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Pumpkin Crunch Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin crunch cake with cream cheese frosting combines a spiced pumpkin pie layer with a buttery pecan crunch topping and a fluffy, tangy frosting. Bake until golden and set, then cool completely for clean flipping and a dramatic pecan-on-top finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
cooling 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For pumpkin pie layer
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
For crunch top
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1.5 cup pecans, chopped
For cream cheese frosting
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the pumpkin layer and pecan crunch
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 pan so the cake releases cleanly after baking.
  2. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the greased pan.
  3. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture.
  4. Scatter the pecans across the top.
  5. Pour the melted butter evenly over the cake mix and pecans so it bakes into a crisp crunch layer.
  6. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 350F until the top is golden and the center is set.
Cool, flip or frost, then finish
  1. Cool completely for 1 hour so the layers firm up for clean cutting and optional flipping.
  2. Flip the cake onto a board with the pecan side up OR frost right side up, depending on your preferred presentation.
  3. Beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients until very fluffy, then frost the cake generously for even coverage.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the cake fully before flipping to keep the pecan crunch intact. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days; freezer is yes—freeze slices in an airtight container up to 2 months and thaw in the refrigerator. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese while keeping the powdered sugar amount the same so the frosting still thickens properly.