So if you want a less gooey or sticky cake then put less frosting in the cake. I still rated it 5 stars because it is an EXCELLENT cake.
I have made this cake in a bundt pan…many times.
And I have made it gluten free. I use a King Arthur gf yellow
cake mix and toast pecans in butter. I do not use that yummy
sauce. Too sweet for my taste. The cake is
delicious without it.
Thank you so much Jane! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave feedback on the recipe. Folks always ask me about gluten free so it’s good to know that it worked for you!
hello,
i have made this cake 3 times , easy to make and very delicious..i poked holes in cake after done and pour sauce and let it set….was excellent…will definitely try other recipes
Love it! Thank you so much Rena!!
Could you add bourbon to the butter sauce?
Excellent recipe! I added a teaspoon of butter pecan flavor to the batter and the frosting. Delish with vanilla ice cream. Hint to the non Coconut eaters: if the recipe call for coconut try pureeing the coconut, which mean you have to make the frosting from scratch. Just a thought…