Description
This Pecan Dump Cake is an easy and delicious dessert featuring layers of pecans, brown sugar, and cake mix, baked to a golden perfection. The rich combination of dark brown sugar, dark corn syrup, and butter creates a gooey, nutty base topped with a light white cake crust, making it an irresistible treat for gatherings or cozy nights.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup dark corn syrup (dark Karo syrup recommended)
- ½ cup salted butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup salted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot water
Dry Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix (Duncan Hines Classic White Cake mix recommended)
Nuts
- 3 cups pecan halves, chopped
- 1 cup pecan halves, whole
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the cake.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Generously spray a 9x13-inch (or 13x9-inch) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Chop Pecans: Chop 3 cups of the pecan halves into smaller pieces for the filling.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine 1 cup packed dark brown sugar, dark corn syrup, ½ cup melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until well blended.
- Add Pecans to Mixture: Stir the chopped 3 cups of pecans into the wet mixture until evenly incorporated.
- Spread Pecan Mixture: Evenly spread the pecan mixture into the prepared baking dish, creating the base layer.
- Sprinkle Cake Mix: Evenly sprinkle the dry white cake mix over the pecan filling layer without mixing.
- Drizzle Butter: Drizzle the remaining ¾ cup of melted butter evenly over the cake mix layer to moisten and flavor it.
- Add Brown Sugar: Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of dark brown sugar over the butter layer for extra sweetness and texture.
- Add Hot Water: Carefully pour 1 cup of hot water evenly over the dry cake mix and butter layers. Without mixing, gently tilt the baking dish to help distribute the water across the surface.
- Top with Pecans: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of whole pecan halves evenly on top of the batter and water layer for a crunchy finish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Check at 30 minutes as oven temperatures vary. The center may be a little jiggly but will set as it cools.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool completely in the baking dish before serving to ensure it firms up and slices well.
Notes
- Do not stir the layers after assembling; the cake will self-layer during baking.
- Using room temperature eggs helps the wet mixture combine better.
- Use a 9x13 or similarly sized baking dish for even baking.
- The cake is gooey in the center and will not have a classic cake texture; it is more like a cobbler.
- Cooling the cake thoroughly before serving improves sliceability and flavor.
- For extra flavor, you can toast pecans lightly before chopping.
