Pumpkin Crunch Cake - The MLP Version

At work, we tend to have a lot of cook-offs/contests throughout the year. Usually, the end of October is the Pumpkin Carving Contest (which I've won twice but who's counting?). This year we did something a little different—a pumpkin cook-off! Who doesn't love fall food, specifically pumpkin-flavored food? Add "pumpkin" to the name and everyone gets excited. We've been doing the carving contest for years, so it was time for a little break. That, and we're really really good at eating.

I entered Pumpkin Crunch Cake, a little recipe I found thanks to Pinterest. Every time I made it last year people went bananas. I stepped it up a notch and added my own MLP twist to the crunch layer (again, are you shocked? No.) that makes it extra delicious.



PUMPKIN CRUNCH CAKE
Originally from The Picky Apple

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ pan. Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour mixture into greased pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake 50-55 minutes.

THE MLP VERSION
The difference here is in the crunch layer!

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt

- - - CRUNCH LAYER - - -
• 1 c chopped pecans – MUST BE ROASTED & SALTED!!! Otherwise don’t even bother.
• 1/2 – 3/4 c chopped pretzels
• 1/2 c toffee bits pulverized in a food processor to a dusty crumb (This, specifically. It does not contain chocolate like some versions do.)
• Kosher Salt
• Turbinado sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

Follow the same instructions as above. After you sprinkle the pecans over the top, sprinkle the pretzels, then the toffee bits. Drizzle melted butter (Yes, you want the entire 2 sticks. This is no time to act healthy.) over the whole thing. Then sprinkle liberally with turbinado sugar. I pour it into my hand and eyeball it. I’m guessing I use about 2-3 TBSP. Then sprinkle kosher salt over top. Don’t hold back. The extra salt makes it delicious! Bake for the same amount of time as above.
I promise you, it's beyond easy to make and really delicious to eat!