Description
Pumpkin Crunch Cake is a delightful autumn dessert featuring a rich pumpkin custard base topped with a crunchy layer of yellow cake mix, pecans, and butter. Baked to golden perfection and served with a dollop of whipped cream, this cake combines creamy, spiced pumpkin flavors with a crisp, nutty topping for a perfect fall treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Custard Layer
- Cooking spray, for greasing
- 1 (15-oz.) can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 (12-oz.) can evaporated milk
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus more for serving
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Topping
- 1 (15.25-oz.) package yellow cake mix
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- Cool Whip topping, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 13″x9″ baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix Pumpkin Custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, light brown sugar, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and kosher salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Pour the custard batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Add Topping: Evenly sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the pumpkin custard layer. Then, evenly scatter the chopped pecans over the cake mix. Drizzle the melted butter evenly across the top to create the crunchy topping.
- Bake the Cake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the cake from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, serve each slice topped with a generous dollop of Cool Whip and a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice for extra flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the pumpkin puree is pure and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars and spices.
- For a nut-free version, omit the pecans or replace with seeds like pumpkin or sunflower.
- This cake can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated; bring back to room temperature before serving.
- Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- For an extra crunch, add more pecans or substitute some with chopped walnuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
