This recipe is a cross between pumpkin pie and cake. It’s moist and so delicious. You can also top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Pumpkin pie haters are all among us. I personally love anything with pumpkin, so I am a huge pumpkin pie fan, but there are some people out there, that just don’t love it. That’s totally fine and understandable.
This Pumpkin Pie Cake is perfect for those pumpkin pie haters, because it tastes like cake. It has a little bit of a pumpkin pie bottoms, but the crunch of the pecans, and the sweet taste of the cake totally distracts.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin Puree
- Evaporated Milk
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Yellow Cake Mix
- Butter
- Pecans
- Whipped Topping
- Caramel Topping
Equipment Needed
For this cake recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Pumpkin Pie Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
- Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the entire pumpkin mixture in the pan.
- Spoon melted butter over the dry cake mix.
- Sprinkle chopped nuts over all.
- Bake for 55 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold.
Recipe Tips
This recipe was a little foreign to me. I had always had it made for me, but I never made it myself until recently. I was shocked when the center was so jiggly as it was cooking, but I can assure you, it sets up.
This recipe is pretty easy, and you’ll be surprised how simple it is to make; especially when you bring it out of the oven and it looks like a beautiful masterpiece. Here are some tips for making it, so you know you are making it correctly.
- This recipe is best, when made in a 9×13 inch pan. Don’t try to fit it in a smaller or larger pan, it will overflow, or be extremely thin, and all the flavor won’t be there. We definitely recommend keeping it to a 9×13 inch pan.
- You will want to be sure to spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray. I recommend using either a butter-based spray, or olive oil spray.
- As you sprinkle the cake mix over the liquid, it shouldn’t seep down into the pumpkin pie. They should stay separate. If it is, you are probably being too rough with it. Just lightly sprinkle the cake mix.
- It may look a little bit strange at first. I promise you, once you pour the butter on, and allow it to cook in the oven for a little while, you are going to be surprised how well it turns out after baking.
- Be sure you are evenly distributing the butter. This is kind of tricky because it’s hard to spread it out, especially when it’s on uneven cake areas.
- Again, once it cooks, the butter will continue to seep and spread, and it won’t be so dry.
- Place in the oven and bake for 55 minutes. If your center is still a little jiggly when you remove it from the oven, that’s okay. Once you refrigerate it, it will stiffen up. It’s just like baking a pumpkin pie.
Storage Suggestions
When the cake is done, cover the pan with its top or slice the cake and store it in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 4-5 days for the best flavor.
Enjoy More Delicious Pumpkin Cakes and Cupcakes
We absolutely love pumpkin recipes, especially in the fall and winter. Check out our comprehensive collection of pumpkin recipes here.
- Caramel Pumpkin Poke Cake
- Caramel Toffee Pumpkin Cake
- Mini Pumpkin Poppers
- Oreo Pumpkin Delight
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Pumpkin Honey Bun Cake
- Pumpkin Layered Magic Cake
- Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Roll
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Pumpkin Pie Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- whipped topping, optional garnish
- caramel topping, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Mix together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
- Pour into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the entire pumpkin mixture in the pan.
- Spoon melted butter over the dry cake mix.
- Sprinkle chopped nuts over all.
- Bake for 55 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
- This recipe is best, when made in a 9×13 inch pan. Don’t try to fit it in a smaller or larger pan, it will overflow, or be extremely thin, and all the flavor won’t be there. We definitely recommend keeping it to a 9×13 inch pan.
- You will want to be sure to spray your pan with non-stick cooking spray. I recommend using either a butter-based spray, or olive oil spray.
- As you sprinkle the cake mix over the liquid, it shouldn’t seep down into the pumpkin pie. They should stay separate. If it is, you are probably being too rough with it. Just lightly sprinkle the cake mix.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Just wondering if I could use a spice cake mix in place of yellow cake? I think I’ve made this before…… Seems familiar.
This sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Am making this weekend!!!
I’m all over ANYTHING pumpkin. Thanks for another great one, ladies!
This is my kind of cake! I will be saving it for my fall MUST MAKE list!
Spice cake would be delicious too!
Had this today. It was so good. I will be making this again!!!
Wow!!! I made this last night to go with the slow cooker pulled beef sandwiches (which were also AMAZZZZING) and all I can say is WOW!!! Everyone was in love with this dessert…noone could get enough!! THank you!!
This was my first time making this type of ‘cake’. I may eat the whole pan myself! I added some extra crumble to the nuts on top with oatmeal,& a little brown sugar, then added crushed gingersnap cookies to the top the last few minutes of baking. So darn good! Thanks for posting this. I just gained 10 pounds!
This was delicious! And could not have been easier. Thanks for the recipe!
