Gordon Ramsay Pecan Pie Dump Cake Recipe

All the flavor of pecan pie, none of the pastry work. A gooey brown sugar and pecan filling goes into a baking dish, dry yellow cake mix is scattered over it, and melted butter is drizzled on top. In the oven, the cake mix soaks up the butter and bakes into a crisp, cobbler-like crust over a bubbling pecan layer. It’s about 10 minutes of work and 55 minutes in total.

This is American church-supper baking, not Gordon Ramsay cooking, and it’s unapologetically a shortcut. It’s on this site because it’s the dessert I make when I need to feed a crowd with almost no effort.

Ingredients

For the pecan filling

• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cups (220 g) pecan halves, lightly toasted

For the topping

• 1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted

To serve

• Vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream

The one rule: don’t stir

A dump cake works because the cake mix sits on top as a dry layer and the butter soaks through it unevenly. That’s what gives you a topping that’s crisp on top and soft underneath. If you stir the cake mix into the filling, you lose the crust completely.

Method

1. Prepare the dish. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic dish well, right into the corners; the sugary filling sticks otherwise. If your pecans aren’t toasted yet, toast them on a tray for 8 minutes while the oven heats.
   
2. Whisk the filling. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and salt for about a minute, until smooth and glossy, like thin caramel. Room-temperature eggs keep the butter from seizing into flecks.
   
3. Add the pecans. Fold in the toasted pecans and spread the filling evenly in the dish.
   
4. Scatter the cake mix. Sprinkle the dry mix straight from the box in an even layer, breaking up lumps with your fingers. Don’t stir.
   
5. Drizzle the butter. Pour the melted butter slowly over the whole surface. Then tilt the dish and look for pale, dry patches; dab a little extra butter on any you find, or they’ll bake up powdery.
   
6. Bake, then wait 15 minutes. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until deep golden with bubbling edges. Let it cool for 15 minutes so the filling thickens enough to scoop, then serve warm with ice cream.
   

Swaps and twists

• Cake mix: white cake mix gives a lighter flavor and spice cake mix is great in autumn. Avoid chocolate cake mix, which overpowers the pecans.
• Chocolate pecan: scatter 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the filling before the cake mix.
• Bourbon: whisk 2 tbsp bourbon into the filling.
• Salted caramel: drizzle warm salted caramel over each serving and add a pinch of flaky salt.

Make-ahead and leftovers

• Before baking: assemble, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge for 45–50 minutes.
• Leftovers: keep for 4 days in the fridge. Warm single portions in the microwave for 30–40 seconds, or the whole dish at 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes. The top won’t be as crisp, but the center reheats well.
• Freezing: wrap the cooled dish in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 20 minutes.

Dessert

Gordon Ramsay Pecan Pie Dump Cake Recipe

A gooey brown-sugar pecan filling baked under a buttery yellow cake mix topping — all the flavour of pecan pie with no crust to make. Dump, bake, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Chef Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Prep
10 minutes

Cook
45 minutes

Total
55 minutes

Serves
12 servings

🖨 Print Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar1/2 cup (120 ml) light corn syrup3 large eggs, at room temperature2 tsp vanilla extract1/4 tsp fine sea salt2 cups (220 g) pecan halves, lightly toasted1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) yellow cake mix1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, meltedVanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream, to serve

Instructions

01

Heat the oven and prep the dish

Set the oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter, getting into the corners.

02

Whisk the pecan pie base

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, and salt until completely smooth and glossy, about 1 minute.

03

Add the pecans and fill the dish

Fold in the toasted pecan halves until every piece is coated, then spread the filling evenly in the prepared dish.

04

Dump the cake mix

Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the filling in a thin layer, breaking up lumps with your fingers. Do not stir.

05

Butter the top

Drizzle the remaining melted butter slowly and evenly over the dry cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible.

06

Bake until golden and bubbling

Bake 40-45 minutes until deep golden brown and bubbling at the edges. Cool 15 minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Chef Tips

• Toast the pecans 8 minutes at 350°F (175°C) before adding — it deepens their flavour enormously.
• Dab extra melted butter on any pale, powdery patches of cake mix before baking so the topping crisps evenly.
• Let the cake cool 15 minutes before scooping so the filling thickens to a spoonable, gooey consistency.
• Use room-temperature eggs so the melted butter does not seize into flecks when whisked.

For more warm, scoopable desserts, try my Gordon Ramsay Brownie Sundae, the Gordon Ramsay Chocolate Lava Cake, or the caramel-heavy Banoffee Cake. More on Pinterest.