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a close up shot of Pecan Dump Cake on a plate topped with ice cream
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5 from 6 votes

Pecan Dump Cake

Indulge in the simplicity and delightful flavors of our pecan dump cake, a caramel-infused easy fall dessert crowned with crunchy pecans.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pecan Dump Cake Recipe
Servings: 12
Calories: 844kcal

Ingredients

  • 2¾ cups dark brown sugar, packed (divided into 2 cups and ¾ cup)
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup, I used dark Karo syrup
  • 1¼ cup salted butter, melted and cooled (divided into ½ cup and ¾ cup)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups pecan halves (divided into 3 cups and 1 cup)
  • 15.25 ounces white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Classic White Cake mix)
  • 1 cup hot water
  • Caramel topping, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9x13 (or 13x9) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Add 2 cups dark brown sugar, dark corn syrup, ½ cup melted butter, eggs, and vanilla to a medium-sized mixing bowl (2-3 quarts). Whisk to combine.
  • Stir in the 3 cups of pecan halves. Evenly spread the pecan mixture into the sprayed baking dish.
  • Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pecan filling.
  • Drizzle the remaining ¾ cup of melted butter over the dry cake mix.
  • Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup dark brown sugar over the butter layer.
  • Pour the hot water over the top of the dry cake mix and butter. Do not mix. You can carefully tilt the cake pan to distribute the water over the cake mix.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup pecan halves over the cake and water layer.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Because all ovens bake differently, check on the cake at the 30-minute mark. Also, it will be a bit jiggly in the center, but it will firm up as it cools. It will not be solid like a cake center. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving. (twelve ¾-cup servings).

Notes

  • Be very careful when placing the cake in the oven due to the hot water on top of the cake.
  • At 40 minutes, this dump cake still had a slight jiggle in the middle. I went ahead and took it out, and it firmed up as it cooled.

Nutrition

Calories: 844kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 500mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 86g | Vitamin A: 678IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 3mg