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Pumpkin crunch cake is a perfect fall treat! It’s loaded with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and crunchy pecans. This recipe uses a cake mix to keep things so easy!
Let’s talk about something that’s real important, k?
Pumpkin season.
Lately, it seems super cool to be all anti-pumpkin.
I mean, it also seems super cool to be obsessed with pumpkin, which is why the anti-pumpkin people are coming out in full force to say “no, we will not stand for pumpkin spice macaroni and pumpkin spice shoelaces.”
But, guys. I’m getting nervous.
I feel like we’re about to have a full on Grease-style feud between two rival gangs and it’s stressing me out.
Can’t we all just get along? Can’t we all just eat or not eat our pumpkin in peace, like respectable adults?
I’m clearly on Team Pumpkin and I even converted my mother-in-law over to Team Pumpkin with this recipe!
She’s one of those crazy people that doesn’t like pumpkin, but she LOVES this pumpkin crunch cake!
It’s a cross between pie and cake, super simple to make, and perfect topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
We’re using our homemade pumpkin pie spice in this recipe. It’s perfect in most pumpkin recipes, like our chocolate chip pumpkin bread and pumpkin coffee cake!
Ingredient Notes:
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Pumpkin Puree – Look for the 100% pure pumpkin puree, and not the canned pumpkin pie filling which has added ingredients.
Yellow Cake Mix – I’m using only half of the bag of mix for this. You could also use the entire bag, it just makes this much more cake-like. I like it with a half bag of mix, because the custard-y pumpkin bottom shines through a lot more.
Pumpkin Pie Spice – You’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and cloves to make the pumpkin spice that I’ve tweaked for this recipe. Store bought works too.
Milk, Eggs, & Sugar – Just like in pumpkin pie, we’re using evaporated milk to make it so rich and creamy.
Pecans – We use chopped pecans on top, but we’ve also done walnuts and I’ve seen people with nut allergies use toffee bits.
What Readers are Saying!
“This recipe is to die for! I don’t favor sweets but my husband does and we both loved this Pumpkin Crunch Cake. I followed the recipe to a T and it’s light, savory, and has the perfect texture of cake, custard, and crunch.” – Melissa
My Favorite Hand Mixer!
It’s so easy to whip up dessert with this cute hand mixer. It doesn’t take up much space and is a must for any kitchen!
How to Make Pumpkin Crunch Cake:
Pumpkin Custard: While your oven preheats you can start mixing together the pumpkin filling/custard like batter. Add the canned pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices to a large bowl and beat together until well combined. Use a whisk or hand mixer – both work!
Cake Mix: Pour the pumpkin batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish and then start sprinkling the top of it with the yellow cake mix. I only use half a box, but you can use more if you want it to be more cake-like.
Top: To finish preparing this pumpkin crunch cake you’ll sprinkle the the chopped pecans over the yellow cake mix. Finally, pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the cake!
Bake: It’ll take about 60 to 70 minutes for the pumpkin crunch cake to finish baking, or until the top is lightly browned and the custard has set.
You can serve this cake warm or cold! It’s pretty amazing fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some caramel sauce!
Variations:
Personally, I think our pumpkin crunch cake is perfect as is, but I know it can be fun to play around with recipes!
Some fun ideas include swapping the pecans for cookie pieces (Biscoff, gingersnaps, etc.), toffee bits, or walnuts.
Use a spice cake or butter pecan cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix.
Use a full box of cake mix for a more cake-like pumpkin crunch cake or use half the box (my preferred method) for a more pie-like pumpkin crunch cake!
Use 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ginger, and a pinch of cloves in place of the pumpkin pie spice.
FAQ’s:
I store this in the fridge and it sets up nice and thick. In the video above and in these pictures, it was still warm, which is why it fell apart when I scooped it out. It holds it shape perfectly when cold!
Absolutely! I prefer yellow, but many people make this with spice cake.
I top my pumpkin crunch cake with ice cream and caramel sauce. It’s also good with whipped cream or served plain!
You can skip the nuts entirely or substitute them with graham cracker or Biscoff pieces! Skor bits are also good, from what I hear.
I haven’t tried it myself and generally always use 100% pure pumpkin puree. I do think it would work though – just follow the recipe on the can for making pie, but add to the pan and sprinkle with the cake mix.
I’ve never tried it, so I can’t really make recommendations on this.
MORE FALL PUMPKIN RECIPES!
