Recipe for pumpkin pecan crunch cake with maple whipped cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Cake 

Serves 12

30 oz canned pumpkin

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

zest of one orange

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 ¼ cup (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Maple Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting, for serving (optional), recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Mix pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, milk and orange zest together. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle cake mix over top of the pumpkin mixture then pat down gently. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top of cake mix and pat down gently.

Pour melted butter over top of cake making sure to cover all the cake mix. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream cheese frosting.

Whipped Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup pure maple syrup

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1 cup COLD heavy cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the cream cheese, maple syrup, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy. On low speed, slowly drizzle in the heavy cream and allow it to combine with the whipped cream cheese, about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and continue to mix until light and fluffy, about a minute or so. Do not overmix, or the frosting can separate. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. It will thicken a little more as it chills.