Pecan Pie Cake

This Southern pecan pie cake recipe features all those irresistible pecan pie flavors in cake form. With a caramelized brown sugar and pecan layer on top of the cake, it’s decadent and delicious!

Stack of pecan pie cake slices.

Hands up who loves pecan pie? It’s definitely one of the most popular desserts to enjoy during the holidays and throughout fall. There’s just something about the delicious combination of caramelized brown sugar and chopped pecans that has you coming back for more, right?

Well, with this pecan pie cake recipe (a Southern dessert specialty I might add), we take those flavors and add them on top of a box cake mix. The end result is a cake that’s decadent, rich, and moist. It’s almost like a dump cake!

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make this delicious holiday dessert. All you need are 7 ingredients (cake mix, butter, light corn syrup, eggs, dark brown sugar, vanilla, and pecans) and a stand mixer. Once you mix and bake the cake layer, you then mix and bake the gooey and sweet pecan pie layer. That’s it! Enjoy a slice of pecan pie cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Speaking of Thanksgiving and Christmas, a few of my other favorite desserts include my easy pumpkin pie recipe from scratch, pecan pie cheesecake, pumpkin praline cake with cream cheese icing, and loaded sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

Labeled ingredients for pecan pie cake.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Butter cake or yellow cake mix
  • Melted butter (or margarine)
  • Light corn syrup
  • Eggs
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Chopped pecans

How to Make Pecan Pie Cake

Mix together cake batter, egg, and melted butter.

Mix the cake mix, 1 egg, and melted butter until well blended.

Reserve 2/3 cup of cake batter.

Reserve 2/3 cup of this batter.

Grease baking dish.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Spread remaining batter into greased baking dish and bake.

Spread the remaining cake batter into this pan and bake at 325 for 15 minutes, or until just lightly brown.

Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the reserved 2/3 cup of batter, syrup, remaining eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and pecans.

Pour this mixture over the baked cake.

Pour the pecan mixture on top of the cake layer.

Pecan pie cake ready for oven.

Cook at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until set in the center.

Baked pecan pie cake.

Doesn’t that look exactly like a pecan pie?

Spatula holding slice of pecan pie cake.

But hiding underneath is a fluffy cake. What more could you want?

Plate of pecan pie cake slices.

Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

Fork sliding into a slice of pecan pie cake.

Enjoy!

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend reheating leftovers quickly in the microwave.

Recipe Notes

  • Use any box cake mix you like. You might even want to enhance the pecan flavor and opt for a butter pecan cake mix.
  • You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you choose the latter, I’d also add a pinch of salt.
  • You can also use either light brown sugar or dark corn syrup.

Recipe FAQs

How do you serve pecan pie cake?

There’s nothing better than a slice of Southern pecan pie cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But it also tastes great on its own or with some fresh whipped cream.

You may also like these other pecan recipes:

Butter Pecan Shortbread Chippers

Faux Pecan Pie

Candied Pecans Recipe: Family and Friends Favorite

Pecan Pie Muffins

Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

Strawberry Bread With Pecans

Plate filled with pecan pie cake slices.

Pecan Pie Cake

This delicious pecan pie cake has all the flavors that we love in pecan pie but in cake form. What's not to love about that?
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, pie
Servings: 4
Calories: 935kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake or butter cake mix
  • 1/2 cup melted butter  or margarine, I don’t judge
  • 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Mix cake mix, 1 egg, and melted butter until well blended. Reserve 2/3 cup of this batter.
    1 box yellow cake or butter cake mix, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter 
  • Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Spread the remaining cake batter into this pan and bake at 325 for 15 minutes, or until just lightly browned.
  • In a mixing bowl, stir together the reserved 2/3 cup of batter, syrup, 3 eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and pecans.
    1 1/2 cups light corn syrup, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • Pour the pecan mixture on top of the cake layer and cook at 325 for 50-60 minutes, until set in the center.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 935kcal
    Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

     

    The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes.

    ~Marcel Proust

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    151 Comments

    1. I made this cake last wkend thinking my boys wouldn’t touch it. They normally snarl their noses at pecans. The smell was more than they could handle and could barely wait for it to finish. It was amazing to say the least! It was even better the second day when my 14 yr old sat down w/the pan and a fork to dive in. I didn’t have a yellow cake mix and used butter pecan. I will try yellow nxt time. Thanks so much!

    2. I made this cake for my granddaughter’s baby shower and it was a HIT! I brought the very few leftovers to work and they wiped it out, asking for the recipe. Plus it made the house smell like heaven while baking.

    3. My family and I have always said “puh-kahn” . Thank you for all the encouraging posts you share with us. I love the sound of this recipie and cant wait to try it. I know my family will love it. Just might take it to a Pastor Appreciation dinner coming up in a few weeks.
      God bless you, Christy. You are a blessing to so many.
      Kay Cornett

    4. My mom grew up in Louisiana and then ended up marrying a man from Wisconsin and raising our family there. She always said “puh-cahn” and since she was from the south, I always figured she was a trusted source on the topic! I’ve even managed to convert my husband now. 🙂 This cake looks yummy!

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