Pumpkin Crunch Cake
A custardy pumpkin layer baked under a buttery cake mix and pecan crunch. Serve it warm from the 9x13 or flip it Hawaii style and top it with whipped cream.
Servings: 18 servings
Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup pecans chopped, read notes
- 1 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F then spray a 9x13 pan with a nonstick cooking spray then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, eggs, and evaporated milk until combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Evenly sprinkle the cake mix and gently press down to flatten. Don't press too hard, we just want the layer of yellow cake mix to be even. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans, and drizzle the melted butter on top making sure to get some butter everywhere.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. or until the tip is turning golden brown. Cool down completely before slicing, and derving with ice cream or whipped cream on top. Add caramel if you want to elevate it.
Notes
How to tell it's done without cutting into it. At 50 minutes, nudge the pan. The outer two inches should be firm and the center three to four inches should wobble as one piece, the way set gelatin moves, not slosh like liquid. The topping should be deep golden, not pale. A knife slid in two inches from the edge comes out clean while the center is still slightly damp. Pull it there. It finishes setting as it cools. If the center sloshes, give it five more minutes and check again.
To make it Hawaii style (the Foodland method). Line the pan with parchment before adding the pumpkin. Bake as written, cool completely, then invert onto a board and peel off the paper so the crunch layer becomes the bottom crust. Spread whipped cream or Cool Whip over the top, chill, and cut into squares.
Do not double it in one pan. Bake two separate 9x13 pans instead. Doubling the depth changes the bake time too much to predict.
No evaporated milk? Simmer whole milk until it reduces by about 60 percent, cool it, and use it one for one.
Nutrition
Calories: 312Calories | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 4124IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg
