Go Back

Pumpkin Toffee Crunch Cake

Pumpkin toffee crunch cake with golden pumpkin layers and toffee bits folded into the batter, finished with a brown butter toffee frosting swirl. Baked until set, cooled completely, then frosted and stacked with extra toffee bits pressed into the sides for crunch.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
resting 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cake
  • 2.5 cup flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1.5 cup toffee bits fold in
For brown butter toffee frosting
  • 1 cup unsalted butter browned and cooled
  • 3.5 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 cup toffee bits for decoration

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Prep
  1. Brown 1 cup butter, then refrigerate until solid so it thickens for the cake batter and browning flavor stays concentrated.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F, grease two 9-inch pans, and lightly flour or line them if needed so the pumpkin cakes release cleanly.
Make the pumpkin cake layers
  1. Beat softened butter and brown sugar until smooth.
  2. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in pumpkin, sour cream, and vanilla until the batter looks glossy and evenly orange.
  3. In a separate dry mix, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt, then fold into the wet batter just until no dry streaks remain.
  4. Fold in the toffee bits so they distribute throughout the batter.
  5. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool the cakes completely before frosting so the layers don’t melt the frosting.
Brown butter toffee frosting
  1. Brown 1 cup unsalted butter, let it cool, then beat the browned butter with powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until very fluffy.
Frost and finish
  1. Stack the cooled cake layers, then frost the top and sides with the brown butter toffee frosting.
  2. Press extra toffee bits onto the sides for decoration and a visible crunch throughout the stack.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the cakes fully before frosting so the toffee frosting stays fluffy instead of loosening. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze frosted layers only (wrap tightly) for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat sour cream.