I first made My Pumpkin Crunch Cake back in the fall of 1999 for Lisa and my engagement party and it’s been a holiday standard ever since. When I first started blogging back in 2009, I had no idea where this delicious journey would take me and it was in the fall of 2010 when I first shared this magnificent cake with all my friends that follow my blog.
This cake has been a huge success on the internet being made by countless bloggers and home cooks who have shared the deliciousness around the world, and as always I’m very happy to see it shared. So I thought I would republish my Pumpkin Crunch Cake for all the friends and followers I’ve made since I first shared it on my blog…. I hope you enjoy it!
(Revised: first published Oct 2010)
It’s definitely that pumpkin time of year, everywhere I look I see my friends creating all of these wonderful Pumpkin treats, and the skies the limit!
I am so proud to be part of this wonderful online community with so many creative, talented people sharing their recipes with us, and just when I thought I had seen it all, someone surprises me!! Life is good when you can learn something new every day!
So, my friends that being said, I would like to share with you a cake that is sure to please. I have been making this since my restaurant days many years ago when I became the reluctant baker at a restaurant I worked at.
It is adapted from my first baking book, Good Housekeeping Illustrated (it had pictures…lol). Whenever I make it, it becomes everyone’s instant favorite, I get requests for whole cakes, recipes, and even marriage proposals…lol….yes it’s just that good! So when you try it at home, be prepared to wow your family and friends!
The Great Pumpkin Crunch cake fits in perfectly from October till December, after that you’ll just have to think of an excuse to make it, but whatever you do, just make it!!
Now I always make this cake with 4 layers, it just looks spectacular with 4 layers, but feel free to cut it down to 3 layers. I also varied my normal cream cheese frosting by adding in some Mascarpone Cheese, you can use all cream cheese if you like.
To cut this cake, I would advise using a serrated knife, the crunch topping is a little hard to cut through. I also make extra crunch topping to decorate the sides and tops with, to me, it covers up all my imperfections but feel free to leave it plain.
My preferred cake pan for all my baking is the 9-inch USA Pan Bakeware Cake Pan.
An Off-set Spatula is also one of my favorite kitchen tools for baking. You’ll thank me every time you use it!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Best Tiramisu Recipe
- Classic Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Bee Sting Cake
Great Pumpkin Crunch Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Crunch Topping
- 3 cups walnuts finely chopped
- 3 cups vanilla wafers about 75 cookies
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 8 oz butter
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 6 oz butter softened
- 16 oz can solid pack pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 ¼ Teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ Teaspoon baking soda
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 24 oz cream cheese
- 16 oz mascarpone
- 8 oz softened butter
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
Instructions
Crunch Topping
- Melt Butter
- In a food processor, pulse cookies to a fine crumb
- Then Pulse walnuts to a fine chop
- Add in Brown Sugar and mix well.
- Add in Melted Butter and blend together.
- Divide mixture into 4 9-inch round Cake Pans, pressing into bottom and spreading it evenly into the cake pans. Reserve about 2 cups of the mixture which will be baked to use on the sides of the cake.
- Set pans aside and begin cake.
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- In your mixer beat sugar and butter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl frequently.
- Add-In Pumpkin and all the rest of the ingredients, except the eggs. Mix just until blended.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time just until blended.
- Divide batter equally into your 4 prepared (greased and floured) cake pans, smooth it out and make it as even as possible in the pan.
- Bake the reserved crunch mix for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Or until it crisps up a bit. Don't let it burn!Allow to cool before adding to the sides and top of the cake.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you use 2 racks to bake on in the oven, at the halfway mark rotate the pans Allow pans to cool about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks and allow to completely cool.
- break up the extra crunch mix to very small bits to use to decorate the cake with.
- While your cakes are baking prepare a Cream Cheese Frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whip the cream cheese, mascarpone, and butter till very smooth and creamy
- Slowly add in the confectioner's sugar while the mixer is on low setting
- Add in vanilla and mix well. Set aside till needed.
Assembly
- After your cake is completely cooled ( you can even refrigerate for a few hours) begin frosting the layers and putting the cake together.
