pecan pie cake

I had my first taste of pecan pie over Thanksgiving weekend. Shocking isn't it? We were a strictly pumpkin family as far as pies go, so I went 30 years without even trying a bite. And you know what? It wasn't my favorite. It tasted fine, but something about the texture...maybe the layers...or maybe it was just the pasty corn syrup middle that turned me off.

Or maybe it's because I've had this Pecan Pie Cake several times and it's almost my favorite thing in the whole world. It has all the flavor of a pecan pie, but it's different in a good way. It's cakey, but still chewy. ("Marshmallow-y," my father-in-law called it, and I think that fits well.) And it still has lots of corn syrupy goodness. I like this for dessert, but it's even better for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with my coffee.

Pecan Pie Cake
recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor

1 pkg yellow cake mix
8 tablespoons melted butter
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups white/light corn syrup
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chopped toasted pecans

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• In a large bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter, and 1 egg with an electric mixer on low speed for 1-2 minutes. It should be well combined and thick.
• Measure out 2/3 cup of the batter and set aside.
• Pack remaining batter evenly into ungreased 13x9 pan.
• Place in oven and bake until crust is light brown and puffed, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven; cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
• While crust is cooling, place reserved batter, corn syrup, brown sugar, 3 eggs, and vanilla in the same bowl as before. Blend on low speed for 1 minutes, scrape sides, and blend on medium speed until well combined plus one additional minute.
• Fold in pecans.
• Pour mixture on top of cooled crust and smooth into an even layer.
• Bake until edges are brown but center is still soft, about 45 minutes.
• Cool 30 minutes (or longer) and serve.

This cake keeps wonderfully for several days (if it lasts that long) and maybe becomes a little chewier after the first day. (Again, in a good way!) And don't forget to scrape that yummy baked corn syrup off the edges of the pan. That's my favorite. In fact, I'm doing just that right now. Mmmmm...

Edited to add: This cake freezes extremely well! When thawed, the look and texture is completely identical to a freshly cooled cake. I've never seen anything freeze this well.