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Easy Baked Pumpkin Dessert Recipe with a Buttery Cake-Mix Crust

Easy Baked Pumpkin Dessert

A simple pumpkin crunch cake with a creamy spiced pumpkin base and a buttery yellow cake-mix topping finished with crunchy pecans. It is an easy autumn dessert for holidays, potlucks, and family dinners.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Custard
  • 1 15-ounce can Pure pumpkin purée
  • 1 12-fluid-ounce can Evaporated milk
  • 3 eggs Large eggs
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
Topping
  • 1 box, about 15.25 ounces Yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup, about 2 ounces Chopped pecans
  • 1 cup, 8 ounces Unsalted butter, melted

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  2. Whisk the pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl until smooth.
  3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
  4. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Do not stir or mix the cake mix into the pumpkin.
  5. Scatter the chopped pecans over the cake mix, then drizzle melted butter over the entire surface, moistening as much of the dry mix as possible.
  6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the pumpkin center is set.
  7. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Spread the cake mix and melted butter evenly to prevent powdery dry patches. Refrigeration helps the dessert firm up for clean slices. Pecans may be replaced with walnuts or omitted.