What better way to celebrate the season than with my Pumpkin Crunch Cake! It will definitely bring smiles to your table and soon become your new family fall tradition.
When I was asked to come up with a dish that was Holiday tradition in my homes, it was a no-brainer for me. One very special dessert came to mind, a dessert that usually makes one or two appearances a year, depending upon the parties I host. But you can be guaranteed that sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas you’ll see this extra special cake. It’s also a cake I made for our engagement party the very first year Lisa and I were together.
Since I usually end up eating 75% of the cake by myself, it’s a good thing I don’t make it more often…sigh. Last year I did start distributing wedges of cake to the neighbors, which got me a marriage proposal in the process….luckily her husband took it in stride as did Lisa! So when you make this cake for your family and friends be prepared, and also have extra copies of the recipe on hand, because you’re going to need them! This cake is just that good!
Holiday’s can be a very special time, we have been blessed as food bloggers, not only do we have enough to eat, but we have enough to make dishes to blog about……not everyone is that fortunate, and although it should be in our thoughts the entire year, this time of year it needs to be at the top of our list.
Once your incredibly delicious Pumpkin Crunch Cake is finished, it should be allowed to chill for a few hours before cutting, it will help firm up this cake (When you do cut it make sure to use a serrated knife). So try to be patient.
If you like my Pumpkin Crunch Cake Recipe, you might also like these recipes:
- Best Tiramisu Recipe
- Classic Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Bee Sting Cake
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
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 softened butter
- 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 teaspoons 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 prepared (greased and floured) cake pans - standard 9-inch rounds (One very full cup per pan), 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 Cake
- In your mixer beat sugar and butter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl frequently.
- Add in the 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 cake pans, smooth it out and make it as even as possible in the pan.
- Place the remaining crunch mixture in another cake pan or pie dish and allow it to bake for the same amount of time as the cakes.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 25-30 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 a wire rack 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
- 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.
- After your cake is completely cooled ( you can even refrigerate for a few hours) begin frosting the layers and putting the cake together.
- When 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*
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.
mark lewis says
i want to use the crunch topping only what temp would i bake this at and for how long. And can pecans be used also.
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Mark, pecans can be used. If you’re just making the topping, lay it out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until it crisps up a bit. Don’t let it burn!
Mark Lewis says
Thank you.
Sandra F Lewis says
This looks and sounds delicious; do you think that canned yams could be substituted for the pumpkin? My family prefers the taste of sweet potatoes (yams) to pumpkin. I know that they’re in the same food family. Thanks for sharing.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’ve never tried it, but it should work, just drain them well and whip them a bit in your mixer.
Eileen says
Love this cake my family does too. I was wondering about making it three layers instead of four. To help making it easier to slice and to obtain a little more cake taste. What do you think.
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Eileen
you could do that, either just cut it down by 1/4 or use the extra batter in the three pans. Just watch your cooking time if you add the batter it is a dense cake
Lydia Juerss says
Thank you – a recipe for pumpkin crunch cake that doesn’t use a box cake mix (I can’t get them here) but sadly I also can’t get canned pumpkin – Is homemade pumpkin puree a 1-1 substitute?
Chef Dennis Littley says
it is, but the density has to be the same. I find most homemade pumpkin purees are not as heavy.
Lauree DiCarlo says
Does this cake freeze ok I need to make it in advance for
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes the layers will freeze fine. You can’t freeze it with the frosting.
Sarah says
You have 2 different directions for the crunch topping. In the directions it says to bake it for the same amount of time as the cakes, but then below that in the assembly directions, it says to bake it for 8-10 minutes. I didn’t see that until after it was in the oven for 20 minutes and it burned terribly. Please edit your directions so others don’t make the same mistake…
Chef Dennis Littley says
hi Sarah
in the directions, it says to bake the cake with the crunch topping on the bottom of the pan. Because the cake batter is covering the crunch topping it takes 25-30 minutes to bake the combination. In the directions for the assembly section, you are just baking the crunch topping and the time is 8-10 minutes. They are two different situations and require different times, a cake is going to take longer to cook.
Anne says
I made this and it is absolutely scrumptious I will be making it again soon
Cristi Harbison says
I want to make 3 layers how many cake layers does this recipe make? Once baked do I need to cut my cake in half to layer? I’m a newbie and have never made a layered cake. Also what’s the easiest way to cut a cake into even layers
Trish says
I had to come back and post a thank you! I made this at thanksgiving. i am new to baking and this cake was fun to make and oh sooo good! Everyone loved it and i will have to make it again. I followed your recipe exactly…yummo!!! Thank you so much!
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks for the great review Trish and I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed my favorite cake!
sherri says
om…thank you so much for posting this…I think😄
This one looks absolutely dangerous…but SO worth it.
Love your pictures…very enticing Chef Denis