Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Add the Pecans: Spread the roughly chopped pecans evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Prepare the Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Pour this batter evenly over the pecans in the baking dish.

Mix the Cream Cheese Filling: In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to blend the softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla extract until completely smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar until well combined and thick.

Swirl the Flavors: Scoop alternating dollops of the cream cheese mixture and the cranberry sauce over the top of the unbaked cake batter. Use a butter knife to lightly swirl the cream cheese and cranberry into the batter, creating a marbled effect.

Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the cake portion (avoiding the gooey cream cheese pockets).

Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. This allows the hot cream cheese pockets to set properly.