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With smooth pumpkin flavors, crunchy pecans, and a dollop of whipped cream, this pumpkin crunch cake is a must-make during the fall season.
The Perfect Holiday Dessert
Our pumpkin crunch cake recipe is one of those pumpkin desserts that we crave ALL FALL long! It’s so full of flavor and spice that it’s hard not to crave once the weather cools down.
This recipe is a twist on our famous Pumpkin Dump Cake and has a buttery pecan crunch that is to die for.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday gathering or simply craving a sweet treat, this dessert is sure to impress and add variety.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Easy to make. With minimal prep time and simple ingredients, this easy cake recipe is perfect for busy schedules.
- Fall flavors. The warm spices and rich pumpkin taste capture the essence of fall in every bite.
- Delightful. Serve warm with a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or chilled for a refreshing treat.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 12 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree – When making this pumpkin cake be sure to use canned pumpkin puree and NOT canned pumpkin pie filling
- 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – store-bought or homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix – The box of cake mix should be about 15-16 ounces. Make sure to only use the cake mix powder in the recipe. You will not be using the ingredients that are typically listed on the back of the box.
- 1 cup chopped pecans – If you’re not a fan of pecans try using walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts for the crunchy topping. If you can’t have nuts try adding chopped toffee or use a streusel topping instead.
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping – Drizzle Caramel Sauce over the top of the cake for even more decadence.
How to Make Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- PREP. Grease a 9 x 13 pan and pour in the batter. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- MIX. In a large mixing bowl combine the 1 can pumpkin puree, 1 can evaporated milk, 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix everything well. Don’t worry that the pumpkin batter is runny. That’s normal.
- LAYER. Sprinkle the box of yellow cake mix on top of the pumpkin mixture. Gently pat the cake mix down completely covering the batter. Spread the 1 cup chopped pecans evenly over the top of the cake mix layer, then drizzle everything with 1 cup melted butter.
- BAKE. Bake for 60-80 minutes. After an hour, check the cake every 5 minutes to see if it’s cooked through and set. Take it out of the oven and allow the cake to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- ENJOY! Serve your pumpkin crunch cake with dollops of Whipped Cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. A scoop of Homemade Vanilla ice Cream would also be a wonderful option
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin spice, and salt. Mix well (the batter will be runny).
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish and pour in the batter. Sprinkle the yellow cake mix on top of the batter. Gently pat the cake mix down completely covering the batter.
- Spread the chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix layer, then drizzle it with melted butter.
- Bake for 60-80 minutes or until done. Allow the cake to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top each slice with whipped cream or ice cream.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Once the crunchy pumpkin cake has cooled it can keep on the counter for a couple more hours. If you are not serving it immediately, it can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for later.
You can use a spice cake mix, just reduce the amount of added spice to help keep the flavor balanced. You can also use white cake mix.
Keep this pumpkin crunch recipe in the fridge overnight or until you’re ready to bake it.
Store any leftover pumpkin crunch dump cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freeze this cake after it has cooled completely. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and again with foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and serve chilled or reheat it in the oven.
Uses a box cake recipe, not from scratch
For the Pumpkin Crunch Cake, can I substitute coconut milk or regular milk For the condensed milk?
Can I make this into bars instead of cake by using a 15 x10” pan and cook for less time? What temperature?
You could try. I haven’t made this one in a 15×10 before, but I’d probably keep the temp the same. I’d watch the baking time though and definitely shorten it, since the layers would be much thinner. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you make it into bars.
I love the pumpkin combination with the crunch on top! It was super easy to make and baked up perfectly!
Served this with hot milk for our snack and it’s great! Decadent and delightful 😍
This cake was perfection. And the crunch was my favorite. Cannot wait to make this again.
Can you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?
Can you make this ahead & Freeze it?
Fantastic. I made it twice since getting the recipe. Bringing one to Thanksgiving dinner today. Nice change to traditional pumpkin pie.
How can you tell this is done? 20 minute window given with no clues of what done looks like.
In the text of the post, we do mention “After an hour, check the cake every 5 minutes to see if it’s cooked through and set. Take it out of the oven and allow the cake to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.” Hopefully that helps!