This epic Pumpkin Magic Cake recipe has three layers of deliciousness – a pumpkin pie layer, followed by a vanilla cake layer and topped with a light and fluffy pumpkin spiced mousse.
I spent a long time perfecting this recipe. It finally came out just right, and I think you’re going to love it!
This cake is for the people who aren’t necessarily a fan of pie crust, but love the goodness of pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Magic Cake
I took my famous Pumpkin Pie filling and added it on top of a boxed vanilla cake mix and something magical happened.
The pumpkin pie filling sunk to the bottom and the cake mix rose through the top… creating a beautiful layer when sliced into.
Ingredients Needed:
Here’s the basic list of the ingredients you’ll need in order to make this delicious cake. It’s perfect for the holidays!
- Vanilla Cake Mix – any size box will work as long as it’s meant for a 9×13″ pan
- Eggs, Oil, Water – called for in the cake mix
- Pumpkin Puree – not pumpkin pie filling
- Evaporated Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Brown Sugar
- Vanilla Pudding Mix – you can substitute with sugar free version if desired
- Cold Milk
- Cool Whip – thawed
How To Make Pumpkin Magic Cake
This unique pumpkin cake is actually quite simple to make.
PREPARE BOX CAKE MIX Start by combining the ingredients for the box cake mix in a bowl and mixing it up according to the package instructions. (You could swap the vanilla cake mix for a spice cake mix if you want!).
Pour the cake batter into a prepared 9×13″ baking dish and set it aside.
MAKE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING In a clean bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the pumpkin pie filling, making sure to whisk it until it’s completely smooth.
POUR PUMPKIN PIE FILLING Carefully pour the pumpkin pie filling over the top of the UNBAKED cake mix in the 9×13″ baking pan.
BAKE THE CAKE The pumpkin pie filling will sink to the bottom of the cake mix when it’s baking and when you cut into it, the pumpkin pie will be on the bottom and the cake will be on top.
Pumpkin Cake Frosting
The frosting for this pumpkin cake is a mixture of instant vanilla pudding and thawed cool whip. We’re adding a little bit of pumpkin pie spice to the mix to give it a warm and inviting fall flavor.
WHISK TOGETHER Combine the vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice and milk in a bowl and whisk until smooth and thickened.
FOLD IN COOL WHIP Gently fold in the cool whip topping until the mixture is light and fluffy and you can see the spice is evenly incorporated throughout the frosting.
SPREAD EVENLY OVER CAKE Once the pumpkin magic cake has cooled you can spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
Go ahead and slice the cake and marvel at the amazement of the three layers of deliciousness!
How To Store Pumpkin Cake
This cake should be stored covered, in the refrigerator once it has come to room temperature.
You can prepare this cake up to 3 days ahead of time.
I love this baking pan with the lid because it makes it super easy to bake and store for the holidays.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Here are a few commonly asked questions or substitutions I get asked about…
COOL WHIP I know there are some parts of the world where Cool Whip is not a thing, or maybe you just want to avoid using it. Totally fine! You can swap Cool Whip for equal parts whipped cream.
VANILLA PUDDING MIX This recipe calls for the INSTANT vanilla pudding mix (no cook). You can swap in sugar free if desired, or even use the Pumpkin Spice Instant Pudding mix and leave out the extra pumpkin spice.
BOXED CAKE MIX Any size cake mix will work as long as it’s meant for a 9×13″ pan. Try swapping the vanilla cake mix for chocolate or spice cake for a fun twist!
MY PUMPKIN PIE DIDN’T SINK Before you slice into your cake, you might notice that the top still looks like there is pumpkin pie filling there, but have no fear… give it a slice and you’ll see that the layer of pumpkin pie is in fact on the bottom.
More Pumpkin Cake Recipes
Craving that delicious pumpkin spice flavor? I’ve got you covered with these tasty recipes…
- Award Winning Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie – another fun layered dessert!
- Fluffy Pumpkin Sheet Cake
This dessert is a definite crowd pleaser. I can’t wait for you to give it a try!
Pumpkin Magic Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix, plus ingredients required to make (eggs, water, oil)
For the Pumpkin Pie
- 15 oz Pumpkin Puree, not pumpkin pie filling
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting
- 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix, or substitute with sugar free version
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup cold milk
- 8 oz Cool Whip, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13" cake pan and set aside. Prepare box of cake mix according to package instructions, then pour into a prepared cake pan. DO NOT BAKE. Set aside.
