This butterscotch crunch cake is a 9×13 sheet cake in three layers: a soft yellow cake made with instant butterscotch pudding, a warm butterscotch glaze that soaks into poked holes, and a crunchy topping of toffee bits, chopped butterscotch chips and crushed cereal. It serves 12 to 15 and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, most of it baking and cooling.
The one thing to get right is timing. The glaze goes onto a still-warm cake, and the topping goes on once that glaze turns tacky. Do that and the crunch stays on top instead of sinking in.
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The cake is a box of yellow cake mix (15.25 oz), one 3.4 oz box of instant butterscotch pudding mix, 4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla. There is no butter in the batter. Oil keeps it soft for days. The pudding mix makes the crumb dense enough to carry a heavy glaze and a pile of toffee without caving in.
In my notes, whole milk beats water here. I have made it both ways, and milk gives a richer, tighter crumb that does not dry out on day two. Use instant pudding, not cook-and-serve. Instant pudding sets without heat and blends straight into the batter.
The glaze is 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. The topping is 1 cup toffee bits, 3/4 cup chopped butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup crushed granola or crispy cereal, such as Honey Bunches of Oats.
Mixing and Baking the Cake
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and lightly flour a 9×13 inch baking dish. Put the cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer on medium for about 2 minutes. The batter should look smooth, thick and pale tan, like the bowl above.
Spread it evenly and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the pan for about 15 minutes. It should still be warm when the glaze goes on, the same way you would treat a Boston cream pie poke cake.
A Butterscotch Glaze That Soaks In
Put the butterscotch chips, cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the whole time. In 5 to 6 minutes you get a smooth, glossy sauce with no specks of unmelted chip. Take it off the heat and let it stand for 3 minutes so it thickens a little.
Butterscotch chips scorch faster than chocolate. Higher heat makes them seize into a thick, grainy paste. If that happens, pull the pan off the heat and stir in a tablespoon of warm cream at a time until it loosens again.
While the glaze rests, poke holes all over the warm cake with a fork or skewer, about an inch apart. Pour the glaze over and spread it to the edges with an offset spatula. The holes pull it down into the top of the cake, so every slice gets streaks of butterscotch, not only a coating.
Want the flavor in a crust instead? My butterscotch pie recipe turns it into a custard.
When to Add the Crunch Topping
Mix the toffee bits, chopped butterscotch chips and crushed cereal in a bowl. Chop the chips rather than using them whole. Small pieces settle into the glaze, while whole chips sit up like little domes and roll off when you slice.
Then wait for the glaze to turn tacky. On a warm cake that usually takes 5 to 10 minutes. The edges lose their wet shine, and a fingertip comes away sticky without pulling a string. Too early and the cereal soaks up the glaze and sinks. Too late and the topping has nothing to grip.
Scatter the topping evenly and press it in lightly with your palm, just enough to anchor it. The cereal keeps its snap, the chips soften at the edges and the toffee adds chew. The pumpkin crunch recipe works on the same idea with a fall flavor.
Butterscotch Crunch for Cake, Made on Its Own
You can make this butterscotch crunch to top another cake. Mix 1 cup toffee bits, 3/4 cup chopped butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup crushed cereal or granola. That amount covers a 9×13 cake, the top of a two layer 9 inch cake, or about 24 cupcakes. Press it onto a sticky surface: a warm glaze, caramel, or a just-frosted buttercream. On dry frosting it will not stay put.
Many bakery butterscotch cakes use a different crunch, a nut praline. Sugar is cooked to amber caramel, nuts are stirred in, and the cooled sheet is crushed into crumbs. It stays crisp longer on whipped cream. My praline crunch is an oven-baked cereal and pecan version; crush it before sprinkling.
Cereal or Granola on Top?
I have made it with both. Crushed flaky cereal, especially a honey one, stays crisp longer and spreads evenly over the glaze, so every slice gets the same amount of crunch. Granola is heavier. It clumps and softens faster. Pick cereal for snap, granola for a denser, nuttier top.
Keeping the Topping Crisp and Making It Ahead
Let the cake cool completely before slicing. It cuts cleanly then, and the glaze stops sliding. Slightly warm, the glaze is soft. Chilled, the slice firms up and eats almost like a bar.
Cover leftovers loosely. An airtight lid traps moisture from the cake and softens the cereal overnight. I lay a sheet of parchment over the top and press foil around the dish. It keeps at room temperature for up to 2 days, then in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring chilled slices back to room temperature before serving, because cold glaze tastes dull.
