A Very Large Pumpkin Layer Cake – with toffee pecans and cream cheese frosting

October 17, 2025

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It is a big-format Pumpkin Layer Cake sandwiched with cheese frosting (not too candy!), littered during (and on) with the glint and crunch of crushed toffee pecans. Serves 20 to 48. In case you want me, I’ll be within the fridge with a fork!

Toffee Pecan Cream Cheese Pumpkin Layer Cake

A giant four-layer Pumpkin Cake!

That is the kind of cake you make for gatherings however secretly hope to maintain beneath a dome all week (not that any dome is large enough for this), slicing your self slivers every time the craving strikes.

We’re speaking 4 tender layers of cinnamon pumpkin cake, every smothered with a cream cheese frosting that’s creamy and tangy fairly than cloying, with a sprinkle of finely chopped toffee pecans in each layer for some welcome textural distinction and addictive pops of nutty sweetness.

There’s a good quantity of frosting in each single chunk, so that you’ll be further glad to find that it’s not too candy with lower than half the sugar of conventional cream cheese frostings.

And it’s BIG!

40cm/15″ lengthy, 8cm / 3.2″ excessive and weighs 2.5kg (5 lb), to be precise. That is one made for gatherings!

Reduce into 16 thick slices for critical cake monsters, 20 common servings, as much as 48 in petit 4 kind which quickly turned one in every of my favorite issues about this cake. Extra on this beneath!

UPDATE: A reader requested if she might halve the recipe, and it dawned on me that it’s an excellent technique to make a smaller model of this. Bake the cake on one tray, reduce into 4 items!

Components

There are 3 elements to this cake:

The pumpkin cake layers – based mostly on my Pumpkin Cake recipe which I initially obtained from a reader a few years in the past, and I’ve been loyal ever since! It’s an oil based mostly cake, hand blended with a whisk, and it’s distinctive: terrific tender crumb that stays contemporary for five days. Baked on 2 trays that are every reduce in half to make 4 layers – see FAQ for different baking pan choices and shapes!
Cream cheese frosting – not too candy! The primary model I made used my common cream cheese frosting and this cake was approach too candy.
Toffee pecans – with so many layers of sentimental cake and creamy frosting, I simply felt like this cake was screaming out for some texture. I might’ve gone plain pecans (and also you completely can), however I assumed an attention-grabbing cake like this deserved a little bit of sparkle and crunch, so I toffeed them!

1. Pumpkin PUREE OPTIONS for the cake

I exploit contemporary as a result of canned pumpkin isn’t straightforward to seek out in Australia, it tastes higher and takes 8 seconds to puree. 🙂 However canned works completely high quality!

2. OTHER CAKE INGREDIENTS

I’ve tried utilizing extra spice mixtures previously, however I preserve coming again to simply plain cinnamon. I like that it enhances fairly than overwhelms the pumpkin flavour. Easy is finest!

Flour – Plain / all-purpose flour. I don’t suggest utilizing self-raising flour (additionally referred to as self-rising flour) because the flour-to-baking-powder ratio used on this recipe is particularly to make sure the cake rises flat fairly than doming.
Oil – Any neutral-flavoured oil resembling canola or vegetable. Utilizing oil as an alternative of butter retains the cake moist as a result of butter corporations up at room temperature, whereas oil stays liquid. That’s why oil-based muffins keep softer for longer. The trade-off, in fact, is flavour – butter all the time wins on that entrance! However on this cake, the pumpkin and cinnamon convey sufficient that I don’t miss the butter one bit.
Baking powder – Our rising agent, although I exploit barely lower than within the Pumpkin Cake (3 fairly than 4 teaspoons) so the cake comes out flat fairly than with a dome.
Cinnamon – For flavour! Pumpkin’s finest pal!
Sugar – Common white sugar or caster/superfine sugar each work.
Eggs – Giant eggs (55–60g / 2 oz every), at room temperature. Room temperature eggs mix higher into the batter, supplying you with a smoother, extra even crumb. (Extra on the appropriate eggs for baking right here!)
Salt – Only a contact to boost the flavours. Commonplace inclusion in candy recipes nowadays. 🙂

3. toffee pecans

As talked about above – you may skip the toffee and simply use plain chopped pecans as an alternative. Don’t skip roasting them although, it actually brings out the pecan flavour! You can even add some into the batter. 🙂

White sugar – The bottom of the toffee, it melts right into a golden, caramelised coating that hardens because it cools. Simply common white sugar, although caster sugar / superfine may also work simply high quality.
Pecans – My nut of alternative, as a result of it’s a traditional pairing with pumpkin cake!
Salt – Not attempting to make salted toffee right here, however simply sufficient to make sure the toffee doesn’t style tooth-achingly candy. It’s fairly wonderful how salt can dial down sweetness!

4. cream cheese frosting

Sure, you want two entire blocks of cream cheese frosting! I didn’t desire a buttercream masquerading as a cream cheese frosting in the present day, I needed a frosting the place cream cheese is entrance and centre as a result of that slight tang simply goes so nicely with pumpkin cake!

