Southern Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce (+Video)
This Southern Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce is so scrumptious that no one will know it’s made with a cake mix! All topped with an easy, sweet butter sauce!
AN EASY SOUTHERN STYLE CAKE
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, you are in for a treat!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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. 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 recipe really relies on these specific ingredients. It just won’t taste the same with substitutes because I’ve tried!
Yes it can. It would need to be frozen without the sauce on top through. Wrap it very well to prevent freezer burn and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes. Bake for about 50 minutes. I highly recommend spraying he bundt pan very well with a nonstick spray that has flour in it (like Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking Spray.)
It does not unless you’ve poured the sauce on top. I prefer to pour the sauce on to individual toppings. But if you’ve opted to pour it over the entire cake, then you’ll need to keep the cake refrigerated. Otherwise, just cover and it can be kept on the counter for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- butter pecan cake mix
- coconut pecan frosting
- eggs
- oil
- water
- chopped pecans
- sweetened condensed milk
- butter
HOW TO MAKE PECAN PRALINE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (I like the kind with flour in it). 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! 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. I mean, it looks a little sad all by itself, don’t it? In a small pot over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of 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 you can definitely do that if you need to take this to a gathering.
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Originally published: November 2012
Updated & republished: May 2019
Southern Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 ounce box Butter Pecan Cake Mix
- 1 tub Coconut Pecan Frosting
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the sauce:
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9"x 13" 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. Mix very 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 (or in a microwave), melt 2 tablespoons 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 when serving. Or pour it all over the whole cake.
Video
Notes
- You can also make this in a bundt pan. Bake for about 50 minutes.
- I prefer to pour the sauce over the individual slices. I think it makes a prettier presentation but you don’t have to do that. You can just pour all of the sauce over the entire cake.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Can you make it in advance? And if so, how do you store it? Thanks!
You can make it in advance just don’t top it with a sauce. Store it covered.
This is my favorite recipe for fall potlucks. We even serve it at Thanksgiving instead of pecan pie. Thank you so much for posting it. I have one in the oven right now for a ladies’ night at my church. Smells soooo good! I always adjust recipes…but this one is perfect!
Yay!! I absolutely love hearing that Katie – thanks so much! This is probably one of my most favorite desserts I’ve ever shared on this site!
I really love this cake! I love to bake, but sometimes, simple is what I want. However, I ALWAYS want delicious! This cake is just that, simple & yummy. Best thing (besides eating it) is, everyone will think you outdid yourself & put a lot of effort in it, bc it tastes like you really did! Oftentimes, I eat it plain & don’t make the sauce. It is really just that good! Kudos for being creative & knowing what delicious taste like! I am grateful!
Very moist & flavor full!!!!
I’ve altered this by using a cream cheese frosting instead of the sweetened condensed version. I sprinkle on top with chopped pecans. I’ve even bought the cream cheese frosting in the can to use.
Both versions are yummy, but it is nice to have options.
I recently purchased a large bag of walnuts can I substitute walnuts for the pecans in this particular praline cake recipe?
That’s a good question. Walnuts can have a much stronger flavor than pecans so I personally wouldn’t use them BUT if you are a walnut lover and love that flavor with these flavors then you could certainly do that! The only thing I like walnuts in is banana bread – ha! 🙂
I have made this several times. I got the recipe put of a magazine about 10 years ago. Love it.
Funny enough, that magazine you got it from was actually my recipe that they featured since it was my original recipe creation from 2011 (when I originally published this recipe here)! It was also featured in Southern Living which is pretty cool! It really is so good!
Have made these many times. We love it! Great to take to social potlucks or to make someone feel special
Love hearing that Debbie!! Thanks so very much! This really is one of my most favorite recipes here on the website!