Description
Pumpkin Crunch Cake is a delightful and easy-to-make dessert featuring a spiced pumpkin layer topped with a crunchy cake mix and buttery topping. This baked treat delivers a perfect balance of creamy pumpkin flavor with a crisp golden crust, ideal for fall gatherings and holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Layer
- 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ginger
Cake Topping
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish thoroughly to prevent sticking and ensure easy serving.
- Mix Pumpkin Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until you achieve a smooth and uniform mixture.
- Pour Pumpkin Mixture: Pour the well-mixed pumpkin filling evenly into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out smoothly to form the base layer.
- Add Cake Mix Layer: Sprinkle the yellow cake mix evenly over the pumpkin layer. Do not stir or mix; it should remain as a dry topping on top of the pumpkin layer.
- Drizzle Butter: Generously drizzle the melted unsalted butter over the cake mix to enable it to bake into a crunchy, golden crust.
- Bake the Cake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center is set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with some moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pumpkin crunch cake to cool slightly before cutting into squares and serving. This helps the layers to set and improves texture.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix, for the best flavor and texture.
- The dry cake mix layer on top forms a crunchy topping once baked—do not mix it into the pumpkin filling.
- Butter evenly drizzled over the cake mix is key to achieving the characteristic crunch.
- Check the cake starting at 50 minutes to avoid overbaking.
- This cake can be served warm or at room temperature and pairs well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pumpkin Crunch Cake, Pumpkin Dessert, Fall Dessert, Easy Pumpkin Cake, Thanksgiving Dessert