- Pumpkin Pecan Pie
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats
- Pumpkin Pie Dip
- Keto No Bake Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Ingredients
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 box yellow cake mix see note
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices until well combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the top with yellow cake mix. I prefer a half of a box, but use more if you want it to be very cakey.
- Sprinkle with the chopped pecans.
- Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the custard is set.
- Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator.
Syndia says
My older son is allergic to squash(pumpkin) would this recipe work if I substitute pumpkin purée with sweet potato or yam purée?
Karly says
It should work just fine with sweet potatoes!
Cheryl says
I just loved your pumpkin crunch cake! I didn’t have a yellow cake mix so I used white cake mix. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll probably make it often.
Karly says
Glad to hear that!
Jenny says
I have made this twice now and it has been a gigantic hit both times!
I happened to have 29oz cans of pumpkin in my pantry that needed to be used up so I adjusted the recipe some so I could use those. Here is what I did: 29 oz can pumpkin puree, 1 can (12 oz) evapo. milk, 8 medium eggs, 1 cup sugar (we like less sweet), 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, whole cake mix, 1 generous cup pecans, 1 cup butter.
I made it in a 9×13 pan so there was no need to add more butter – same surface area – and there was no dry cake mix at end of cooking. I think the volume of pumpkin/cakiness ratio was perfect, and so do my hungry guys, so I will probably always use the larger can recipe. The guys are also suggesting we experiment with other combinations. Thanks for a well written recipe that is a true keeper.
Karly says
Ooh, I bet it was nice and thick like this! I might try doubling it in the same size pan too! 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks so much for this input! Unfortunately, my attempt at doubling the recipe is already in the oven and I did double the evaporated milk, hopefully it still works! I made this as stated earlier this fall and it was AMAZING! I decided this is nothing short of perfection and will be my go-to instead of traditional pumpkin pie!
Kimberly says
I just made this tonight in preparation for tomorrow’s Young Women’s church mutual. It was really good! I made it with 1/2 of cake mix. We love it! My 15 yr daughter will share this recipe tomorrow and teach other girls to make it tomorrow night. I hope they like it as much as we did tonight! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Erin says
This is my new favorite fall dessert! I served it with fresh whipped cream. Everyone loved it and several people asked for the recipe. I thought I’d make it again but use 2 8×8 pans instead. Any suggestions for the cooking time? I’m thinking that I should reduce the time but not sure how much.
Karly says
Yes, you’ll probably need to adjust. I’d start watching it about 20 minutes early.
Linda says
I’ve made this twice now ( using 1/2 cake mix at a time ). It is soooo delicious. The second time I made it I mixed the cake mix and butter and poured it on and swirled it around a little and it’s wonderful.
Thanks for the recipe
Karly says
Sounds delicious!
Alice Kolonis says
Oh my goodness!! I’m not a pumpkin fan but this was amazing!! I just made it for our small group. Big hit! I used the whole box of cake mix because I wanted the “cakier” texture. Thanks for the recipe. Will be making this again 🙂
Anon says
Looks great! I’m going to try it out for my son’s Fall Festival baking contest . Looks easy enough for my 8 year old to help! I was thinking of adding a streusel crumb topping .
Pam says
Hi…I’ve made this…as a suggestion,the cake comes out just sweet enough… I truly don’t think you need a streusel topping.
Lashon says
Yes I used almond milk and it came out great
Judy Carrell says
What size can of pumpkin?
Karly says
15 ounces.
Dawn Hartman says
There was a post on here about omitting the sugar and I did as I had a 5 year old helping but it tasted great. I used fresh pumpkin.
Rhonda Byers says
I made this for my girlfriend and her daughter said it was really really good I only used a half a cake mix but today I making it for work and I’m using a whole cake mix so I have to let you know how it turns out. I love it because it’s easy and that’s my kind of baking. Thanks
Karly says
Glad you enjoyed it! Curious to hear which way you preferred it – more or less cakey. 🙂
Jillian says
About how many servings is this recipe? Taking it to a potluck of about 15..do you think I should double the recipe? Thanks!
Karly says
It’s a 9×13 pan worth of cake, so you can cut it as large or as small as you like. I’d recommend making two pans.
Roberta says
Would it work with a spice cake mix?
Karly says
Yep, sure does!
Annie says
I am a sucker for anything topped with cinnamon, and the melty ice cream on top makes it the PERFECT fall dessert.
Sabrina Zaragoza says
I am a fan of pumpkin and I am so happy when finding your post. Thanks for sharing this, Karly. Have a nice weekend.