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A slice of homemade Butter Pecan Praline Poke Cake topped with whipped cream and toasted pecans, dripping with caramel sauce, served on a blue plate with a fork.

Butter Pecan Praline Poke Cake

5 from 1 vote
A rich, buttery Southern dessert packed with praline flavor, crunchy pecans, and a creamy caramel topping — perfected over 18 years and 52 trials for the ultimate crowd-pleasing Butter Pecan Praline Poke Cake that stays moist for days.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:
  • 1 box Butter pecan cake mix - Or yellow cake mix + butter extract
  • 3 Large eggs - Room temperature
  • ½ cup Vegetable oil
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 teaspoon Butter extract - Optional, but enhances flavor
  • ¾ cup Chopped pecans - Folded into batter
For the Praline Sauce:
  • 1 cup Brown sugar - Light or dark
  • ½ cup Heavy cream - Can substitute milk
  • 4 tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • ¾ cup Chopped pecans - Stirred into sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Corn syrup - Optional, keeps sauce smooth
For the Topping:
  • 1 can Sweetened condensed milk - (14 oz can)
  • ½ cup Caramel sauce - Homemade or store-bought
  • 1 tub Whipped topping - Thawed if frozen
  • ¼ cup Pecans - For garnish, optional

Equipment

  • 1 9x13-inch baking pan (Greased)
  • 1 Electric mixer (Hand or stand mixer)
  • 1 Medium saucepan (For praline sauce)
  • 1 Wooden spoon (Use handle to poke holes)
  • 1 Wire cooling rack (For cooling cake)
  • 1 set Measuring cups and spoons (For all ingredients)

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven according to the cake mix instructions and grease a 9x13 inch pan.
  2. Prepare the cake batter by mixing cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and butter extract until smooth. Fold in chopped pecans.
  3. Pour batter into the pan and bake according to package directions (usually 30–35 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes.
  4. In a saucepan, melt butter, then stir in brown sugar and cream. Simmer until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, pecans, and optional corn syrup.
  5. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the warm cake.
  6. Slowly pour the warm praline sauce over the cake, letting it soak into the holes completely. Let the cake cool.
  7. Mix condensed milk and caramel sauce, spread over cake. Top with whipped topping and pecans. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 145gCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 5gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 340mgPotassium: 180mgFiber: 2gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 450IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 1.2mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes

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