Ingredients
Method
Preparation & Baking Walkthrough
- Prep the Oven & Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and grease the sides with nonstick baking spray for easy, clean slicing.
- Whisk the Pumpkin Custard: In a large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt until completely smooth, silky, and uniform.
- Pour the Base: Pour the spiced pumpkin mixture into the prepared 9x13-inch baking dish, smoothing the top into an even layer with a spatula.
- Scatter the Cake Mix: Open the box of dry yellow cake mix and sprinkle it evenly over the entire pumpkin custard layer. Use your fingers or a fork to gently break up any large clumps so the surface is uniformly covered.
- Add the Pecan Crunch: Scatter the chopped pecans and optional brown sugar evenly over the dry cake mix layer.
- Drizzle Melted Butter: Slowly and evenly drizzle the melted butter over the entire cake mix and pecan topping, taking care to cover as much of the dry flour surface as possible.
- Bake to Golden Perfection: Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the pecan streusel top is deeply golden brown, fragrant, and a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool & Serve: Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes to let the pumpkin custard set properly. Slice into warm squares and serve with a generous dollop of vanilla whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream!