This pumpkin gooey butter cake is rich, decadent and incredibly delicious – you MUST make this! It’s the perfect end to any fall meal.
I know what you’re thinking…..pumpkin recipes? In August? YES! This pumpkin gooey butter cake is so good that it should be served year round, why wait for fall? Not to mention fall is just around the corner! Here in California the weather doesn’t start to change until November, but that doesn’t mean we can’t consume our fair share of pumpkin treats anyways.
How Do You Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake?
This pumpkin gooey butter cake is incredibly easy to make, and it’s probably one of the best pumpkin desserts I’ve ever had. It’s a chewy vanilla crust with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake-like topping. This recipe feeds a crowd and can be made up to 2 days before you plan to serve it. I promise, you will get tons of rave reviews and requests for the recipe.
This recipe starts with a box of cake mix, which is combined with a few ingredients and pressed into the bottom of the pan to make the crust. The topping is a combination of pumpkin, cream cheese, eggs, butter and spices. The pumpkin mixture gets poured over the top of the crust and the whole thing is baked to perfection. Be careful not to overbake this cake, you want the center to be just set so that it stays gooey.
Just a fair warning, this is a rich dessert. But in the best possible way! It’s got all kinds of amazing flavors and textures and this treat will surely fulfill your pumpkin cravings. You can serve this pumpkin gooey butter cake as-is, or top it with a little whipped cream or powdered sugar for garnish. This cake will most definitely be on our Thanksgiving table this year, but I’m definitely not waiting until November to make it again!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
- Earthquake Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Cake
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Video
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
- cooking spray
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 12 ounces powdered sugar (equates to approximately 3 cups)
Optional garnishes: whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.
- For the crust: Place the cake mix, egg and butter in a medium bowl. Using a mixer, beat the mixture until well combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan.
- For the filling: Place the cream cheese and pumpkin into a large bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, butter and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar to the pumpkin mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the crust and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until center is just set. Cool completely, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before you plan to serve it.
- Cut into squares and serve, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice if desired.
Deb says
This has become one of my favorite pumpkin recipes! So good!
AleeraDoBlah says
The pan used looking significantly larger then a 9×13.. is it?.. just wanted to make sure I use the correct pan.. thank you for any info
Sara says
Nope it’s a regular old metal 9″x 13″ pan!
AleeraDoBlah says
Awesome.. thank you so much for the reply
Mary Ellen Morgan says
Have you tried making this with chocolate chips in the pumpkin batter?
Sara says
I haven’t but that sounds absolutely amazing and I’m sure it would be delicious!
Teri C. says
Hi Sara,
Just to let you know I used a large can of peaches, that I let drain completely and cut the peaches up in chunks and stirred them into the pumpkin mixture. I bake the same or until the center was slightly jiggly. It turned out perfect. served with whipped cream…..yum!!
Sara says
Sounds fabulous, I need to try it that way!
Billie jo says
Can I use a pond cake mix for this pumpkin gooey butter cake? If I don’t have a regular cake mix.
Sara says
What size is the pound cake mix? If it’s similar in size to a standard box of cake mix it should be fine.
SANDRA R ROSALEZ says
Has anyone tried a spice or carrot cake mix instead of yellow? Wonder if that would go well?
Sara says
I’ve heard of people using a spice cake mix before, that would be a great way to go!
Caroline Cardoza says
Can I use sweet potato instead?
Sara says
Yes you can!
Beryl Chandler says
I used freshly cooked pumpkin for this receipe, absolutely delicious.
Dawn Wendland says
Has anyone tried doubling this and making in a quarter sheet pan?
Sara says
Sometimes doubling baking recipes can be tricky, I’d recommend just making two batches in two 9″x13″ pans.
Erin says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
Sara says
I typically use salted but either will work!
Emily says
Can I use a 9×13 Glass dish or the only other thing I have is a shallow metal sheet pan for this recipe. I really wanna make this… ????
Sara says
Yes that will work!
Jessie says
I am going to bake this per recipe but then second time I will use canned sweet potatoes. Yams are my favorite and I will eat a sweet potato pie over a pumpkin pie any day. Really looking forward to making this one!!
Rachel Farvour says
I made this cake tonight but I am a little worried about it. It seems a little jiggly in the middle. Is it baked enough?
Sara says
It should be a little jiggly in the middle when you shake it, but not liquidy. It’ll firm up a bit as it cools, but the filling is supposed to be on the gooier side! When I make it and it firms up, it’s almost like a cheesecake consistency on top.
Pat Teich says
Looks absolutely yummy! Can this be frozen since I know it will not all be consumed?
Sara says
Yes you can freeze this!
Patricia Teich says
Great! Thanks for responding. I look forward to making it!
Pat
Bea says
I can’t wait for fall and all of the pumpkin treats! This looks especially good!
Sam says
This would be great for fall. I’m a real fan of pumpkin
Demeter | Beaming Baker says
What a tasty treat! I’ve been waiting ALL year long for pumpkin treats… so this just hits the spot! Love how easy this is to make! 🙂
Debbie says
I love all pumpkin desserts and this looks amazing! I always keep pumpkin in my pantry!
Jayne Joyes says
Can you use the canned pumpkin pie filling in this recipe instead of the puree?
Sara says
If your pumpkin pie filling contains sugar I would significantly reduce the amount of powdered sugar in this recipe. Otherwise I think it would work although I haven’t tested it that way!
Amy says
Um, it clearly says pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin purée doesn’t have any added sugar.
Marlene says
She may not have the puree. I mistakenly bought the pie mix rather than the puree and I, too, was wondering if i could use it.
Sara says
You should be able to use the pie mix although I haven’t tested it. I would use 15 ounces of pie mix and then reduce the amount of powdered sugar to 1 cup and omit the pumpkin pie spice.
Bev says
I am unaccustomed to powdered sugar being measured in ounces, so I went looking for a conversion for that. From what I have found, the 12 ounces equates to slightly less than 3 cups. Is that correct?
Sara says
Yes, that is correct, it’s fine to round it to 3 cups, it won’t affect the recipe at all.
Sandie says
If it isn’t sweeten.