The Ultimate Gooey Pecan Pie Cake Recipe

If you love the rich, caramel-infused flavors of a classic Southern pecan pie but crave the soft, comforting texture of a homemade cake, you have just found your new favorite dessert. This Pecan Pie Cake combines the best of both worlds: a rich, buttery cake base topped with a decadent, gooey brown sugar and pecan glaze that soaks right into the sponge.

It is the perfect dessert for holiday gatherings, potlucks, or just a cozy Sunday baking project. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• The Perfect Texture: You get a soft, moist cake crumb paired with a crunchy, gooey, candy-like pecan topping.

• Easier Than Pie: No rolling out pie crusts or worrying about a soggy bottom. This bakes up beautifully in a simple 9×13 glass baking dish.

• Crowd-Pleaser: It’s rich enough to feed a crowd because a little slice goes a long way.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Before you get started, gather these simple pantry staples.

For the Cake Base:

• All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups, spooned and leveled.

• Granulated Sugar: 1 ½ cups for the perfect sweetness.

• Baking Powder: 2 teaspoons to give the cake a nice, soft lift.

• Salt: ½ teaspoon to balance the sweetness.

• Unsalted Butter: 1 cup (2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly.

• Whole Milk: ½ cup at room temperature.

• Eggs: 4 large eggs, room temperature.

• Pure Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons.

For the Gooey Pecan Topping:

• Pecan Halves: 2 ½ cups, roughly chopped (keep some halves for visual texture!).

• Light Brown Sugar: 1 ½ cups, packed for that deep caramel flavor.

• Light Corn Syrup: ½ cup (this gives the topping that classic, glossy pecan pie texture).

• Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick).

• Heavy Cream: ¼ cup.

• Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon.

• Pinch of Salt: To cut through the richness.