My lushest lush cake yet.
Recently, I’ve become a little bit obsessed with lush cakes. Honestly, can you blame me? This dessert is so rich, so creamy, so…lush. When you dip your fork into a slice, it sinks through layers of fluffy whipped topping, creamy pudding, sweetened cream cheese, and finally a crumbly, cookie-like crust. Raise it to your mouth, and you get all four luscious flavors in one bite. Doesn’t that sound worth obsessing over?
So I’ve been experimenting with different versions of this dreamy dessert. I developed a Pina Colada Lush Cake, then followed up on that success with a tangy Lemon Lush Cake (recipe coming soon). Then I thought I should try to branch out a bit from fruit flavors, so I started thinking about what other flavors would work in this cake-pudding combo. And right away the answer leaped out at me: butter pecan.
Once I had the initial idea, this Butterscotch Lush Cake practically came together on its own. I just added some chopped pecans to the crust layer, spread on the sweetened cream cheese, spread on a layer of creamy butterscotch pudding, and topped it all off with whipped topping and more pecans. With its rich, sweet combo of pecans and butterscotch, this may be my most decadent lush cake ever. At least, so far.
So what is a lush cake, exactly?
- Well, it’s not really a cake. It’s a sort of layered dessert with a cookie-like base topped with cream cheese, pudding, and whipped topping. Some versions leave out the pudding layer, and some have a more cake-like crust. Some people call it “lush dessert” or just plain “lush” to avoid confusion. Either way, it’s a super easy dessert everyone loves!
I can’t seem to get the butter and flour mixture just right. What am I doing wrong?
- First, make sure you’re using cold butter. Dump it into the flour and cut it in with a pastry cutter, repeatedly pressing it through the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can cut the butter into small pieces and mush it into the flour with a fork. Or just pulse the butter and flour together in your food processor, working in short bursts. Once it has the right crumbly texture, stir in the pecans and press it into the pan.
How to make Butterscotch Lush Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Im bowl cut together your butter and flour until crumbs form, stir in your pecans.
- Press into bottom of pan and bake in oven for 20 minutes, remove and cool completely.
- To make filling, beat together your cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, add in your whipped topping and beat again until combined, spread over crust, set aside.
- In another large bowl mix together your pudding and milk and whisk until combined and soft set, pour over filling layer, refrigerate 3-4 hours until set.
- Before serving spread whipped topping over pudding layer and sprinkle with pecans.
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Butterscotch Lush Cake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup pecans
Filling:
- 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup whipped topping
- Pudding Layer:
- 3 cups cold milk
- 2 3.4 oz pkg butterscotch pudding
Topping:
- 1 8 oz container whipped topping
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Im bowl cut together your butter and flour until crumbs form, stir in your pecans.
- Press into bottom of pan and bake in oven for 20 minutes, remove and cool completely.
- To make filling, beat together your cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, add in your whipped topping and beat again until combined, spread over crust, set aside.
- In another large bowl mix together your pudding and milk and whisk until combined and soft set, pour over filling layer, refrigerate 3-4 hours until set.
- Before serving spread whipped topping over pudding layer and sprinkle with pecans.
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Melaney says
Do you use instant pudding or cook and serve pudding mix?
Corey says
I used instant pudding Melaney.
PAMELA OCONNOR says
I have been making this dessert for years, aka Million Dollar Dessert. It’s my family’s favorite dessert. I also make it using pistachio pudding – try it, you’ll like it..
Heather says
My mom would make this a lot when I was a kid. She would use either butterscotch pudding or chocolate pudding, I’ve never heard it called a lush cake before. Fun name!
LYNN STROMDAHL says
Instant butterscotch pudding or cooked?
What size pudding?
3 or 6 Oz
Corey says
You will be using (2), 3.4 oz pkg instant butterscotch pudding.
mary says
This takes me back to my childhood as my mom made this with pistachio pudding instead of butterscotch! Both ways are really good and I bet would be a hit at pot lucks!
Corey says
I have a pistachio one in the works now too Mary! Love it!
Melaney says
“Instant” pudding?
Corey says
Yes Melaney. Although I believe the other cook and serve would work too.
Barb Ma says
I want to try this but I will use homemade butterscotch pudding and real whipped cream. YUM!
Corey says
Sounds like a delicious idea!
Juanita says
I made a banana version of this recipe. I followed the crust directions but omitted the pecans.
I also followed the cream cheese directions. But for the pudding I used 2 lg. Boxes of instant pudding 3 cups cold milk but split in half, to one 1/2 I added 2 ripened bananas and 1 cup of whipped topping folded them together til light and creamy . The other 1/2 I put on the crust first then cream cheese mix then the banana mix then topped it off with more whipped topping cooled as recommended. Hubby loves it.
Corey says
Yummy!!! I have a Banana Cream version of this recipe coming soon too. So yummy! Thanks for sharing Juanita!
Sandra Durham says
I made it the whole family loved it!
Rochelle Bensette says
I have to skip nuts, how to adjust please, looking forward to making this, looks so delicious.
Corey says
You can simply leave them our Rochelle.
Mary t says
I remember my mom making this with pistachio pudding when I was growing up. I am going to have to make this for our next family get together for a trip down memory lane!
Rita says
I have made this twice in the last couple of months for church dinners and WE all loved it. I have used chocolate pudding before but I think butterscotch is my favorite.
Gerry says
I served this recipe with my 6 friends and we all loved it. I need to know if the pudding is (2) 3.4 oz.pkgs or 1 2 3/4 oz pkg? I made it a while ago so I don’t remember what I did
Corey says
It is 2, 3.4 oz packages 🙂
Sherri Berg says
Thank you for sharing such delicious recipes
Brock says
Love this but my cool whip topping always breaks down to a liquified soupy mess. As anyone froze this after making? I’m wondering if the consistency would be there after freezing?
Corey says
How far in advanced are you making this Brock? Your cool whip shouldn’t be liquifying like that.