This Pumpkin Crunch Cake is a decadent fall-flavored, spice cake with an irresistible pecan crunch topping. Perfect for Thanksgiving, this pumpkin pie flavored cake brings together the best of both pie and cake. If you’re looking for an easy dessert that you can have on the table in no time, then this is the one!
Reasons You’ll Love This
Easy To Make – This easy pumpkin crunch cake recipe sounds super fancy and complicated, but it’s actually the exact opposite!
Great for Guests – Pumpkin crunch cake can be easily sliced up in many ways, plus it’s a total crowd pleaser.
‘Fall’-idays – Don’t stress on what to bring for dessert to all your fall holiday plans. This recipe is easy, just unique enough to stand out, and absolutely perfect for parties!
Cake Mix Recipe – Using a box mix will save you so much time, and it’s delicious!
No holiday is safe from seeing this delightful cake on the fall dessert table! While this recipe includes a cake mix, nobody would ever guess that it’s not 100% from scratch. Like other dump cakes, just sprinkle the cake mix on top and allow it to bake into a beautiful, fall crumb topping!
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin Puree – It’s important to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Personally I HIGHLY recommend using Libby’s canned pumpkin. Canned pumpkin can vary greatly in it’s consistency. From brand to brand and even year to year (or crop to crop!), it can go from thick to very watery. I’ve found Libby’s to be the most consistent, and is reliably a thick texture. If you use a different brand and find it fairly watery, you might want to leave out a tablespoon or two of the evaporated milk to compensate.
- Evaporated Milk – Make extra sure to use evaporated milk and NOT sweetened condensed milk. The cans look similar so make sure you double check.
- Eggs – The eggs should be at room temperature before you use them. A great way to speed up the process is by placing refrigerated eggs in a bowl of slightly warm water for a few minutes to get them to room temperature.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – You can use store bought pumpkin pie spice, or make your own pumpkin pie spice here.
- Cake Mix – I used yellow cake mix for this recipe, but you could also use white cake mix, vanilla cake mix, pumpkin cake mix or even spice cake mix if you’d like!
- Chopped Pecans – You can substitute chopped walnuts, almonds or mixed nuts in its place.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F, and grease or line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. To a mixing bowl and add the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk together until combined thoroughly. Pour mixture into baking sheet. Sprinkle cake mix on top of the mixture. Completely cover the top. Drizzle melted butter on top covering as much surface as possible. Sprinkle on chopped pecans then bake for 50-60 minutes until fully cooked through and the topping is golden. Let cool completely, slice and serve with whipped cream.
Tips & Advice
Storage – Store the leftover cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. This cake tastes especially delightful when served chilled straight from the fridge! That means that this is a perfect cake to make ahead of time to serve the next day!
Go Gluten Free
Did you know you can substitute the cake mix with a gluten-free cake mix and that would make this cake entirely gluten free? Try it out!
Equipment
You’ll need a few simple kitchen essentials for this recipe.
FAQs
Pumpkin puree is very liquid-y, plus adding a whole can of evaporated milk will make the pumpkin mixture very moist. That’s why this cake is best when served cold, because it’s more like a pudding rather than a crumbly cake.
Pumpkin pie filling has sugars and spices added to the mixture that will affect the flavor of this recipe. Pumpkin puree is just pure pumpkin blended together, that you will add sugars and spices to.
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If you enjoyed this Pumpkin Crunch Cake, then you’ll love a few more of these fabulous fall recipes. Check it out!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
Pumpkin Layer Ingredients
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree*
- 1 12oz can evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 box yellow cake mix
Crunch Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For Serving
- 1 cup whipped cream
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F, and grease or line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Grab a large mixing bowl and add the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Whisk it together until combined thoroughly.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the baking sheet. Evenly pour the cake mix on top of the mixture and make sure it’s completely covered.
- Melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave and evenly pour it on top of the cake mix topping, covering as much of the top as possible. Chop up the pecans and sprinkle them on top of the cake.
- Pop the cake in the oven, and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the batter is fully cooked through and the topping is golden brown. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean it’s ready! Let the cake cool completely, slice and serve with whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
