Name: Pumpkin Pie Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup); 1/2 cup butter (softened); 1 egg; 29 ounces pumpkin puree; 3 eggs; 2/3 cup evaporated milk; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup reserved cake mix; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/4 cup butter (cold); 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

This easy Pumpkin Pie Cake recipe is made with a box of cake mix. A crust made from a yellow cake mix is the base for a thick pumpkin layer coated with pecans and buttery crumbles.

Serve with whipped cream and this easy recipe reminds you of a classic Pumpkin Pie but has more of a cake flavor.

Layers showing in a pumpkin pie cake dessert with pecans and whipped cream on top on a plate resting on a red and orange fall color plaid napkin.

Pumpkin Pie Cake Recipe

The soft pumpkin filling between a cake like crust and crumbly crunch with pecans is delicious! The best part is people never guess Pumpkin Pie Cake is made from a box mix!

The base layer of our Pumpkin Pie Cake is a yellow cake mix. A sweet pumpkin pie filling makes up the thickest middle layer. Our cake has a top layer of crumbly sugar to give the perfect finish to a unique fall and holiday dessert.

A couple more classic Thanksgiving desserts that uses a box mix of cake are our Pecan Pie Surprise Bars, Sweet Potato Honey Bun Cake, and Sweet Potato Dump Cake.

Thick piece of pumpkin pie cake showing delicious layers of cake mix, pumpkin filling and crumbled pecan topping on a stack of white plates in front of the whole pan full.

My mom has made this recipe for years. The first time we made this cake at my house my son helped make the three layers. He likes to practice reading directions and finding the right tools and ingredients. The baby sat in her high chair and cheered us on while she ate snacks. Cooking is a great skill to learn early!

We believe that half of the fun of big holiday meals is making them (and cleaning up) together with our favorite people. I find that doing the work together makes being in the kitchen much more enjoyable for me. Doesn’t the food just taste better when you have help?

Why This Recipe Works

Creates a memorable dessert that is easy to make and share at family gatherings.
Pumpkin Pie Cake is one of those desserts that people always ask for the recipe!
Can be made and chilled a couple days ahead of time which is great for traveling.
Many people love pumpkin pie, but many people also love cake, so this is a winning combination for a Thanksgiving dessert.

Close up of a fork full of a tender piece of rich pumpkin pie cake with whipped cream.

We like to pair this fall favorite cake with our Chocolate Poke Cake with Sweetened Condensed Milk to give guests a selection they’re sure to enjoy.

Ingredients Needed

Yellow Cake Mix – Reserve one cup for the top layer and use the rest in the bottom crust.
Butter – A softened stick for the crust and a cold stick for the crumbly top.
Eggs
Pumpkin Puree – one large can or two small cans
Evaporated Milk – half of a can, we like to add the other half to our Crock Pot Mac and Cheese.
Cinnamon
Granulated Sugar
Pecans – chopped pecans

Ingredients to make pumpkin pie cake are butter, eggs, classic yellow cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, evaporated milk, chopped pecans and large can of pure pumpkin puree on a wooden counter top.

We have several easy homemade cake recipes including Gooey Butter Cake, Cinnamon Applesauce Cake, and Pina Colada Cake. Having so many delicious cake options means we can mix up our desserts which is always a win!

How to Make Pumpkin Pie Layer Cake

Grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Set aside 1 cup of yellow cake mix.
Mix remaining cake mix, 1/2 cup butter and 1 egg well and press in the bottom of baking dish.
Mix pumpkin pie layer ingredients together well and spread evenly over cake layer.
To make the crumbly layer – mix cake mix, sugar and margarine together until crumbly.
Sprinkle over filling. Sprinkle pecans on top.
Bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour 10 minutes or until set. Serve warm with whipped topping.

Overhead view of a cake mix pumpkin pie in a cake pan with a few pieces cut out revealing the delicious layers on a fall colored napkin.

Step By Step Instructions

Lightly grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cake Mix Pie Crust Layer

Measure 1 cup of cake mix and set aside. Add the remaining mix to a large bowl and add one stick of softened butter and one egg.

Yellow cake mix, egg and stick of softened butter in a silver mixing bowl.

This batter will be really thick. Drop spoonfuls out in the cake pan.

Globs of thick cake batter dropped in a greased 9 x 13 cake pan.

With clean, wet fingers press the dough out into a thin, smooth layer. Do not bake yet!

Pie Filling Layer

Use the same mixing bowl and add pumpkin, milk, three more eggs, sugar, and cinnamon.

Sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, evaporated milk and eggs in a silver mixing bowl.

Stir it up into a rich, beautiful pumpkin mixture.

Pureed pumpkin spread in an thick layer in a brown cake pan.

Crumbly Topping

In a small, clean dish or bowl stir together remaining cake mix and sugar.

Slice COLD butter over the dish and use a fork to cut or mix the butter in.

Once the butter is pea sized or smaller, add pecans and stir topping together.

Fork cutting slices of cold butter into a cake mix in a small glass dish.

Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pumpkin pie cake, cover with foil and bake immediately for about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I like to keep covered with aluminum foil for the first 45 – 55 minutes or until mostly set. Then uncover towards the end to finish browning evenly.

If you uncover the cake and there’s a spot where the flour from the cake mix is visible just sprinkle with a little water and it will bake evenly.

Golden brown pecan and cake topping layer on a pumpkin pie cake.

Recipe Tips

Dress up the presentation of this cake with a cute personalized cake pan like this.
Check doneness with a toothpick around 50 minutes to account for variations in ovens and avoid burning the cake.
The cake is done with the toothpick is clean when inserted in the middle.
Different ovens, equipment and altitude can alter baking time significantly