This moist butterscotch cake is so easy to make using a boxed cake mix doctored up with our secret ingredient for ultimate moisture and butterscotch flavor. The fluffy three layer cake is frosted and decorated with homemade butterscotch buttercream, making this crowd pleaser rich and decadent.
Our cake sure turned out fancy, but I’m proud to say it’s the simplest recipe and you don’t even need decorating skills! Next time I make it I’m anxious to test it with a cream cheese buttercream frosting or dark chocolate frosting and a sprinkle of butterscotch chips across the top.
If you are one of those who craves sweet butterscotch flavor, you have to try my chocolate butterscotch haystacks, butterscotch toffee cookies, and pumpkin butterscotch cookies. All three are simple, rich, and the cookies are ultra chewy.
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🎂 Ingredients:
Cake Ingredients:
- box yellow cake mix – boxed mix makes it so easy as you have the flour, sugar, and leavening already measured and ready to go
- instant butterscotch pudding – We use instant pudding powder in quite a few of our cake and cookie recipes for instant moisture. You are not mixing up the pudding with milk, we’re just putting the dry powder into the batter.
- eggs – bring to room temperature first so that they incorporate fully and give good lift (leavening) to the cake
- oil – we used vegetable oil. Canola oil or avocado oil can also be used.
- whole milk – a reduced fat milk can be used, even water can be subbed in. The extra fat in whole milk aids in moistness and flavor.
Frosting Ingredients:
- unsalted butter – softened before mixing.
- powdered sugar – thickens and sweetens the frosting.
- butterscotch – We use jarred butterscotch syrup that you find in the ice cream topping section of the grocery store.
- milk – or heavy cream to help with consistency.
- butterscotch chips – for decorating.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
This easy butterscotch cake recipe can be garnished with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt, more butterscotch sauce, or chips.
Substitutions and Variations
- Butterscotch ganache – use my dark chocolate ganache recipe and replace the chocolate with butterscotch chips. You will basically be whisking hot cream into the melted butterscotch chips and trapping the heat for a smooth glossy ganache.
- Two layered cake – follow the baking time listed on the box mix.
- Homemade butterscotch sauce – feel free to use your own if you have a recipe instead of store-bought.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and grease with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 1: In a large bowl, beat the cake mix, eggs, oil, butterscotch pudding mix (the dry powder), and milk at medium speed using a hand or stand mixer.
Step 2: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pans, divided evenly.
Step 3: Bake for 20 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and it comes out with a few crumbs. Allow the cake layers to cool completely in the pan or on a wire rack.
Step 4: Use an electric hand mixer or standing mixer to beat the butter until fluffy in a medium bowl.
Pro Tip: Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting, or else it will melt off.
Step 5: Add the butterscotch sauce and continue mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Step 6: Pour in the powdered sugar, half at a time and mix until incorporated. Beat the frosting on high speed and add the milk or whipping cream, beating for another 2-3 minutes until very fluffy.
Step 8: Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the cakes. Place the first layer on a plate. Mound some of the frosting on and spread across in an even layer.
Step 9: Stack the second cake layer on top and repeat.
Step 10: End with the final layer and finish frosting the rest of the cake.
Step 11: Decorate as you wish. We love the butterscotch drip that goes down the sides of the cake. Please note that some store bought butterscotch sauce may too thin for a drip.
Step 12: Pipe swirls on top and sprinkle with butterscotch chips for the ultimate finishing touch.
Baking Tips for Butterscotch Cake Recipe
- If using a stand mixer, mix the batter and frosting using a paddle attachment.
- To apply a crumb coat of frosting, use an offset spatula and spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to “lock in” the crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for about 30 minutes. Then go back and add another layer of frosting over the crumb coating.
- Let the cake cool completely before decorating or the frosting may melt.
- Use a thick butterscotch sauce if you want drips down the sides. Some store bought sauces are thin, but can still be used to drizzle. If your sauce is too thin for a drizzle, it will still work well to flavor the butterscotch frosting.
- The frosting recipe makes enough to decorate and fill a 3 layer cake.
- If using sugar free pudding, each packet is 1 oz.; only use one packet of sugar free pudding even though a regular instant pudding packet is 3.4 oz.
Fun Fact
Butterscotch came to us from England over 200 years ago! – Mashed
Recipe FAQs
Keep leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months. If you don’t want to finish slicing it, you can also store it in a cake carrier.
A crumb coat is a thin layer of icing or frosting applied to the outside of the cake before the final layer of frosting. The main purpose of a crumb coat is to seal in the cake crumbs, creating a smooth surface that prevents crumbs from mixing into the final layer of frosting to keep it pretty.
Butterscotch is a combination of brown sugar, butter, and vanilla. You’ll often taste a hint of toffee or caramelized sugar. These ingredients are cooked together over low heat until the sugar is melted and the mixture reaches a soft, chewy consistency (similar to caramel sauce). The vanilla just makes the flavor a little richer.
More Amazing Cake Recipes
If you tried this Butterscotch Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Butterscotch Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 – 15.25 oz. box yellow cake mix
- 3.4 ounces instant butterscotch pudding sugar-free pudding can be substituted (1 Oz.)
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup whole milk
Frosting Ingredients:
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened (4 sticks)
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 – 12 oz. jar butterscotch
- 3 tablespoons milk or cream
- Additional butterscotch for decorating optional
- Butterscotch chips for decorating optional
Instructions
Cupcake Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl beat together cake mix, instant pudding, eggs, oil, and milk until fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow cakes to cool completely.
Frosting Instructions:
- Beat butter until fluffy.
- Add the jar of butterscotch, beating the mixture and scraping the bottom of the bowl to fully combine.
- Add the powdered sugar, half at a time, and beat until incorporated.
- Add milk or cream and beat the frosting on high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Assembly Instructions:
- Level the tops of each cake layer as needed.
- Place the first layer of cake on a serving platter or cake stand. Mound some of the frosting on the cake layer and spread to form an even layer across the cake.
- Stack the second layer on top of the first and top that with another layer of frosting. Stack the final layer of cake on top and then frost the full cake with the remaining frosting.
- Decorate as you please. We drizzled some additional butterscotch sauce around the perimeter of the cake, allowing some drips around the cake.
- Use a piping bag and large star tip to make pretty swirls of frosting on top of the cake and sprinkle with butterscotch chips, if desired.
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Notes
Storage: Keep leftover cake slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer for 2 months. If you don’t want finish slicing it, you can also store it in a cake carrier. Notes:
Use a thick butterscotch sauce if you want drips down the sides. Some store bought sauces are thin, but can still be used to drizzle. The frosting recipe makes enough to decorate and fill a 3 layer cake. If using sugar free pudding, those come in 1 oz. packets, only use one even though regular instant pudding is 3.4 oz.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Stefanie says
This was a fun recipe to create. It’s so visually striking and the butterscotch flavor really shines. Even for a girl who chooses chocolate over butterscotch, this one was super addicting! I hope you enjoy it, too!