Louisiana Stranger Cake

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This Louisiana Stranger Cake is an easy, extra moist, and unique bundt cake to take to a new neighbor, church pot-luck, or to freeze for a future party. It comes together with a box of cake mix and a can of frosting!

What is a Stranger Cake? Short answer, is the easiest, moistest, best tasting, bundt cake you have every put in your mouth. Think caramel, pecans, coconut, butter pecan cake…

Not only that, but it’s super easy to make!!! The secret to this bundt cake, is the way you make the cake batter. Intrigued?

If you didn’t alreadyknow, I am a collector of cooking, and ANYTHING to do with food, magazines.

I use the word collector, but really I have a problem that is teetering on the edge of getting me on one of those hoarding shows where they find “collectors” buried under their belongings along with various pets.

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One of my favorite’s is Cook’s Illustrated. I don’t currently subscribe because I have so many back issues already and running out of bookshelf space.

Like most other food magazines, there is a mail section in the front of Cook’s Illustratedwhere people send in their recipe requests or questions.

Some are funny, like “which end of the fork do I use when I eat with it?”, and some are actually useful, like “I lost my grandmother’s recipe for ____ cake and I can’t live without it!

They actually reunite those grieving people with their recipes and achieve superhero status! In an added bonus, we get recipes for cakes we have never heard of before.

Southern Praline Bundt Cake

One such lucky person was brought back from the abyss of sorrow when they found their lostrecipe for Louisiana Stranger Cake and they kindly reprinted it for them.

I couldn’t understand this reader’s loss until I read the recipe, made it (I already had the ingredients on hand because I love German chocolate cake) and proceeded to eat half of it.

The Louisiana Stranger Cake, AKA Southern Praline Bundt Cake, is the moistest bundt cake I ever put in my mouth! I made it for a church pot-luck and it quickly became my most requested cake.

I can’t take credit for this Louisiana Stranger Cake recipe so I am glad to pass it on so that others can revel in the joy of having this cake in their lives!

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Ingredients Needed

Cake Mix – A butter pecan cake mix works best but you can also use a white, yellow, and even a chocolate cake mix if you prefer. They all taste amazing!

Oil – I use vegetable oil but you can also use peanut, canola, or safflower oil. Do not use olive oil as it will change the flavor.

Eggs – Use 4 large eggs. Have them at room temperature for better mixing.

Pecans – If you use the butter pecan cake mix, there will be extra chopped pecans but I like to add 1 cup more. Toast the pecans beforehand for even more flavor.

Frosting – This is the store bought coconut pecan frosting. Also known as German chocolate cake frosting. You can make it homemade if you prefer.

For more insider tips & tricks, and a candid behind the scenes look follow me on social media! Check use out on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter (yes, people still use Twitter, LOL!)

How to make a Louisiana Stranger Cake

First: Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a bundt pan with nonstick spray or other cake release coating. Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies when you grease and flour it.

Second: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Mix to combine.

Third: Fold in the pecans and caramel pecan frosting. Mix to combine.

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Fourth: Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in cake pan for 5 minutes.

Invert on a cooling wire rack and let cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

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Why is it called a Louisiana Stranger Cake?

I really wish I knew where the name comes from because I ALWAYS get asked, and I am sad to say that Cook’s Illustrated did not explain the origins of the recipe in the reader’s mail question or response.

I can speculate that it might be because:

that it was considered strange to put frosting in the cake batter prior to baking.
that people brought it to strangers that moved into the neighborhood as a welcome gift.
that a giftedculinarystranger lost this recipe in Louisiana and a lucky person picked it up!

Can I freeze it?

Yes, you can!Up to 3 months and it comes out just as moist as when it was cooked. Just be sure to wrap tightly in plastic wrap!

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Can I use a different cake mix?

Yes you can!The original recipe called for a Butter Pecan cake mix but sometimes it is not always available.

Feel free to use a plain yellow cake mix, just add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.Chocolate is also a great option!! I love this Death By Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Can I make this from scratch and not a cake mix?

Yes you can! Here is a recipe for the coconut pecan frosting and a cake batter.

Can I bake it in another pan besides a bundt pan?

Yes you can! I have made it as a sheet cake, a 9-inch layer cake, and mini bundt cakes too.

If it happens to crumble or you have some leftovers, use it as a substitute for the sponge cake in this Christmas Trifle!

For more insider tips & tricks, and a candid behind the scenes look follow me on social media! Check use out on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter (yes, people still use Twitter, LOL!)

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Can any cake be a bundt cake?

Only if it is made in a Bundtpan which is a distinctive ring-shaped pan. I love the shape and the flavor of this Lemon Bundt Cake. So fun and bright for spring and summer desserts.

Will a cake mix recipe fit in a bundt pan?

Yes. The batter for a two-layer, 9-inch cake will fit into a bundt pan that holds 15 cups of batter.

How do you keep a bundt cake from sticking to the pan?

Use a good non-stick pan that isn’t scratched, old, or peeling.The non-stick coating must be intact.
Grease the pan completely, right before adding the batter so it doesn’t slide down the sides and pool at the bottom of the pan, and use liquid oil/shortening.
DO NOT USE BUTTER!And make sure you get it into all the cracks and crevices of your intricately designed bundt pan with a pastry brush if it’s a fancy one!Get the center tube too!
Don’t use flour as it gets gummy and comes out like glue, instead I use almond flour or granulated sugar.Yes, sugar is sticky but is liquid when warm so the cake will come out when still warm.

How long do you wait to turn it out of the pan?

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, take a spatula or non-sharp knife and loosen the cake from the edges of the pan. Including around the center tube!

Rest the cake a few before flipping it over and trying to remove it from the pan.You can also, leave the bundt pan inverted on a cooling rack for a few more minutes to see if it will drop out on its own.

If the cake still won’t come out, give the pan a tiny shake.

If you love this recipeas much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!