Pumpkin Crunch Cake

I love this cake!   Regular Pink Apron readers know how much I love using pumpkin in the fall and soon as I saw this cake I was dying to make it and it did not disappoint. Pumpkin and cream cheese frosting always work well together, but the added crunch factor added completely new level of texture and flavor.

I was already planning cookies and apple pie for Thanksgiving, so I thought this would be perfect for my mother's birthday, which happens to be at the end of the November.  I'm always looking for something special to bake for her since her birthday is often so close to Thanksgiving it can get overshadowed.  Since I made it I already have numerous requests for the recipe.   This cake is definitely going into my permanent fall baking rotation. 

Crunch Topping
3 Cups Walnuts, finely chopped

3 Cups Vanilla Wafers (about 75 cookies)

3 Cups Brown Sugar

3 Sticks Butter

Melt Butter; In a food processor, pulse cookies to a fine crumb, then Pulse walnuts to a fine chop. Add in Brown Sugar and mix well. Add in Melted Butter and blend together. Divide mixture into 4 Cake Coated Cake Pans, pressing into bottom and spreading it evenly into the cake pans. Reserve about 2 cups of the mixture which will be baked to use on the sides of the cake. Set pans aside and begin cake.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake
1 1/4 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 sticks of Softened Butter

1 16 oz can Solid Pack Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla

1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3 Large Eggs

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees. In your mixer beat sugar and butter for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scrapping down the bowl frequently. Add in Pumpkin and all the rest of the ingredients, except the eggs. Mix just until blended. Add in the Eggs, one at a time just until blended. Divide batter equally into your 4 prepared cake pans, smooth it out and make it as even as possible in the pan. Place remaining crunch mixture in another cake pan or pie dish and allow to bake for the same amount of time as the cakes. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow pans to cool about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire racks and allow to completely cool. Break up the extra crunch mix to very small bits to use to decorate the cake with. (I used a knife)

Cream Cheese Frosting
5 8 oz packs Cream cheese

2 sticks Softened Butter

1 lb Confectioners Sugar

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla

Whip the cream cheese and butter until very smooth and creamy; Slowly add in the 10x sugar while mixer is on low setting. Add in Vanilla and mix well. Set aside till needed.

Assembly
After your cake is completely cooled begin frosting the layers and putting the cake together. After you have assembled all the layers with some frosting between them, start to spread the remaining frosting on the sides and top. When finished frosting, coat sides and top with your extra crunch mixture.

Source: More Than A Mountfull