- After you have assembled all the layers with some frosting between them, start to spread the remaining frosting on the sides and top.
- When finished frosting, coat sides and top with your extra crunch mixture ( you can eliminate this step).
Notes
After heating place a plate on top of the pan, and invert quickly. Tap the pan with the heel of a knife to help release the cake.
Nutrition
Rachel
I actually gasped when I saw this. I can’t wait to find a reason to make this!
Vyjay Rao
The Pumpkin Crunch Cake looks really legendary. Hope to get a slice someday too. It is fascinating to note that this was the start of your blogging.
Farrah Less
That slices of pumpkin pie makes me drool. I will definitely copying this recipe and make it this coming weekend. My family would be delighted I cant wait this is so good.
Chubskulit Rose
My daughter love pumpkin pie and I love pumpkin cake. I wish I am good in baking, I don’t have the patience for it.
Anosa Malanga
Glad I was able to stumble over this. I think this is a good idea to include for our Halloween party. Let’s see how will it be and I hope they will like it.
Ricci
You had me at pumpkin…LOL!! This cake looks amazing and like something I could maybe pull off. HA!
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations
OMG, this looks amazing. I am a huge fan of pumpkin, so this is right up my alley. Bookmarked!
Marysa
I love the crunch you added to this! We were just talking about how we should make some pumpkin desserts well ahead of Thanksgiving. I think my kids would love this, it would be a fun fall treat.
Glenda Cates
My son is Charlie Brown and it will be fun to share this cake with him. Because I bet you he will want it for his Birthday this year.
Tasheena
This recipe looks so decadent. I can’t wait to give it a try. Huge fan of desserts with pumpkin in it.
Melissa Chapman
What an amazing looking cake, moist creamy and the pumpkin cake is popping and getting me so hungry. I am not a baker so i don’t know if i can create this but I wish I could.
Pam
Wow. That looks amazing. I need to make this for our Thanksgiving dinner with our extended family. It would be a hit for sure!
Jeanette
Oh my gosh this looks so good! I think I need this. I watch what I eat for something like this I will totally use it as my cheat day!
Candy
Wow that is a big cake with four layers. The crunch really puts it over the top
Terri Steffes
I’m thinking this will be my daughter’s birthday cake. Her birthday is October 24 and I think she would love this!
Alli Smith
I wish I could jump through my screen right now! This is my kind of cake. It looks so moist and delicious and the cream cheese frosting (my very fave) looks amazing!
Amber Myers
This is my kind of cake! I just love pumpkin stuff, so I know I’d eat so much of this. I must try to make it soon!
Jessica
Great recipe! Delicious cake. I didn’t have vanilla wafers so I used Ritz crackers, and didn’t have any walnuts to add. But still turned out delicious. Also just used a basic cream cheese frosting and still was great. Thanks for the delicious recipe! Also, I made it just two layers in two 9×13 pans to make it stretch further.
jen
I made this for our Thanksgiving- it was so good and a hit with my family. I almost omitted the crunch topping because I burnt the first batch (rookie move) – but took no time to fire off a second round- and Im so glad I did! It was delicious and beautiful. Im 2 for 2 as I made your amazing tiramisu as well. Thanks for the great recipes
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the feedback Jen, and I’ve burned the topping before too. You get distracted and forget about it. I’m glad you hung in there and made it over because that is really what makes the cake so special! I’m happy to help you with your desserts and now you’re ready to try my chocolate mousse!
Cindee
I’m making this for my family for Thanksgiving. And I’m just wondering when you make the frosting are all the ingredients at room temperature? As well as the eggs? I’m assuming so, but you know what they say about assuming lol.
Also I only have 2 cake pans but plan on doing the 4 cakes. When I’m dividing up the cake batter in the pans do you fill them quite full?
Thanks
Cindee
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Cindee
having all of your ingredients at room temperature is always a good way to start. The pans will not be full as the layers are thin. if you fill the pans it will take a lot longer to bake and they won’t really cook very well. I would suggest dividing the batter in two for each round of cakes. You might find my video helpful, its one of the first videos I ever made but it goes through the process completely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWZQHrJMDq8