Pumpkin Crunch Cake Recipe

This pumpkin crunch cake is full of rich pumpkin flavor and fall spices topped with crunchy pecans. It is the perfect dessert to enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of whipped cream!

If you are a fan of pumpkin pie, pecan cake, and easy desserts this pumpkin crunch cake is a perfect dessert for you! With just a few ingredients and a box of cake mix you can make flavorful pumpkin crunch cake in no time! It’s so easy, so delicious, and perfect for serving to friends and family!

If you are looking for an easy and delicious dessert you will love this cake! This is the best pumpkin crunch cake recipe! It is one of my favorite pumpkin recipes because it is so simple to make and everyone loves it! Made with simple ingredients this moist pumpkin cake recipe is the perfect addition to any holiday gathering, fall festivities, or to have on hand for a delicious weeknight dessert! I love to make this recipe any time we are entertaining in the fall!

The texture of this delicious pumpkin crunch cake is amazing. The bottom layer is like pumpkin pie and the top is buttery, crunchy and delicious. It is not a typical cake texture but richer, and softer. This dessert is like a pumpkin pie, a cake and a cobbler had a delicious baby!

Pumpkin crunch cake is a classic that is so easy! Made with boxed cake mix and canned pure pumpkin it is also called dump cake because there very little mixing involved. The layer of pumpkin is similar to a pumpkin pie while the cake mix and pecans combine to form a crunchy buttery top that is amazing!

This pumpkin dump cake recipe is a little different than other dump cakes like my pineapple dump cake, because there are a few more steps in making the pumpkin mixture. However it is still super simple to make the filling, sprinkle the yellow cake mix on top of the pumpkin mixture and then a sprinkle of pecans and melted butter.

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FAQ & Tips

Can I use a different cake mix?

Yes! I like to use a box of yellow cake mix for this recipe but you can swap it out for other flavors. White cake mix works well, or to add a little extra flavor you can use a carrot cake mix or spice cake mix instead of yellow to make pumpkin crunch cake.

How to serve this cake?

This is a great recipe as it is but we also like to serve it with delicious toppings like vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! It is great with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla bean ice cream is our favorite) or a swirl of fresh whipped cream, I like to make a batch of my cream cheese whipped cream or a dollop of cool whip. It is also delicious with a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top! If you want to try a different flavor of ice cream some great flavors would be butter pecan, pumpkin, or butterscotch!

Keep an eye on your cake-

You want your cake to be a nice dark golden brown. That way your pecans will be toasted nicely but not burnt. For best results you’ll want to keep an eye on your cake as it bakes. If the pecans get too dark during baking cover the top of the cake with foil before continuing to bake.

Other variations-

Canned pumpkin pie filling– If you have canned pumpkin pie filling not pumpkin puree you can use it instead! The difference is that pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in. So if you use it for your pumpkin batter omit the sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Just combine pumpkin pie filling, evaporated milk and eggs.

Use different nuts- I love the pecan crunch on top of this cake but if you prefer you can use different nuts. Walnuts make a great substitution because they are soft and toast up beautifully. If you prefer to omit the nuts all together you can simply pour the melted butter over the dry cake mix.

Ingredients for this pumpkin crunch cake recipe

1 15oz Can Pumpkin Puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 12 oz Can Evaporated Milk

4 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix

1 Cup Butter – melted

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

Here’s how to make this easy pumpkin dessert

Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly butter a 9×13 baking pan.

Combine pumpkin puree and evaporated milk in a large bowl and whisk together. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue mixing together the pumpkin mixture and eggs until the eggs are completely incorporated. Add in sugars and pumpkin pie spice mix well until everything is completely combined.

Pour into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin layer. If necessary gently spread the cake mix evenly over pumpkin using your fingers or a spatula.

Sprinkle pecans in an evenly over the cake mix layer.

Now drizzle melted butter evenly over top of the pecans and the cake mix.

Bake in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Check the cake, if the top of your pumpkin crunch cake starts browning too quickly cover the cake with aluminum foil. Continue baking for another 20-30 minutes or until the center of the cake is set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.