For The Pumpkin Filling
- In another bowl whisk together the ingredients for the Pumpkin Pie (pumpkin, evaporated milk, heavy cream, eggs, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice), until smooth. Slowly pour the pumpkin pie mixture all over the cake mix.
- Carefully place cake into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly, and a toothpick inserted into cake mix comes out clean. NOTE: The cake might be slightly darker than normal, but still tastes great. Let cool to room temperature.
For The Frosting
- Place the vanilla pudding mix into a medium bowl, add the pumpkin pie spice and pour in the cold milk. Whisk until combined and starting to thicken. Gently fold in the Cool Whip until it's completely combined. Spread on top of the cooled cake.
- You can serve now, or chill the cake until ready to serve. Keep frosted cake stored with a cover in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- After you are done baking the cake, it may look like it did not settle into layers, but it has! Frost it, cut it, and marvel at it's awesomeness.
- Cake can be prepared up to 72 hours in advance. Cover and chill in fridge until ready to serve.
Hmmmm…not a box cake girl…will have to try this from scratch. 🙂
Made this last weekend for a party and it was wonderful, even enjoyed it 3 days later. Freaky how the pumpkin pie part sinks to the bottom (while it’s cooking, bakers!) but it’s wonderful. Will definitely make this again!
Thank you.
Just put my first attempt at this cake in the oven. My pumpkin didn’t look swirled like yours did… it just sat on the top. Hope it comes out ok! Looks delish!
Pumpkin & Chocolate have become one of my favorite flavors together. Do you think this would work with Dark Chocolate cake mix? I want to make this for dessert on Sunday for company and would love to try it with chocolate…
Can you make this with cupcakes In stead of cake?
Curious to know if you ever gave it a shot into cupcakes? I am going to try it myself ~ would love this to be a holiday addition to my home bakery, thanks for the fun ideas!
This looks amazing. Just curious, could you put the pumpkin in first and add the cake on top? I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
I made this yesterday for my husband and myself. We have been eating Paleo. Oh my gosh what a wonderful treat, The cake is so moist, turned out great layers, amazed me. I did not make the frosting because did not have pudding or whip topping but we love it the way it is, plan to make for Thanksgivng for the grands, they do not like the pie crust, I will add the topping but even without it this is a 5 star recipe. Thumbs up to you, I ran across this accidentally. Love your site and will try a lot more of your recipes. Great site and wonderful cook, keep it up young lady. Joan(AZ)
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! I appreciate your sweet comments, and I am so happy you stumbled upon my blog! 🙂 I wish you a very happy Holiday season! 🙂
I’m baking this as of now and the pumpkin did not settle to the bottom for some reason. I did everything exactly how the directions said. Are you suppose to wait till it sinks to the bottom and then put it in the oven ? It just said pour pumpkin over batter and put in oven. Hope it still taste good !
I just made this cake too and the pumpkin didn’t settle on the bottom either. I’m still going to make the frosting and take it to our party tonight. Hopefully it tastes good! I guess this will go down as another pinterest fail.
Please wait till you cut into the cake to decide if it has settled on the bottom or not. From the outside the cake does not look as if it has turned, but when cut into, it will actually prove to be pumpkin pie on the bottom, and cake on top. You’ll enjoy it. 🙂
Ok ok! I’m sooooo sorry!!!! I was shocked when I cut into the cake. It was perfect! I take back my fail comment. And it was a huge hit at dinner.
But when I took it out of the oven it looked like the pumpkin was still on top and I was so bummed. Boy was I wrong?!?!
Thank you for coming back and letting me know that it worked out for you! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it! 🙂
Mine didn’t work either. I’ve tried twice to make this and followed the recipe to a T. I don’t get it. 🙁 The Lemon Magic Cake worked just fine for me. What a bummer.
Hi Debbie, The directions are correct, just pour it in over the cake and once baked the pumpkin pie will settle on the bottom. It might not look like it has, but once you cut into it, you’ll see that it did. Hope you enjoyed the cake! 🙂
Any idea if this would do well as a make ahead, freeze, defrost dessert? Minus the frosting….
