This easy pecan pie dump cake layers a gooey brown sugar, corn syrup, and pecan filling under a buttery yellow cake mix topping. It tastes just like classic Southern pecan pie without the crust and slices into perfect squares for a crowd.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9x13 pan with butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla bean paste until thoroughly combined. Stir in 3 cups of pecans.
Pour the pecan mixture into the prepared baking dish, smoothing it out evenly.
In a large bowl, use a fork to crumble the softened butter into the cake mix until it is the texture of wet sand. Sprinkle this over the pecan filling. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar over the cake mix.
Carefully pour the hot water over the top of the dry cake mix. Do not mix. You may need to tilt the dish to make sure the cake mix is evenly moist. Sprinkle with remaining pecan halves.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Because all ovens are different, check the cake at 30 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. The edges should be set but the center should jiggle slightly. As the cake cools, the center will firm up but should still be soft unlike a regular cake.
Allow the cake to cool completely before drizzling with caramel sauce and serving.
Notes
Refrigerator: Because the filling contains eggs, cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Let squares sit out for about 30 minutes before serving.Make ahead: Bake it a day ahead, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate. This frees up your oven on the holiday.Freezer: Wrap cooled squares tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.