Description
Pecan Pie Pudding Cake is a delightful dessert combining a moist, cinnamon-spiced cake base with a rich pecan pie topping that creates a luscious pudding layer as it bakes. This recipe features chopped and whole pecans for texture and a sweet, buttery topping that seeps into the cake, served best warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Pecan Pie Topping:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking dish: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and grease an 8×8-inch baking dish to ensure the cake doesn’t stick and bakes evenly.
- Mix cake batter: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined. Fold in the chopped pecans gently to distribute them evenly through the batter. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare the topping: In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, hot water, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and sugars dissolve, creating a syrupy topping.
- Assemble the cake: Gently pour the pecan pie topping mixture over the cake batter in the baking dish. Do not stir, as the topping will naturally sink through the batter during baking to form a pudding-like layer.
- Bake the cake: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pudding layer is bubbling, indicating the topping has set properly.
- Cool and serve: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly to allow the pudding layer to thicken. Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgent treat.
Notes
- Use an 8×8-inch baking dish for proper depth and even cooking.
- Do not stir the topping into the batter; it needs to remain on top to create the pudding layer.
- Chopping pecans finely for the batter and using halves on top gives texture contrast.
- Serve warm for the best flavor and texture, especially with ice cream.
- Leftovers can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