Additionally, dialling up the cream cheese is the explanation why I used to be in a position to dial down the sugar to half the quantity sometimes utilized in cream cheese frosting. 🙂

Cream cheese – Use block cream cheese, not the spreadable type that is available in tubs (it’s too tender). If spreadable is all you may get, add a bit of further icing sugar to agency up the frosting.
Unsalted butter – Softened to a pliable state, however not overly tender or beginning to soften.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar) – 🇦🇺 In Australia, use tender icing sugar, not pure icing sugar (that one’s for issues like royal icing, which units laborious).
Vanilla extract – For a contact of heat and flavour.
Salt – To convey out flavours and likewise, it dials down the sweetness a bit.

The best way to make Pumpkin Layer Cake

There’s a couple of elements to this recipe however none of them are tough. You too can make all elements the day earlier than then assemble the subsequent day, should you really feel like breaking apart the method or should you stuffed up your schedule and ran out of time to complete it (who me? 😊).

1. Pumpkin cake layers

It’s high quality in case your trays are barely smaller, your cake layers will simply be thicker and also you’ll have a taller cake. I don’t suggest utilizing bigger although because the cake layers will likely be too skinny.

This recipe will also be made in 20cm / 8″ or 23cm / 9″ pans to make 4 layer spherical muffins.

Line trays – Calmly spray or grease two trays then line with baking paper / parchment paper. I exploit customary jelly roll pans – 38 × 25 cm / 10 x 15″ which might be 2.5 cm / 1″ deep (the muffins are 1.5cm / 0.6″ thick.

Different trays and spherical cake pan choices – see FAQ and recipe card notes for various bake occasions!
Moist substances – Whisk the moist substances in a big bowl.

Dry substances – Add the dry substances into the identical bowl and whisk till integrated.
Divide the batter between every tray. Unfold to the corners then assertively bang the pan on the counter to unfold the batter as evenly as attainable (it’s too thick to tilt/unfold).

Bake for quarter-hour in at 180°C/350°F oven, or till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clear.
Cool within the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks. Absolutely cool earlier than use.

If storing in a single day, cowl the floor with baking paper earlier than wrapping with cling wrap because the floor is cheesy. Maintain within the fridge.

2. pecan toffee crumble

My failsafe toffee ideas – soften low and gradual, use a chopstick to stir fairly than a spatula and take it off the range when it’s pale golden as it is going to get darker as you toss the pecans. No one likes burnt toffee!

(PS In case you’re questioning why I exploit a chopstick – I discover it stirs extra gently for a extra even soften and there’s much less floor space for toffee to get caught to.)

Roast the pecans for 10 minutes in a 180C/350F (160C fan-forced) oven. This step actually brings out the pecan flavour so don’t skip it! Let cool on the tray for at the very least 5 minutes earlier than utilizing.
Make toffee – Unfold the sugar in a good layer in a big saucepan over medium warmth.

Stir – After 2 minutes or so, you will notice the sides soften into a transparent sugar syrup. Gently stir utilizing a chopstick (or related, one thing skinny with minimal floor space) then let the sugar proceed melting, stirring two or three extra occasions.
Toffee color – As soon as totally melted, let it develop into a light-weight amber color then take it off the range.

Work quick! Add the pecans and salt. Use a rubber spatula to coat within the toffee.
Unfold the pecans in a single layer on a baking paper lined tray as finest you may. The toffee begins to laborious shortly so it may be a battle! However don’t fear when you’ve got pecan clumps, a thinner layer is simply simpler to cut than big mounds of laborious pecan toffee, and cools quicker too.

Cool totally then break up into giant chunks by hand.
Chop – Use a knife to cut the toffee pecans. I chop about half fairly finely (I get a good quantity of “mud” which I really like!) to be used contained in the layers. Then I chop the remaining marginally bigger to make use of for adorning and serving. Bigger items contained in the cake get in the best way of slicing, I discover. Toffee is difficult!

Resist consuming by the handful (it’s sweet, in any case!) and put aside for assembling.

3. Not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting

Beat the cream cheese and butter for two minutes on excessive till creamy and fluffy, scraping down the edges as wanted. a minute on excessive till creamy.
Fluff it! Then add the icing sugar (powdered sugar) in 3 batches, beginning the beater on low to keep away from a snowstorm. As soon as it’s integrated, add the vanilla and salt. Crank the beater as much as excessive and beat for 1 minute till the frosting is fluffy.

Use instantly or refrigerate till required, even in a single day. If it’s within the fridge for greater than half-hour and the frosting turns into laborious, depart it out to come back to room temperature then give it a quick and livid beat to re-fluff.

4. ASSEMBLE

Prime tip: assemble on the platter you propose to serve this cake on. Keep away from having to maneuver this as soon as assembled!

Reduce every cake into half lengthways, then trim as wanted so you have got 4 equal items.

For ease of dealing with (transferring round and so forth), as soon as I’ve reduce the cake I cowl every bit with a separate piece of baking paper, then invert onto the cool rack (so the paper acts as a sling to switch the cake round as wanted).
Place a bit of cake on a serving platter. Unfold with one-fifth of the frosting. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the finely chopped pecans and dirt.

Frosting rationing – I exploit one-fifth of the frosting between every layer, then two-fifths on the highest and sides.

Repeat twice extra, then place the ultimate cake layer on prime. Take care when dealing with the cake layers to keep away from breaking! Use the paper then invert, or use lengthy kitchen utensils to help the cake items, like two offset spatulas, lengthy knives and even rulers.

In case you begin getting a Leaning Tower of Pisa scenario, simply nudge and press to make the stack as at the same time as attainable. I’ve been identified to shove bits of toffee pecans between layers to “prop” up sagging sections. Do it now earlier than you begin frosting the highest and sides – else it will get messy!
Frost the highest and sides with the remaining cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle the highest with pecan crumble (I exploit a few of the bigger items right here as I believe it seems nicer). Refrigerate for an hour – this helps stabilise the cake – the reduce slices as thick as you dare, and serve!

Some logistical issues

I don’t ordinarily shut a submit with a bit on cake logistics, however I really feel prefer it’s obtained a spot right here as a result of this can be a bit of a big, assertion cake that requires a bit extra effort than easy one-bowl muffins. 🙂 So right here we go!

It could serve 48 – The cake cuts into 48 tall petit 4 measurement items that are perfect for passing round as an after dinner deal with! Each bit is roughly 4 x 4 x 8 cm tall (1.6 x 1.6 x 3.2″). The cake is definitely fairly wealthy so actually, most individuals would most likely discover that piece ample for dessert, particularly if the primary was substantial.

Although truly, it might have the other impact and begin a stampede as folks attempt to seize seconds and thirds earlier than it’s all gone! 🤣

Take into consideration storage and transportation! It is a lengthy cake – 40cm/15″ lengthy, 8cm / 3.2″ excessive and weighs 2.5kg (5 lb). It’s formidable!! 🙂 In case you don’t have a tupperware container giant sufficient, stick skewers within the cake as help poles for a foil tent, then for further safety wrap that in cling wrap.
Getting forward with the cake – The cake has a superb shelf lifetime of 5 days as a result of it’s made with oil fairly than butter. So you may make the cake nicely forward and preserve it within the fridge till you’re able to assemble.
Making the frosting forward – The frosting could be made even two days earlier than and stored within the bowl till required. Simply take it out of the fridge and let it soften on the counter (about an hour, relying on how heat/chilly your kitchen is) then give it a swift-and-furious beat to re-fluff (about 1 minute). Then use per recipe.

And lastly, one in every of my favorite options about this cake (don’t choose me!) is that it’s terrific eaten chilly, straight out of the fridge. The cake stays tender, the frosting stays creamy, and you may skip the dreaded 30-minute anticipate buttercream to thaw from rock-hard to edible – it kills me each time!

Hope you take pleasure in! – Nagi x

FAQ – A Very Large Pumpkin Layer Cake

Right here is an unstructured thought-dump on how creating this cake!

A while in the past, I noticed a intelligent layered carrot cake made utilizing sheets pans on Instagram by Pancake Princess, a baking web site. It jogged my memory of the enduring Cooks Illustrated Carrot Cake which I’ve made previously!

I liked the thought of creating a cake in a layered loaf-form fairly than spherical, and I initially needed to strive a chocolate-cream model of this (it might look so good!), However, it’s October, there are pumpkins in every single place (Halloween!), so I had it in my head that I needed to do a pumpkin recipe.

So pumpkin layer cake it’s!

I’ve already shared a traditional Pumpkin Cake recipe, a recipe I obtained from one in every of my first common readers (Dorothy from Tennessee!) so I needed to make one thing totally different and a bit of extra Look At Me! We’re approaching festive season, in any case – Thanksgiving! Christmas!

From there, utilizing cream cheese frosting was a no brainer as a result of it simply goes so nicely with pumpkin. Although as a result of this has a a lot greater frosting-to-cake ratio than a single layer pumpkin cake, I discovered it was approach too candy utilizing common cream cheese frosting, and I needed extra tang to chop by all of the richness.

So I dialled up the cream cheese (doubled it), and reduce on the icing sugar / powdered sugar to lower than half the quantity you’d ordinarily use for the quantity of frosting we’re making for this cake. The result’s a not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting that I believe will likely be my go-to cream cheese frosting for spreading (it’s a bit of too tender for piping – icing sugar thickens frosting to provide it construction).

As for the Toffee Pecans, with so many layers of sentimental cake and creamy frosting, I simply felt like this cake was screaming out for some texture. I might’ve gone plain pecans (and also you completely can), however I assumed an attention-grabbing cake like this deserved a little bit of sparkle and crunch, so I toffeed them! They need to be chopped as a result of toffee is difficult, and the result’s a glittery rubble of candy amber and nutty goodness that I need to bathe on each cake I make from hereon.

Watch easy methods to make it

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A Very Large Pumpkin Layer Cake – with toffee pecans and cream cheese frosting

A giant four-layer Pumpkin Cake!

And it’s BIG!