This pecan pie dump cake has a gooey brown sugar filling and a buttery cake topping with crunchy pecans. The filling is based on a classic pecan pie, so you get a lot of the same flavors.
You only need one bowl to whisk together the filling, then everything gets layered right in the baking dish. It’s an easy Thanksgiving dessert (and an easy pecan pie alternative) to scoop straight from the pan while it’s still warm. I serve it with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
If you like easy dump cake recipes, try my 3-Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake next. For another holiday dessert with all the flavor of pie, try my Baked Pumpkin Custard.
Jump to:
Shortcut Notes
- Boxed cake mix. Butter golden cake mix makes the topping for this pecan dump cake, so there’s no dough to roll out or separate cake batter to mix.
- One bowl for the filling. Whisk the brown sugar, eggs, corn syrup, and remaining filling ingredients together in one bowl. The filling goes straight into the baking dish without any stovetop prep.
- Pre-chopped pecans. Grab a bag of chopped pecans for easy prep.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Light brown sugar. Gives the filling a mild molasses flavor that goes well with the pecans.
- Large eggs. Help the filling set while keeping it soft enough to scoop.
- Light corn syrup. Gives the pecan pie filling its gooey texture.
- Heavy cream. Adds a little richness to the filling and keeps it from getting hard and crunchy.
- Vanilla extract. Rounds out the brown sugar and butter flavors.
- Ground cinnamon. Adds a hint of warmth to the filling.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness of the filling.
- Unsalted butter. Melt it and divide it between the filling and the topping. Most of it gets drizzled over the dry cake mix.
- Chopped pecans. Half go over the filling, and the rest bake on top for extra crunch.
- Butter golden cake mix. Use the dry mix straight from the box. It bakes into a buttery topping over the pecan filling.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, corn syrup, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and ¼ cup melted butter until evenly combined.
Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans in an even layer.
Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pecan filling. Do not stir. If needed, gently spread the cake mix into an even layer with clean, dry hands, taking care not to press or pack it down.
Slowly drizzle the remaining melted butter as evenly as possible over the cake mix. If needed, use the back of a spoon to gently spread the butter over any dry spots, but do not stir. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then loosely cover with aluminum foil and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the topping is cooked through. If the topping needs more color, remove the foil and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Substitutions
- Light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is an option if you want a stronger molasses flavor.
- Heavy cream. If you’re in a pinch, you could try half-and-half, but you absolutely need the cream. When I tested the filling without cream, the filling hardened and was near impossible to get out of the baking dish.
- Butter golden cake mix. A box of regular yellow cake mix is the closest swap. White cake mix is another option if you want a milder topping.
Behind the Recipe
A great pecan pie dump cake recipe hinges on two critical elements: preventing dry flour pockets and keeping the pecans from scorching. If you see dry spots, use the back of a spoon to gently spread the butter over them without stirring (or you can always add more butter).
After the first bake, loosely cover the dish with foil while the cake finishes baking. If the topping needs more color, remove the foil and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
Yes. Regular yellow cake mix is the closest substitute for butter golden cake mix. Sprinkle it over the filling straight from the box.
The dry cake mix goes directly over the pecan filling. The eggs listed in the recipe go into the filling, and most of the melted butter goes over the topping.
Dry patches can happen when the cake mix is piled too thickly or the melted butter misses a spot. Spread the mix in an even, loose layer, then use the back of a spoon to guide butter over any dry areas before baking.
📖 Recipe
Pecan Pie Dump Cake
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and divided
- 2 cups chopped pecans divided
- 1 box butter golden cake mix
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and generously grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, corn syrup, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and ¼ cup melted butter until evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pecan filling. Do not stir. If needed, gently spread the cake mix into an even layer with clean, dry hands, taking care not to press or pack it down.
- Slowly drizzle the remaining melted butter as evenly as possible over the cake mix. If needed, use the back of a spoon to gently spread the butter over any dry spots, but do not stir. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then loosely cover with aluminum foil and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the topping is cooked through. If the topping needs more color, remove the foil and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Wait until the cake is fully baked before tasting it. The filling contains raw eggs, and dry cake mix contains raw flour.
- Wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces after handling raw eggs or dry cake mix.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking, or within 1 hour if it’s hotter than 90°F (32°C).
More Easy Cake Mix Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Kelsey Smith says
I hope y'all give this a go! Heavy cream is the secret ingredient to prevent the filling from hardening in the baking dish, so don't skip it. Enjoy. If you give it a try, be sure to leave a review.