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Pecan Dump Cake

Make this easy Pecan Dump Cake! Features a gooey pecan pie filling topped with a tender, self-forming cake layer

Ingredients

Scale

Here’s the complete list of ingredients, with precise measurements (using provided weights where available for clarity):

  • 2 ¾ cups dark brown sugar, packed, divided (2 cups for filling, ¾ cup for topping)
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup (like dark Karo syrup)
  • 1 ¼ cup (2 ½ sticks / 282g) salted butter, melted and cooled, divided (½ cup for filling, ¾ cup for topping)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups pecan halves, divided (3 cups for filling, 1 cup for topping)
  • 1 (15.25 ounces) box white cake mix (like Duncan Hines Classic White)
  • 1 cup hot water

Optional Topping:

  • Caramel topping

These quantities create a rich, decadent 9×13 dessert.

Have butter melted and slightly cooled before starting.

Instructions

Let’s assemble this magical dump cake:

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish:

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

2. Make Pecan Filling:

  • In a medium-sized mixing bowl (2-3 quarts), add 2 cups of the packed dark brown sugar, the dark corn syrup, ½ cup of the melted (and slightly cooled) salted butter, the room temperature eggs, and the pure vanilla extract.
  • Whisk these ingredients together until well combined and smooth.
  • Stir in 3 cups of the pecan halves.

3. Spread Pecan Filling in Dish:

  • Evenly spread the prepared pecan mixture into the bottom of the sprayed baking dish using a spatula.

4. Layer Dry Cake Mix:

  • Sprinkle the dry white cake mix evenly over the pecan filling layer. Do not prepare the cake mix according to box directions – use it dry!

5. Add Butter and Brown Sugar Topping:

  • Drizzle the remaining ¾ cup of melted (and slightly cooled) salted butter as evenly as possible over the dry cake mix.
  • Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup of packed dark brown sugar evenly over the melted butter layer.

6. Add Hot Water (Do Not Mix!):

  • Carefully pour the 1 cup of hot water over the top of the dry cake mix, butter, and brown sugar layers.
  • Do not stir or mix these top layers together. You can gently tilt the cake pan from side to side to help distribute the water evenly over the cake mix if needed.

7. Add Final Pecan Topping:

  • Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of pecan halves evenly over the cake and water layer.

8. Bake:

  • Place the baking dish in the preheated oven.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. The recipe notes to check at 30 minutes as ovens vary.
  • The center will still be a bit jiggly when removed from the oven – this is normal! It will firm up significantly as it cools. It will not be solid like a traditional cake center.

9. Cool Completely:

  • Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack.
  • Allow the Pecan Dump Cake to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving (at least 1-2 hours, longer is better for a firmer set).

10. Serve:

  • Once cooled, slice into squares. Serve as is, or with an optional drizzle of caramel topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The magic happens in the oven with those unmixed layers!

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/pecan-dump-cake/