Pralines are one of my favorite treats to get when traveling down South. I haven’t been able to find a candy store in Pennsylvania or a recipe that accurately captures the buttery caramel and the crunchy pecans I know and love.
This praline poke cake is the next best thing. It features a doctored-up cake mix, a buttery filling, and a sauce that is just to die for.
It is perfect for dessert at home or for potlucks and picnics. Dig into a taste of the South!
Why I Love This Cake
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Cake Mix: The ease of using cake mix combines with my secret ingredients to make it taste fresh.
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Layers of Flavor: Cake + Sauce+ Topping=Layers of delicious flavor and textures.
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No Fancy Equipment Needed: No mixer needed, just mix with a wooden spoon.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
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Butter: Use butter instead of oil for a moist cake with rich flavor.
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Milk: Replace water with milk for a moist and tender cake.
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Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Marinade: My secret ingredient. This adds wonderful notes of butter and caramel along. You can also use the Butter flavor for a spicy kick. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week. Leftovers? Use it to make Bananas Foster or Moose Munch.
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Sweetened Condensed Milk: This features milk with less water and more sugar. Avoid evaporated milk which doesn’t have added sugar. Look for it in the baking aisle near the cake mixes.
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Pecans: If you’re not a pecan fan, walnuts can also be used.
How To Make A Praline Cake
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Prep Work: Line a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick foil.
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Make Cake: Combine all cake ingredients. Stir until just combined.
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Bake: Bake for 23-28 minutes.
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Fill: Poke holes into the cake. Pour or inject marinade into the holes.
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Top: Combine sweetened condensed milk and butter marinade. Heat, and then spoon over cake. Garnish with pecans.
Leftovers
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Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Freezing: Freeze the entire cake or individual slices for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Tips and Tricks
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Foil: Line your pan with foil for easy removal and cleanup.
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Doneness: This cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If you see raw cake batter, keep baking in 2-3 minute increments.
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Poking Holes: Poke holes around 2 inches apart using a wooden spoon. If they are too far apart you won’t have enough filling, if they’re too close your cake may fall apart.
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Inject: Instead of pouring, you can use the included tool to inject the marinade into the cake. Super fun to get the kids involved with!
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Transport: Bake in an aluminum 9×13 pan so you don’t have to worry about taking your dish home from a party or relative.
More Poke Cakes To Try
Praline Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 Box Pecan Cake Mix
- ¾ Cup Butter Melted
- ¼ Cup Tony Chachere's Honey Ham Praline Injectable Marinade
- 4 Whole Eggs
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
For the Filling:
- ½ Cup Tony Chachere's Honey Ham Praline Marinade
For the Topping
- 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Tony Chachere's Honey Ham Praline Injectable Marinade
- ¾ Cup Pecans Roughly Chopped
Instructions
For the Cake
- Line a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick foil.
- In a large bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour into a prepared pan. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
For the Filling:
- Cool cake slightly for 3-5 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake around 2 inches apart.
- Pour or inject marinade into the holes.
For the Topping
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and butter marinade. Heat for 2-3 minutes or until warmed through and slightly thickened.
- Spoon over cake and garnish with pecans.
My kind of poke cake!!
My family loves this delicious cake!! Will definitely make it again!
My family loves this delicious cale!! Will definitely make it again!
This looks amazing! I have family that would love this
I know for sure this praline cake would be a huge hit in my house!
So moist and delicious! Love this fluffy dessert
This Praline Poke Cake Looks so mouthwatering! It will be our new favorite for sure!
Oh my goodness, this cake was so decadent and delicious! It is going to be great for the holidays too!
This praline cake couldn’t look any more perfect!
Oh wow! This is calling my name and looks very addicting! My hubby and I are going to absolutely love this recipe. So excited to make this poke cake!
This was the tastiest cake I have made in a while! My family gobbled it up!
Where do you usually buy the marinade? My local store doesn’t carry it, but I wanted to try the cake, so I used some leftover caramel sauce and added toasted pecans. Delicious! Rich and buttery and perfect served warm with vanilla ice cream!
Great question! It is in a unique place in my store (With the ethnic foods vs. with the other marinades/BBQ sauces). I’m also seeing it available on Walmart.com. Hope this helps Kara! 🙂
My whole family now thinks I’m some kind of baking goddess! Was so good.
Everyone at my house was impressed with this cake! It is so good!
My husband loves pralines so I knew o had to make it. Boy is it delicious!