Pumpkin Crumble Cake

I absolutely love, love, love this recipe! And better yet, Chris liked it too! He has "texture issues" and pumpkin is a hard one for him. But this was a hit for both of us! Finally, a pumpkin treat we will all enjoy! Trust me, my picture doesn't do it any justice!

Easy Pumpkin Crumble
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 boxed yellow or white cake mix (I used yellow)
1-2 sticks butter (see notes in instructions)
1 16 oz can pumpkin*
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t ginger
1/8 t cloves
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/3 C chopped pecans (a certain little person in my house ate all my pecans so I sub'd with walnuts. It was good but pecans would be better)
1/2 t additional cinnamon for topping

*This makes a dessert about an inch thick or less. This makes it a high topping to pumpkin ration. I figured this was best since Chris isn't wild about pumpkin. If you'd like it thicker, use a large can of pumpkin and double the rest of the filling ingredients (Eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices). Leave the rest of the recipe the same.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 2 C of the cake mix in a bowl. Cut in 3 T chilled butter. Just use your fingers to crumble the butter until it's in small crumbly pieces. Place mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and press flat with your fingers.

Mix pumpkin, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and spices until smooth. Pour on top of the cake mixture in the pan.

Now take the rest of the dry cake mix and mix in 1/2 t cinnamon. Sprinkle it all over the top of the pumpkin mixture. Use a measuring cup so you have a rough measurement of how much you're putting on. Here's why:

Apparently cake mixes all have different amounts of ingredients in them. Different brands, different flavors, etc. Each mix is slightly different in volume. Measuring the amount of cake mix you're sprinkling on top will help you get the perfect topping ratio in the last step. I used a yellow Betty Crocker Super Moist mix. I thought it worked great.

Next sprinkle on the chopped pecans. You'll have 3 distinct layers now:

Here's the trick: For every 1 C of cake mix you sprinkled on top, you'll need 3 T of melted butter. Drizzle it right on top.

That butter is going to combine with the cake mix and make magic in the oven. Pop it in your 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. A knife should come out without globs of pumpkin on it and the topping should be nice and golden.

I had my first piece (yes, I had more than one! I was doing research...checking to see when it was at it's best!) when it first came out of the oven piping hot, room temp or chilled in the fridge.
When I had my second (and last piece for the night!) I put a dollop of Clover Natural Vanilla Bean ice cream on, since I didn't have any whipping cream. Either way it was delicious!

If you like this recipe, please leave a comment here, and maybe pop on over to Our Best Bites to let Sara and Kate know you like their awesome goodie! You will NOT be disappointed by their blog. I am chomping at the bit to make their individual jar pies......