My Pumpkin Crunch Cake is the original version that you see all over the internet. And believe me when I tell you it will be the best cake you’ve ever tasted! In fact, your family and friends will verify that statement when you serve it to them.
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!
Holidays 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.
Ingredients to make the Crunch Layer
These are the ingredients in their ready form to make the crunch layer and crunch topping for the outside of the cake. Vanilla wafers and walnuts ground in a food processor. Brown sugar and melted butter.
Blend all the ingredients together to make the crunch topping. The crunch topping should be just wet enough to form it. If it’s too dry add a little more melted butter.
Add one very full cup of topping to each pan.
Ingredients to make the pumpkin crunch cake
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Pumpkin Crunch Cake. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
**Make sure to get pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix. Eggs, butter and yogurt should be at room temperature.
A good cake pan makes all the difference in making your favorite layer cakes. These are the pans I use in my home kitchen.
These parchment baking circles make removing cakes from the pan quick and easy.
These are the spatulas I use in my kitchen. They are durable, heat resistant and easy to keep clean.
This offset spatula is essential for baking and frosting cakes.
How do I make the pumpkin cake batter?
There are four steps in making the cake batter.
- Whip the softened butter and sugar for about 5 minutes to get it light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl frequently.
- Add in the pumpkin, Greek yogurt, vanilla and pumpkin pie seasoning. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture (flour, baking soda, baking powder). Mix just enough to incorporate the flour.
- Add the eggs and mix just enough to blend.
When the cake batter is completed, split it equally among the four prepared cake pans.
**Be careful spreading the batter. You don’t want to pull up the crunch topping. Using an offset spatula makes this process much easier.
When the cake has completely cooled, you can start frosting the layers.
**Don’t rush this step, or the layers will start sliding off the cake. You can let the cakes cool overnight to be sure and make the cream cheese frosting ahead of time and let it chill. If the frosting is too hard, whip it with your mixer to soften it up enough to spread.
Repeat the process with the layers until all four have been stacked. Then put a crumb coat of cream cheese frosting on the entire cake.
**If you are better at frosting than I am, you can skip the crunch topping that covers the cake.
Coat the cake with the crunch topping by placing your hand along the side of the cake and dropping the topping along the sides. Keep turning the cake until the entire cake has been coated. Add a layer of the crunch on the top of the cake or leave the top plain, it’s up to you.
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.
FAQ Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Yes, you can; this cake can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
Yes, it does. The cake should be taken out of refrigeration 30 minutes before serving but kept in the refrigerator the rest of the time.
Yes, you can. Just make sure that the fresh pumpkin is not loose or liquid. The texture needs to be thick and dense.
Yes, you can. Just cut the recipe in half?
No, you don’t. You can eliminate the additional crunch topping and frosting. Just frost between the layers if you like and serve it topped with whipped cream.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
Ingredients
Crunch Topping
- 3 cups walnuts finely chopped
- 3 cups vanilla wafers about 75 cookies
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 8 oz unsalted butter
Pumpkin Crunch Cake
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 6 oz unsalted butter softened
- 16 oz can solid pack pumpkin not pumpkin pie mix
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 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 * you can use cream cheese instead of 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
- Pulse walnuts to a fine chop
- Mix cookie crumbs, walnuts and brown sugar together, blending well.
- Add in Melted Butter and mix together.*if the mixture is too dry add additional melted butter
- 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.I** like using a parchment cake circle in the bottom, the cake releases easily.
- Set pans aside and begin cake.
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
- 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.
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, Greek yogurt, vanilla and pumpkin pie seasoning. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture (flour, baking soda, baking powder). Mix just enough to incorporate the flour.
- 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.**Be careful spreading the batter, you don't want to pull up the crunch topping. Using an offset spatula makes this process much easier.
- 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.
- 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.**Don't rush this step, or the layers will start sliding off the cake. You can let the cakes cool overnight to be sure and make the cream cheese frosting ahead of time and let it chill. If the frosting is too hard, whip it with your mixer to soften it up enough to spread.
- When you have assembled all the layers with some frosting between them, start to spread the remaining frosting on the sides and top.
- Coat the cake with the crunch topping by placing your hand along the side of the cake and dropping the topping along the sides. Keep turning the cake until the entire cake has been coated. Add a layer of the crunch on the top of the cake or leave the top plain, it's up to you.
Video
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.
Marshelle
Can the layers be made a head of time and frozen.
Chef Dennis Littley
yes you can. Just make sure to double-wrap them with plastic wrap before freezing.
Patty Z
This looks delicious! I am wondering if I can use regular pumpkin and not the canned. Will it affect the results? Also, can I make a 3 layer cake? I only have 3 pans.
Thanks,
Patty
Chef Dennis Littley
Using fresh pumpkin can present problems due to the extra moisture the pumpkin may have. I have not used fresh pumpkin, so I can’t really advise you on how you would need to adapt the recipe. If you’re experienced with using fresh pumpkin and bake with it regularly, it should be fine. If this is just something you want to try, I wouldn’t test it on this cake.
As for 3 pans, that will work as the layers are pretty thin, to begin with. You’ll end up with extra crunch and frosting if you make the full recipe; you can also cut down the number of servings using the toggle and set it to 15 servings instead of 20. That will give you the correct amount.