I have been making this cake since 1980 when a friend of mine brought it to our Thanksgiving dinner. My family asks for it every year. Now my daughter is making it for her friends. I would say it’s best when served cold. That way the pumpkin layer on the bottom stays firm. Enjoy!
I made this for the first time this weekend for an early Thanksgiving dinner with family. There were several desserts and this one got gobbled up fast. When everyone says “I need the recipe for this”, you know its a true winner. Thank You !!!!!
I am not familiar with this cake mix, we don`t have such thing in my country. Can you please tell me what is it, is it some kind of flower, can I replace it with regular flower and what amount goes for this pumpkin pie cake? Thank you very much.
We have only made this with the yellow cake mix, we have never substituted anything else. You can order cake mixes off of Amazon. Not sure what country you are from and how expensive that would be.
I watched your video on how to make this and I thought she said brown sugar but the recipe above just says sugar. Which one would it be? Thanks!
Sorry about that. It is 1 1/2 cups of sugar. No brown sugar in this recipe.
I want to make this recipe today, but really hate to use a box cake mix for the top. I have recipes to substitute for the box mix, but just wondering if you have any other suggestions?
We have only made it like the recipe directs. We used the boxed cake mix. Tastes amazing!
Has anyone tried making a GLUTEN FREE version of this cake?
My pumpkin pie cake is in the oven right now. It is starting to smell soo good. I will let you know how it turned out. Thank you.
Sounds wonderful. I am making this at for fall festival with neighbors !
This cake smells delicious–just took it out of the oven, but made it for tomorrow. Do I need to keep it in the frig overnight?
We keep extra in the refrigerator. It’s ok to set out for an hour or two, but any leftovers go in the fridge.
Will this cake be solid in the middle or liquid like? It’s been in for 55 minutes but it doesn’t seem done to me. Help….. please
You could try cooking a little longer than 55 minutes if it’s way gooey. It’s similar to pumpkin pie. It will set up a little after removing from the oven. It is not liquid like at all. We have never had a problem with it. Is your oven temp accurate? Hope it turns out well for you! 🙂
I’ve made plenty of recipes from this site (and Pinterest), so I’m used to the quick and easy formulas you use in your recipes. However, this had no flavor. Well not the pumpkin pie flavor that I expected. The cake topping had flavor, but there was no pumpkin pie flavor.
Not worth the butter that this recipe calls for. Off to find something butter worthy.
Y’all have never led me wrong. This is in the oven right now. I’m a transplant from NOLA who’s currently experiencing -20F windchill for the first time in Edmonton, Alberta. Your cake might actually save my life. Happy Holidays and thanks for all the great recipes!!!
I made this for Thanksgiving, and everyone just loved it! I added just a little bit of flour to the pumpkin mix and used 1/4 cup less sugar. I topped it with chopped pecans. Next time, I will probably use 3/4 of suggested quantity of yellow cake mix and butter.
I just did this but cake mix I put on top is still dry cake mix and looks like I just dumped a lot of powdered sugar on top of pumpkin mix. Not what I expected
You still have other ingredients to add to the top of the dry cake mix. You add a cup of melted butter, and the chopped nuts. That will mix in with the dry cake mix. We have never had a problem with this recipe.
I’m not a huge pumpkin fan but my mom made this the other day and it was seriously delicious!! Thank you! Definitely a keeper and great for Thanksgiving if you aren’t into pumpkin pie.
I assume this is pure canned pumpkin??? Let me know as I would love to make this for Thanksgiving.
Looks delicious and I know it will taste good.
Thanks
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this and yours looks SO GOOD! I’d like to try to make it gluten free. The pictures of the dessert show a caramel looking sauce over the top but I don’t see that in the instructions. Do you have a recipe for that, too?
My mom’s recipe similar to this is called Pumpkin Squares. Our trick to incorporate the butter into the cake mix is to NOT melt the butter and instead cut the butter into the mix (with a pastry cutter) in a bowl before sprinkling on top of the pumpkin mix. That way you didn’t end up with any dry cake mix! Yummy!!! 😋😋😋
Wondering the same thing!
Going to try it today
I find that 1 cup of sugar is plenty. Just a personal preference. I love this recipe. So easy
I made ur receipt I used Betty Crocker n many others before and hrs was the best, everything came out perfect thank you
I have made this recipe many times, our family favorite all fall and holidays! Always a hit when taken anywhere’s
Pumpkin is not my favorite, but this recipe is scrumptious! I actually used a North Georgia Candy Roaster squash instead of pumpkin. I suggest the 55 mins. cooking but covering the dish with tin foil the last 10 mins. to avoid the pecans from burning.
I added the whipped cream & caramel syrup at the end. I will definitely make it again!