Fall is my favorite season—there’s nothing like crisp air, colorful leaves, and baking with pumpkin. I have many pumpkin recipes in my archives, but I couldn’t resist sharing a fresh favorite: Pumpkin Crunch Cake. It’s simple, uses minimal ingredients, and comes together with easy assembly. The bottom layer tastes like a sweet pumpkin pie while the top is crunchy and streusel-like. Serve it with freshly whipped cream or Cool Whip—this one’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Put it on your must-make list this season.
Here’s how to make it:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin, 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, 3 eggs, 1½ cups sugar, 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and pour in the pumpkin mixture.
- Sprinkle one box of Butter Golden cake mix evenly over the pumpkin layer. Yellow or white cake mix can be used as alternatives.
Carefully drizzle 1 cup melted butter over the cake mix, trying to distribute it as evenly as possible.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle 1 cup chopped pecans evenly over the top.
Cover the pan with foil and return it to the oven. Bake an additional 30–35 minutes, until the top is crispy and golden and the filling is set.
Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours before serving. Serve chilled with freshly whipped cream or a dollop of Cool Whip.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Whisk together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Spray a 9×13-inch pan and pour in the pumpkin mixture.
- Evenly sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin layer.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the cake mix, distributing as evenly as possible.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle chopped pecans over the top, cover with foil, and return to oven.
- Bake an additional 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling is set.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2–3 hours. Serve chilled with whipped cream or Cool Whip.
Recipe adapted from Duncan Hines.
Here are a few more pumpkin favorites, perfect for fall:
Pumpkin Fudge
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Waffles