Easy Butter Pecan Pound Cake (with canned frosting baked inside)

If you love the rich flavor of pecans but the ease or a simple cake mix, have I got a treat for you! This delicious and simple pound cake comes together in no time and has a secret ingredient in the batter: a can of coconut pecan frosting! 

A Great Recipe that Starts with a Box of Cake Mix

Here at Out of the Box Baking we’re all about starting with a cake mix and this recipe is definitely no exception! 

I’ve put together a lot of recipes that start with a cake mix, so you’ll want to take a look at How to Doctor a Boxed Cake Mix: The Ultimate Guide and Jazz up a Boxed Cake Mix. 

This one, though? It’s near the top of my list! Thanks to my friend Carol, who shared the recipe with me! 

Can I Bake with Frosting in the Mix? 

This was the question going through my mind when my friend sent me her favorite butter pecan bundt cake recipe. 

I love butter pecan cake. I have a lovely recipe for one on this blog, in fact. But the idea of stirring a can of store-bought coconut pecan frosting directly into the batter was too tempting! I had to give it a try! 

What is Coconut Pecan Frosting? 

You can make this delicious frosting from scratch or buy it for a couple of bucks at the grocery store. 

Basically, coconut pecan frosting is just what it sounds like—an ample portion of both flaked coconut and chopped pecans. 

But the thing that sets this frosting apart is that rich caramel base. It’s absolutely divine. 

Caramel Cakes are Delicious!

I could honestly just eat this frosting by the spoonful, straight from the can. And that’s probably what the clerk at the grocery store thought I was going to do when I bought five cans! 

I wasn’t, though the temptation was definitely there! I used those five cans to make a multiplicity of recipes, including Italian Cream Cake Bars, German Chocolate Pound Cake, and Italian Cream Pound Cake. 

Whew! That’s a lot of baking! But I knew it would all be fabulous with frosting inside once I saw how beautifully this recipe turned out. 

I’ll share more in a bit about how it looked and tasted but let’s start by talking about what goes inside. 

Butter Pecan Pound Cake Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card for this easy cake recipe at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make this lovely cake. These are simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.

• butter pecan cake mix
• warm water
• room temperature eggs
• vegetable oil
• coconut pecan frosting, any brand
• maple extract (optional) 
• chopped pecans (optional) 

How to Make this Delicious Butter Pecan Pound Cake

This one is so simple, I can’t believe I haven’t tried it sooner! 

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Prep a bundt pan by spraying it with non-stick spray. (I use Baker’s Joy.) 

Make sure you eggs are room temperature. I place mine in a bowl of tepid water for a while so they don’t have to sit out too long. 

Place warm water, oil, and eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment. If you don’t have a stand mixer, that’s fine! You can use a large bowl and a whisk. 

Whisk the ingredients together, starting on low speed and moving up, until the eggs start to look foamy. 

Add the extract and cake mix and continue mixing on low speed. 

Now it’s time to spoon in that delicious canned coconut pecan frosting. 

Mix well at medium speed.

I decided to add an extra cup of chopped pecans to my cake batter but this is totally optional. 

Pour batter into the prepared pan. 

Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (My oven runs hot so it only took 50 minutes. Your oven might be different.) 

Remove from oven and pan on wire rack to cool. The purpose of the wire rack it to provide air flow on top and bottom. 

After about 15 – 20 minutes you can flip the cake out of the pan directly onto the wire cooling rack. (Check out this delicious pound cake! Looks amazing, right?)

Once the cake cools you can drizzle caramel over it and add a few more chopped pecans.

The reason I opted not to do this was because I happened to be taking this cake already sliced to a funeral and didn’t want it to be sticky. I sifted powdered sugar onto my cake. If you opt to do this, let cake cool completely first.

Slice and serve this delicious southern butter pecan cake!

Store leftover at room temperature in an airtight container (or wrap in plastic wrap). 

This cake can be frozen up to two months if tightly wrapped. 

What to Expect from This Cake

Well, y’all. . .I have to admit, I took a big bite of this one. I’m currently counting calories but I thought it was worth it. 

It’s absolutely loaded with flavor but what really got me was the nice texture. Moist. Flaky. Packed full of nuts. It’s divine! It had just the right amount of moisture.

And that buttery pecan flavor was sheer perfection! What an easy and delicious treat!

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to make this style of butter pecan cake. It’s going to be a go-to recipe from now on, and not just on special occasions! This is one of those great recipes you can use again and again!

Variations to this Southern Butter Pecan Pound Cake Recipe

As I mentioned above I already came up with other ways to use this coconut pecan frosting in other cakes. Here are some ways you can mix this up: 

Cup of Coffee: If you like, you can add a cup of warm coffee instead of a cup of warm water. This will add depth of flavor to your bundt cake!

German Chocolate Pound Cake: Start with a box of German Chocolate Cake mix in place of Butter Pecan. Skip the maple flavoring and add a bit of coconut extract (optional). You can even throw in half a cup each of shredded coconut and chopped pecans. 

Toasted pecans: If you like, you can toast the pecans before using them. When you add them to the top of the cake before it bakes, they will become toasted as the cake bakes.

Italian Cream Pound Cake: Start with a box of yellow or white cake mix. Skip the maple extract and add vanilla instead. Otherwise, make as directed, adding pecans and coconut to the batter. 

Butter Pecan Glaze: Top your cake with a brown butter/butter pecan glaze. (Delicious!) I just love that butter pecan flavor!

Serve with a giant scoop of butter pecan ice cream! (Yum!)

Other Coconut Pecan Desserts from Out of the Box Baking

You guys know I love this combination – so much so that I have a ton of other coconut pecan options. Here are some fan favorites: 

Traditional German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting: The frosting is from scratch on this one and it’s so delicious!

Best Italian Cream Cake (Doctored Cake Mix): Whether you’re needing a birthday cake, a wedding cake, or an anniversary cake, we’ve got just the recipe for you! Italian cream cake is one of the most popular cake flavors around. . .for a reason! This is an easy Italian cream cake recipe, one you’ll use again and again.

Easy Pecan Chewies: If you’re looking for a crisp, chewy bar loaded with pecan flavor, you’ve come to the right place. These pecan chewies are absolutely delicious and so easy to make!

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious butter pecan pound cake recipe. Bundt cakes are popular for a reason!

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