Southern pecan praline sheet cake starts with butter pecan cake mix, but there’s a small twist: the coconut pecan frosting goes right into the batter. It bakes into a soft cake with bits of coconut and chopped pecans, then gets a warm glaze made with sweetened condensed milk and butter.
The glaze stays soft, so you can spread it over the whole cake or spoon it onto each slice. For a potluck, topping the cake in its baking dish makes serving easy. If you like a little extra sauce on your plate, keep the glaze separate.
A pecan cake you can serve from the pan
There’s no stacking layers or smoothing frosting here. The batter goes into a 9×13-inch dish, and the topping takes just one small saucepan. Half-and-half replaces the water in this version, while the frosting adds coconut, pecans, and sweetness throughout the cake.
Expect a rich cake with a fairly close crumb, rather than a light sponge. The chopped pecans give each slice a little crunch. Cut it into 15 pieces for a dessert table, or make 12 larger slices if cake is the main dessert.
What you’ll need
The full amounts are in the recipe card below. These are the ingredients worth paying attention to before you start.
- Butter pecan cake mix: Use the dry mix straight from the box. Follow the eggs, oil, and half-and-half amounts in this recipe instead of the directions on the package.
- Coconut pecan frosting: The entire 16-ounce tub goes into the mixing bowl. Regular vanilla frosting won’t give the cake the same texture or flavor.
- Eggs: You’ll need four large eggs. Crack them into a small bowl first so a stray piece of shell doesn’t end up in the batter.
- Oil: Canola oil has a mild flavor. If using coconut oil, melt it and let it cool until it’s still liquid but no longer hot. Very cold eggs or half-and-half can make coconut oil firm up again.
- Half-and-half: This is the milk-and-cream mixture sold in the dairy case. Give the carton a quick shake before measuring.
- Pecans: Measure after chopping. You’ll use ½ cup in the cake and another ½ cup in the glaze. Small pieces spread more evenly than large chunks.
- Sweetened condensed milk and butter: These make the glaze. Check the can carefully; evaporated milk is much thinner and isn’t a substitute.
How to make Southern pecan praline sheet cake
Mix the batter
Heat the oven to 350°F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Put the cake mix, coconut pecan frosting, eggs, oil, and half-and-half into a large bowl.
Mix until the dry cake mix is worked in, scraping along the bottom of the bowl. The batter will have little coconut and pecan bits from the frosting, so it won’t look completely smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans with a spatula.
Bake until the center is done
Spread the batter into the dish, including the corners. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, checking at 40 minutes. The top should be golden, and a toothpick pushed into the center should come out without wet batter. A few moist crumbs are fine.
Don’t judge by the edges alone. If the top is getting dark while the middle still needs time, lay a loose piece of foil over the dish and keep baking. Set the cake aside to cool in its pan.
Make the butter pecan glaze
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, then keep stirring until the mixture is warm and the butter is fully blended in. There’s no need to boil it or cook it into caramel.
Stir in the remaining pecans and take the pan off the heat. Spoon the warm glaze across the cake and gently spread it to the edges, or save it for individual slices.
A few tips before you slice
- Give the cake time to settle. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before adding the glaze. For neater slices, let the cake cool completely before cutting.
- Keep the glaze moving. Sweetened condensed milk can catch on the bottom of a saucepan. Use gentle heat and scrape the bottom as you stir.
- Spread the pecans around. Scoop from the bottom of the saucepan as you spoon out the glaze so the last slice doesn’t get all the nuts.
- Start with a small slice. The frosting in the batter and the condensed milk topping make this a sweet cake. Coffee or unsweetened tea goes well alongside it.
Questions about this pecan sheet cake
Does the coconut pecan frosting go on top?
No, it goes into the batter before baking. The topping is a separate mixture of sweetened condensed milk, butter, and chopped pecans. Keeping those two parts straight is the most useful thing to know about this recipe.
Does the glaze set like praline candy?
No. This is a soft butter pecan glaze, not a boiled candy topping. It gets thicker as it cools but stays creamy, so it can also be served as a sauce.
Can I make it ahead?
You can bake the cake a day ahead. Let it cool, cover it, and refrigerate it until serving. If you keep the glaze separate, refrigerate that too, then warm it gently over low heat while stirring. Let chilled slices lose their refrigerator chill before serving if you prefer a softer texture.
Can I leave out the coconut?
The coconut is already in the frosting and becomes part of the cake. Leaving it out would mean changing one of the main ingredients, so a different pecan cake recipe is a better choice if you don’t like coconut.
Southern Pecan Praline Sheet Cake
Equipment
- 1 9×13-inch baking dish Greased
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Small saucepan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box Betty Crocker butter pecan cake mix Use the dry mix; follow this recipe instead of the package directions.
- 1 16-ounce tub Betty Crocker coconut pecan frosting The entire tub goes into the batter.
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup canola oil Or coconut oil, melted and cooled until no longer hot.
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans Measure after chopping.
Butter pecan glaze
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk Do not use evaporated milk.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans Measure after chopping.
Instructions
Cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add the dry cake mix, the entire tub of coconut pecan frosting, eggs, oil, and half-and-half to a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined, scraping the sides and bottom so no dry cake mix remains.
- Use a spatula to fold ½ cup chopped pecans into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the greased dish and spread it evenly into the corners.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, checking at 40 minutes. The top should be golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let the cake cool in the dish for at least 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting if you want neater slices.
Butter pecan glaze
- While the cake cools, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sweetened condensed milk and stir until warm and fully blended. Keep the heat gentle and do not boil.
- Stir in the remaining ½ cup chopped pecans, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Spoon the warm glaze over the cake and spread it gently, or cut the cake and spoon the glaze over individual slices. Cut into 15 pieces to serve.
Notes
More pecan desserts to try
For another easy dessert you can cut into squares, try Lazy Girl Pecan Pie Bars. If you’d rather skip the glaze, Sweet Alabama Pecan Bread is another pecan bake to look at. You can also browse the dessert recipes for more cakes, bars, and pies.
Recipe credit: Adapted from Southern Pecan Praline Cake from Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen.