If you use the full recipe with 3 pans you’ll have to increase the baking time by 5 – 8 minutes.
Patty z
Thanks for your advice. I’m looking forward to making it!
Anne
Getting to ready to make the cake it says a 16 ounce can of pumpkin can I buy at the grocery store says 15 ounce do I add to that or is that OK?
Chef Dennis Littley
no 15 oz is good
Donna
Hello Chef,
Would this recipe turn out the same if I replaced the walnuts with pecans? We love pecans!
Chef Dennis Littley
absolutely! I prefer pecans too,it will make the cake even more delicious!
Rebecca
I have made this cake in the past and LOVE IT.
I am curious to try it in a 6″ pan – have you tried this or have any timing recommendations?
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
I have not made them in smaller pans, but it should work nicely. 6-inch pans should be about half the cooking time, 10-15 minutes. You can cut the recipe in half if you’re making 4 6-inch layers.
Rebecca
Thank you so much!
Angelina
Made this as an 8” layer cake. Used my own SMBC recipe instead. Covered half the cake in additional crunch in a semi naked cake. People were fighting over who was getting another slice! Sooo good and fun to make! That crunch! Yum!
Karen Griffin
I will try again and measure more carefully. Thank You ! At any rate I had more compliments on the cake than on any cake I have ever made.
Karen Griffin
When I use 8 ounces (2 sticks) of butter for the crunch I do not end up with a cup for each pan and 2 cups left over. The crunch is very wet. Should I be using 8 ounces (2 sticks) for the crunch ?
Chef Dennis Littley
there are 3 cups each of the dry ingredients equally 9 cups in total. There is no way that you won’t have enough and it will never be wet. Are you sure you used the right amount of walnuts, brown sugar and vanilla wafers?
Debra
Served this as a dessert when company came over and everyone loved it!! I will defiantly be making this again.
Dawn
You have said that the cake is very dense and doesn’t rise much. I’m wondering, is it too much batter to be made in 2 pans? As I only have 2 9 inch pans, could I bake the full recipe in those two and then split each to make four layers?
Chef Dennis Littley
You might run into problems with the cake cooking properly, because of the density I don’t think it would cook evenly
Terri Ebersole
Is that 3 cups walnuts to start and then finely ground or 3 cups finely ground walnuts?
I make this every Christmas and yet this year I am confused about the walnuts (age, I guess).
Chef Dennis Littley
3 cups before you chop them. I feel your pain…. I can’t remember anything these days
monika
I just made this cake & it is very dense…heavy almost! more like a cheesecake????
Chef Dennis Littley
yes it is, it’s a very dense and moist cake.
Dawn
It seems like a tremendous amount of cream cheeses for the frosting, equaling 2.5 pounds and .5 lb butter, with only two cups powdered sugar?
Chef Dennis Littley
That’s how the recipe is made, but feel free to make the frosting sweeter if thats what you like.
Jen
Hi! Am I able to make this into a two layer instead of four?? Using a 9 inch round pan
Chef Dennis Littley
I would just cut the recipe in half if you want to make 2 layers.
nicole
Making now and can’t wait to try. Chef Dennis, did you use salted or unsalted butter in each of the components…Crunch topping, cake and cream cheese frosting?
Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley
I use unsalted butter for all my cooking
Angela Benavidez
Hello, I am allergic to all tree nuts, so it makes it difficult as a Chef myself to taste everything I make. In this recipe would it make a huge difference in texture if I leave out the nuts or do you suggest another option? I’m asking out of respect since it is your recipe. Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
you need something for the crunch. I would suggest anything you normally replace nuts with as an alternative.
Ivana
Hi Chef Dennis, is the measurement of the brown sugar 3 cups ‘packed’? I am making the cake this weekend for my son’s birthday.
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
yes packed is good.
Ivana
Hi Chef Dennis, I made the cake for my son’s birthday and it was a hit! Everyone loved it (including the neighbors whom we shared with). This is the ultimate decadent cake. It is now my son’s annual birthday cake. thank you for sharing!
Nina Riggins
Do you think I can use this recipe to make cupcakes? If so, would baking time and temp be the same?
Chef Dennis Littley
This cake doesn’t rise very much and is very dense, I don’t think it would make a good cupcake.
Betty Miyahira
I have not made this cake yet but would like to try to make it. Can this cake be baked as just one layer in perhaps a 9 X13″ pan? More people can be served and some people would like smaller piece of the cake.
Chef Dennis Littley
If you use this recipe it will make two 9×13 pans.
Kim Motley
Hello I saw 2 different things for the mascarpone. Is it cheese or cream cheese? I see Mascarpone Cheese and Mascarpone cream cheese. Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley
mascarpone is sort of Italian cream cheese, if you can’t find it you can use all cream cheese
Kim Motley
Thank you!
Natalie
What a beautiful cake. Perfect for the upcoming Thanksgiving celebration. I love that crunch in-between layers. Makes the cake so much more interesting. I will definitely make this for my family.
Gunjan
I have never baked a 4 layer cake. Your recipe looks so doable. I am so excited to try it over the weekend.