Southern Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce: An Easy, Decadent Recipe

There’s a certain magic that happens in a Southern kitchen when sugar and pecans get together. It’s a warm, buttery, and deeply comforting aroma that feels like a hug for your soul. This Southern Pecan Praline Cake isn’t just a dessert; it’s a piece of my family’s story. My grandmother used to make a version of this for every potluck and family reunion. The cake itself was always incredibly moist and fragrant, but the real showstopper was the warm, buttery praline sauce she’d pour over the top just before serving. It would seep into the cake, creating a sticky, sweet, and nutty masterpiece that nobody could ever resist. This is my simplified, foolproof version of her classic, designed to bring that same feeling of home to your table with minimal fuss.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• Effortless Elegance: It starts with a simple cake mix, but the finished product looks and tastes like it came from a professional bakery.

• The Sauce is Everything: The warm, buttery praline sauce transforms a simple cake into a sublime, gooey, and unforgettable dessert experience.

• A Crowd-Pleaser: This cake is guaranteed to be the star of any gathering, from weeknight dinners to holiday feasts.

• Comfort in Every Bite: The combination of tender cake, toasted pecans, and rich sauce is the very definition of Southern comfort food.

I’ll never forget the time I brought this cake to a friend’s dinner party. One of the guests, a self-proclaimed “dessert skeptic” who never ate more than a polite bite, quietly asked for a second slice. Then, he asked for the recipe to give to his wife. There’s something about the humble, honest goodness of this cake that wins over even the most stubborn of skeptics.

What Makes It Special

The beauty of this cake is in its clever use of ingredients that work together to create a complex, homemade flavor.

• Butter Pecan Cake Mix: This is our secret weapon, providing a perfect, nutty-flavored base that’s consistently delicious.

• Coconut Pecan Frosting (Mixed In!): Don’t be alarmed—we mix the entire tub of frosting into the batter. This is the genius trick that makes the cake unbelievably moist and rich, with little chewy bits of coconut and pecan throughout.

• Toasted Pecans: Using chopped pecans in both the cake and the sauce provides a wonderful toasted, nutty crunch in every single bite.

• The Butter Sauce: This isn’t just a glaze; it’s a creamy, velvety river of sweetened condensed milk, butter, and more pecans. It tastes like liquid praline.

Making It Happen

First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and give a 9×13 inch baking dish a good coating of non-stick spray. Now, for the easy part. In a large mixing bowl, combine the entire box of butter pecan cake mix, the whole tub of coconut pecan frosting, the eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Let your mixer do the work, beating it all together until you have a smooth, beautifully combined batter. Don’t be shy—mix it well. Then, gently fold in those half-cup of chopped pecans by hand.

Pour this fragrant batter into your prepared pan and slide it into the oven. You’ll know it’s done in about 35-40 minutes when the top is a perfect golden brown and the center springs back lightly when you touch it.

While the cake is filling your kitchen with that incredible smell, start on the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Pour in the entire can of sweetened condensed milk and stir continuously until the mixture is warm, smooth, and beautifully combined. Take it off the heat and stir in the remaining pecans. The sauce will be pourable and gloriously shiny.

You Must Know

• Don’t Overmix the Pecans: When you fold the nuts into the cake batter, do it just until combined. Overmixing can lead to a tougher cake.

• Sauce Consistency is Key: The sauce should be warm and pourable. If it thickens too much as it sits, just add a teaspoon of warm water or milk and stir to thin it out.

• Serve it Warm: This cake is best served slightly warm with the warm sauce drizzled over the top. The contrast of the warm sauce with the tender cake is divine.

• The Toothpick Test: For absolute certainty, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, it’s ready.

Serving It Up

This cake is a star on its own, but it loves company. Serve a generous square with a scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream. The cold, creamy ice cream melting into the warm cake and sauce is a textural dream. For a dinner party, a cup of strong black coffee or a glass of cold milk makes the perfect accompaniment to cut through the sweetness.

Make It Different

• Nut-Free: Simply omit the pecans from both the cake and the sauce. The cake will still be wonderfully moist from the frosting.

• Whiskey Praline: For a grown-up twist, stir a tablespoon of bourbon or whiskey into the warm butter sauce.

• Chocolate Chip: Add a half-cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the cake batter for a chocolate-pecan delight.

• From Scratch: If you have a favorite butter pecan or yellow cake recipe, you can use it in place of the mix. Just be sure the batter yield is suitable for a 9×13 inch pan.

Storing Your Creation

Store any leftover cake (if there is any!) covered tightly with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The sauce should be stored separately in a jar in the fridge.

To reheat, warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Gently warm the sauce in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave, stirring frequently, until it returns to a pourable consistency.

Success Tips

For the best flavor, toast your pecans before chopping and adding them to the recipe. Simply spread them on a baking sheet and toast in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. This deepens their nutty flavor immensely. Also, resist the urge to pour all the sauce over the entire cake unless you are serving it all immediately. The cake can become soggy. It’s best to sauce each slice individually as you serve it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Absolutely! Bake the cake a day in advance and let it cool completely before covering. Make the sauce the day of serving for the best flavor and texture.

My sauce is too thick. What can I do?
Simply thin it out with a small amount of warm milk or cream, one teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

Can I use a different type of nut?
Walnuts would be a lovely substitute for the pecans if you prefer their flavor.

Why is the frosting mixed into the batter?
This is a classic “cake mix hack” that adds incredible moisture, fat, and flavor, eliminating the need for making a frosting from scratch. It creates a uniquely rich and tender crumb.

Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, but freeze the cake without the sauce. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. It will freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and make the sauce fresh before serving.

Southern Pecan Praline Cake with Butter Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12
Category: Dessert
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Southern
Yield: One 9×13 inch cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 box (15.25 oz) butter pecan cake mix

• 1 tub (16 oz) coconut pecan frosting

• 4 large eggs

• ¾ cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup water

• ½ cup chopped pecans

For the Butter Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons salted butter

• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

• ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, coconut pecan frosting, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and well-combined, about 2 minutes.

3. Use a spatula to gently fold the ½ cup of chopped pecans into the batter until evenly distributed.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.

5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. While the cake bakes, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter.

7. Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk into the saucepan with the melted butter. Stir continuously until the mixture is warm, smooth, and heated through.

8. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ cup of chopped pecans.

9. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm slices with the warm praline butter sauce spooned generously over the top.

Notes
Toasting the pecans before using them will enhance their flavor. For best results, store the cake and sauce separately.