Butterscotch Pudding Dump Cake: Must-Have, Easy Recipe with Pecans

Easy Butterscotch Pudding Dump Cake with Pecans

This butterscotch pudding dump cake has a soft, creamy filling under a buttery cake-mix topping, with butterscotch chips and pecans baked into every serving. It requires no eggs, no mixer, and no separate cake batter.

Unlike a traditional dump cake made with canned fruit, this version uses instant pudding as its moist base. The cake mix is combined with melted butter before baking, which prevents the dry, floury patches that sometimes remain when butter is merely poured over the top. The result falls somewhere between a pudding cake and a fruitless cobbler: crisp around the edges, crumbly on top, and spoonably soft underneath.

Choosing the Right Ingredients

Use regular instant butterscotch pudding, not cook-and-serve pudding. The two products thicken differently and cannot be exchanged without changing the preparation. Two standard 3.4-ounce boxes provide enough filling for a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

The pudding is prepared with less milk than the package directions usually call for. A thicker starting consistency keeps the baked dessert from becoming runny. Whole milk produces the richest filling, although 2 percent milk also works.

Yellow cake mix gives the topping a mild vanilla flavor that supports the butterscotch without making the dessert excessively intense. Packages now vary in size by brand. A box between 13.25 and 15.25 ounces is suitable, though a larger package will create a slightly thicker topping.

Butterscotch chips reinforce the flavor, while pecans provide some needed contrast to the sweet, soft filling. Placing the chips beneath the cake-mix crumbs protects them from direct heat and reduces the chance of scorching.

Butterscotch Pecan Dump Cake Recipe

Description: A layered butterscotch dessert with instant pudding, yellow cake mix, butterscotch chips, and a crisp pecan topping.

• Yield: 12 servings
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 40 to 50 minutes
• Cooling time: 30 minutes
• Total time: About 1 hour 35 minutes
• Course: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Equipment

• 9-by-13-inch baking dish
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Flexible spatula
• Measuring cups

Ingredients

• 2 packages regular instant butterscotch pudding mix, 3.4 ounces (96 grams) each
• 3 cups (710 milliliters) cold whole or 2 percent milk
• 3/4 cup (about 130 grams) butterscotch baking chips
• 1 box yellow cake mix, 13.25 to 15.25 ounces (375 to 432 grams)
• 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup (about 85 grams) chopped pecans
• Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

2. Pour the cold milk into a large bowl. Add both packages of instant butterscotch pudding mix and whisk for about two minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Do not wait for it to set completely.

3. Spread the pudding evenly in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the butterscotch chips across the surface.

4. Place the yellow cake mix in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and salt, then stir until no large pockets of dry mix remain. The mixture should resemble coarse, uneven crumbs rather than smooth cake batter.

5. Distribute the buttered cake-mix crumbs evenly over the pudding. Sprinkle the chopped pecans across the top.

6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The filling should bubble around the edges, and the topping should be golden brown. If the pecans begin to darken too quickly, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.

7. Place the baking dish on a cooling rack and let the cake rest for at least 30 minutes. The filling thickens as it cools. Serve warm with a spoon, adding vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

How to Keep the Topping from Turning Powdery

Traditional dump cake instructions often call for sprinkling dry cake mix over a wet filling and covering it with thin slices of butter. That method can work, but only if the butter covers nearly every part of the dry mix. Any exposed areas may remain pale and powdery after baking.

Stirring melted butter into the cake mix first takes an extra minute and produces more dependable coverage. Do not continue mixing until a paste forms. Large and small crumbs create a better texture, with crisp peaks and softer areas that absorb some moisture from the pudding.

Spread the crumbs all the way to the corners without pressing them down. Compressing the topping limits the spaces through which steam can escape and can leave the center dense.

The filling may still look loose when the dessert comes out of the oven. That is expected. Cutting into it immediately will produce a bowl-like pudding dessert, while a 30-minute rest gives it enough structure to hold a soft serving. Refrigerating it creates a much firmer texture.

Useful Substitutions

A few substitutions work without changing the basic method:

• Vanilla or butter-flavored cake mix: Either can replace yellow cake mix. White cake mix also works, though its flavor is less rich.
• Walnuts: Chopped walnuts can replace pecans in equal volume.
• Toffee pieces: Use them in place of some or all of the butterscotch chips for a firmer, caramelized bite.
• Salted butter: Omit the added salt if using salted butter.
• Fewer baking chips: Reducing the chips to 1/2 cup makes the dessert less sweet without affecting the structure.

Plant-based milk is not always a direct substitute in an instant butterscotch pudding dessert. Some instant pudding mixes do not set properly with non-dairy milk when prepared according to the standard dairy directions. Follow the pudding manufacturer’s alternative instructions, if provided, rather than making an equal-volume exchange.

Sugar-free pudding also comes in a different package size and may behave differently during baking. For predictable proportions, use the regular pudding specified in the recipe.

Serving and Storage

This easy butterscotch dessert is richest when served warm rather than piping hot. A modest scoop of vanilla ice cream adds temperature contrast, while unsweetened or lightly sweetened whipped cream keeps the serving from becoming overly sugary.

For cleaner portions, cool the cake to room temperature and refrigerate it before cutting. The chilled filling becomes firm enough for squares, although the topping loses some of its original crispness in the refrigerator.

Cover and refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving. They will keep for three to four days. Reheat individual portions briefly in the microwave until warm, or eat them chilled. Freezing is possible, but thawed instant pudding can release moisture and develop a less even texture, so refrigeration is the better storage method.

This butterscotch dump cake recipe works especially well for casual gatherings because it can be assembled quickly and served directly from the baking dish. The pudding base, buttered yellow cake mix, toasted pecans, and melted chips supply distinct textures without requiring a conventional cake batter or frosting.