Description
Butter pecan praline poke cake celebrates Southern baking with layers of caramel and crunchy pecans. Each slice offers a mix of sweet richness and nutty depth that’s hard to resist for dessert lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (15 oz) butter pecan cake mix
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup milk
- 1 can (16 oz) coconut pecan frosting
- 1 cup (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup) finely chopped pecans
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (57 g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish thoroughly to prevent cake from sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, coconut pecan frosting, eggs, oil, and milk. Blend with an electric mixer until the batter becomes smooth and well-integrated.
- Gently fold chopped pecans into the cake batter, distributing them evenly throughout the mixture.
- Pour the prepared batter into the greased baking dish, spreading it uniformly to ensure even baking.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. The toothpick should emerge clean when the cake is fully baked.
- Remove cake from the oven and immediately create multiple holes across the entire surface using the handle of a wooden spoon, ensuring deep and consistent punctures.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter until it becomes completely liquid and slightly golden.
- Add sweetened condensed milk to the melted butter, stirring continuously to create a smooth, cohesive sauce.
- Incorporate chopped pecans into the sauce, stirring until they are well distributed and the mixture begins to simmer.
- Remove sauce from heat and carefully pour over the warm cake, ensuring the liquid seeps into the created holes and covers the entire surface.
- Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature, enabling the sauce to set and flavors to meld together before serving.
Notes
- Toast pecans beforehand to enhance their nutty flavor and provide a deeper, more complex taste profile to the cake.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smoother batter mixing and more even cake texture.
- Check cake doneness early to prevent over-baking, which can lead to dry results.
- Consider substituting gluten-free cake mix for a celiac-friendly version of this decadent dessert.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 426 kcal
- Sugar: 37 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg