Decadent pumpkin cake layers slathered in soft cream cheese buttercream and wrapped and sprinkled with the most incredible pecan cobbler crumble.

My Pumpkin Cobbler Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream is perfect for fall baking and tastes like pumpkin perfection.

How to make pumpkin cake with a cake mix

If you’re new here, this is no surprise that we love doctoring up cake mixes around here to make a box mix taste better than scratch! For my pumpkin cake, this is no exception. I love making all kinds of pumpkin recipes, and I absolutely love how this cake tastes, looks, and how easy it is to come together.

Here’s the ingredients you’ll need to make the most delicious pumpkin cake base:

  • canned pumpkin – not canned pumpkin pie.
  • buttermilk – room temperature
  • sour cream – room temperature
  • eggs – whole, large eggs
  • vanilla
  • pumpkin pie spice
  • vegetable oil – or you can sub in melted butter
  • Cake Mix – I love white cake mix, but you can use yellow if you’d like.

The directions for the pumpkin cake are below with my detailed instructions.

How to make the best pecan oatmeal cobbler crumble

This cake is gorgeous by itself, but it’s the cobbler here that really steals the show! The warmth of the pecans and familiar crumble of the oatmeal make for a cobbler-taste that I really loved with this cake. Pairing it with pumpkin this time was incredibly delicious and it really came together into such a delicious bite each and every time.

The ingredients you’ll need are:

  • old fashioned oatmeal
  • flour
  • sugar
  • pecans
  • cinnamon
  • salt
  • unsalted butter

It all comes together in a stand mixer, and then it needs to bake to turn into a dry crumble for the cake. Make sure the crumble cools completely before adding it to the cake. I added it between the cake layers AND around the outside of the cake.

Note: You will have extra crumble at the end. Feel free to toss it onto your oatmeal or in a bowl of fruit with some milk for a yummy treat!

How to make the best cream cheese buttercream

A lot of bakers are intimidated by cream cheese – mostly because the texture is a bit more soft than the usual buttercream. The trick is to make sure the cream cheese is cold when you start making your buttercream and make sure it whips up completely with the butter BEFORE you add in anything else. Little bits of cream cheese tend to happen when you don’t whip it up enough AND if your cream cheese isn’t the right temperature to begin with. I also balanced the amount of cream cheese vs butter so that you don’t get too much tang from the cream cheese, but also enough to taste how wonderful it pairs with the rest of the cake.

Can I make this cake into cupcakes, a 9×13, or a 6″ three layer cake?

Yes! The baking time will be the same for everything except for the cupcakes – those will finish baking around the 12-15 minute mark.

Here’s a video of the process:

As always, I’d love to see your cakes and I can’t wait for you to try my new pumpkin cobbler cake. Make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie so I can join in on all the fun. Happy Baking!

xo, Mandy

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Cobbler Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

Pumpkin Cake Layers with a Pecan Oatmeal Cobbler Crumble and Cream Cheese Buttercream
Servings: 12 slices
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Ingredients
 

Pumpkin Cake Layers

  • 15oz canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 3 large whole eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 15.25oz Box Cake Mix – White or Yellow

Pecan Oatmeal Cobbler Crumble

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 stick (or 1/2 cup) + 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Classic Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • 8oz Cream Cheese, cold
  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 2 8" Cake rounds

Instructions
 

For the Pumpkin Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prep two 8" cake rounds with cake goop or nonstick spray, set aside.
  • In a large bowl, hand whisk together the ingredients except for the cake mix. Sift in the cake mix and stir until just combined. Split the cake batter between the prepared cake rounds and bake for 28-32 minutes. Let cool on a cooling rack and store wrapped in the freezer wrapped up in plastic wrap. If you're doing the 4 layers, slice each round in half before frosting the cake to get the four layers as I have in my photos here.

For the Pecan Oatmeal Cobbler

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whip up everything in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, then spread out the crumble onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. Bake for 5 minutes again until the crumble because to look golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before adding onto the cake.

For the Cream Cheese Buttercream

  • Whip up the cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until it's light and fluffy and everything has been incorporated. Add in the salt and vanilla. Then add in the heavy cream. Whip it up until everything is combined, then start to add in the powdered sugar. When all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, whip up the buttercream on high speed for 2 minutes until it's light and fluffy.

Assembly

  • Place down the first cake layer, then spread on a thin layer of buttercream. Sprinkle on some of the cobbler, then repeat with the remaining cake layers. Crumb coat the cake and freeze. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream, then press on the crumble onto the outside of the cake (putting a cookie sheet underneath will help catch the crumble so it doesn't make a mess on your counter space). Serve chilled. Enjoy!
Author: Mandy Merriman – Baking with Blondie