Making it ahead? Bake and glaze the cake the day before, then add the topping a few hours before serving. The topping is crunchiest on day one.
When the Glaze or Crunch Goes Wrong
- Glaze ran off the sides: it went on too hot. Let it stand the full 3 minutes, and pour onto a warm, not hot, cake.
- Glaze sat on top and never soaked in: the cake had cooled, or the holes were too few. Poke every inch while the cake is still warm.
- Topping falls off when you slice: the glaze set before the topping went on, or it was not pressed in. Use a sharp knife and wipe it between cuts.
- Cake is dense and gummy in the middle: it came out early. Bake until the toothpick comes out clean, up to 32 minutes.
Butterscotch Cake Questions
Can I make this butterscotch cake from scratch?
This recipe is built on yellow cake mix and instant pudding, and the amounts depend on them. For a from-scratch caramel layer cake, try my salted caramel cake and add the crunch topping on top.
How do I decorate a butterscotch cake?
Press the butterscotch crunch onto a sticky glaze and drizzle a little extra melted butterscotch over the top. On a layer cake, press it around the bottom edge of the frosting and pile more in the center.
Can I use caramel instead of the butterscotch glaze?
Yes. A thick caramel sauce soaks in the same way, though the cake then tastes of caramel, not butterscotch. More butterscotch bakes: butterscotch marshmallow squares or butterscotch walnut banana bread.
Baking this for a potluck? Take the topping in a separate bag and press it on when you arrive. Another one-pan dessert for a crowd is my caramel pecan dump cake. Tell me in the comments how your crunch held up.
Butterscotch Crunch Cake Recipe
This butterscotch crunch cake is a 9x13 sheet cake made with yellow cake mix, instant butterscotch pudding, whole milk, eggs and oil, topped with a butterscotch glaze and a toffee crunch. It serves 12 to 15 and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, with a soft, moist crumb under a glossy glaze and a crisp top. Holes poked in the warm cake pull the glaze in, and the topping goes on once the glaze turns tacky so it stays crunchy. The butterscotch crunch for cake is toffee bits, chopped butterscotch chips and crushed cereal, and it also tops layer cakes, cupcakes or a caramel cake. Swap granola for cereal. Keep it loosely covered for 2 days, then chilled for 4.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE BASE
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz)
- 1 cup butterscotch pudding mix (instant, 3.4 oz)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE BUTTERSCOTCH GLAZE
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- FOR THE CRUNCH TOPPING
- 1 cup toffee bits or crushed toffee candy
- 3/4 cup chopped butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup crushed granola or crispy cereal (such as Honey Bunches of Oats)
Instructions
- MAKE THE CAKE BASE: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9x13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking. In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix and the instant butterscotch pudding mix. Add the eggs, whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Beat the mixture using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and fully combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before proceeding.
- PREPARE THE BUTTERSCOTCH GLAZE: In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine the butterscotch chips, heavy cream, and butter. Stir constantly as the mixture warms up, allowing the chips and butter to melt completely. Continue stirring until the glaze becomes smooth and glossy, which should take about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze sit for 3 minutes so it can thicken slightly before pouring it over the cake.
- ASSEMBLE THE LAYERS: While the cake is still warm, use a fork or skewer to poke small holes all over the surface. This will help the glaze absorb into the cake. Pour the slightly cooled but still warm butterscotch glaze over the cake, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula to ensure full coverage. While the glaze is still tacky, sprinkle the toffee bits, chopped butterscotch chips, and crushed granola or cereal over the top. Lightly press the topping into the glaze so it adheres well as it sets.
Notes
Use instant butterscotch pudding mix (one 3.4 oz box), not cook-and-serve. Melt the glaze on medium-low and stir constantly; butterscotch chips scorch and turn grainy on high heat. If the glaze thickens or goes grainy, stir in warm cream 1 tablespoon at a time off the heat. Add the topping only when the glaze is tacky: the edges lose their shine and a fingertip comes away sticky. Cool completely before slicing. Cover loosely with parchment, not an airtight lid, so the topping stays crisp. Keeps 2 days at room temperature, then up to 4 days in the fridge; serve at room temperature. For a make-ahead cake, glaze it the day before and add the topping a few hours before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 683Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 120mgSodium 458mgCarbohydrates 83gFiber 1gSugar 60gProtein 7g