Well, I know the cake would do well when frozen. I’m not sure about the pumpkin pie part, though. I’m guessing that as long as it’s cooled completely before covering and placing in the freezer, it should be ok. 🙂
I was wondering if I could use the recipe and substitute lemon pie filling instead. Any thoughts.
Sounds delicious !!!love lemon ~same concept so the cake rises over the top think I would use white cake mix though !!
I’d like to make it with 1 cup of evaporated milk, rather than the 1/2 evap milk and 1/2 of cream. Can I make this substitution?
Hi Rose, I answered your question posted above, but yes, I think you would be able to make it with just the evaporated milk.
This is a triple threat! Pie, cake, and frosting–you can’t get much better than that!
I think I figured out why it didn’t layer. It was marbled. Still a pretty dessert, but turned out to be more of a messy, use a spoon, kinda thing 🙂 anyway, I bought a yellow cake that called for butter and not oil. The butter must’ve been too heavy for the pumpkin to settle on the bottom. I will try again using the other cake mix. It was still quite tasty.
Hi Kristen, if the cake was not set in the middle, and soupy, it sounds like you need to try and bake it longer. This cake does take a bit longer to bake then a normal cake, so make sure you bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
I was wondering if you could make this with the white cake being from scratch?
Hi Angela! From scratch should work just fine! Enjoy!
Sorry, it did *not layer. Can Anybody tell me why?
This did now layer for me. I followed directions exactly! I hope it still tastes delicious as I made it for company.
Hi Kristen, I know it may not look like it turned after baking, but have you cut into it yet? I only ask because you stated that it is for company, so I’m not sure if you’ve cut into it yet. Let me know how it went! Thanks!
Okay so I’ve got a question!! If I would make this in two round cake pans then stacked it by flipping them over so It would be layered- cake,pumpkin,cake,pumpkin,wipped topping- would it work? Guess my question is does the pumpkin really stick to the pan on the bottom?? Thanks -Adaline
Great question! If you’re going to try that, I would suggest putting a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of your pans. That way the bottom will come out nicely and you can just peel off the paper. If it works, take a picture and tag me! I would LOVE to see it!! Sounds awesome! 🙂
Did the layering work? Making this for my mothers 90 th birthday….she loves pumpkin….would love to layer it if it would work….
Hi Shawn, I made this last week and I’m posting pics tomorrow with a link to your page and crediting your creation. My family LOVED this dessert, as did I! Thanks for sharing, I will definitely be making this again.
Awesome! I’m so glad you guys loved it! 🙂 Can’t wait to see your post!
Made this last night for hubby to take to work and this was a huge hit! This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!!!
Awesome! So glad you guys loved it! 🙂
Oohh, love the layers! Can’t wait to try this out!
ok feel stupid asking this but here i go. u put the cake batter in first so how does the pumpkin layer get on bottom lol sorry want to make this for thanksgiving but want it to look like the pic
It’s magic… bwahaha (evil laugh). Yes, you put the cake batter in first and then the pumpkin pie. The pumpkin pie weighs more than the cake so it will sink to the bottom and even out. It’s pretty neat! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
How do you get the cake out of the pan though? With pumpkin on the bottom, its not dense…. any ideas? Or do you bake in a glass cake pan and leave it in?
Hi Christa, I just baked it in the glass casserole dish and left it in the pan. I used a spatula to get the slices out when I served it. 🙂 If you want it out of the pan, I would try waiting till the cake cools, and then before frosting it turn it out onto a serving platter, then frost the pumpkin portion (which should be on top since you flipped it over). Does that make sense? Good luck! 🙂
or you can flip it twice?
Am I to assume this is insstant pudding??
Hi Ginny! Yes! Sorry I missed that in the recipe. I fixed it, thank you for mentioning it to me! 🙂
I love pumpkin pie, but hate pie crust, this seems to be the solution! Gonna make it for my pumpkin loving boss on Boss’ Day.
This is fantastic Shawn!! Like, mind blown fantastic!
Ooo I think I’d rather have this than regular ol’ pumpkin pie!
What a great idea with all the layers! I am obsessed with all things pumpkin and cinnamon right now!
I love the three different layers, It looks really lovely, I bet it tastes lovely to!
Oh my goodness, I’m so glad this finally turned out the way you wanted it to! Looks like it was well worth the wait.
Erin–How would I adapt this to sugar free? Is it possible? I had a friend email me once I shared this on Facebook and ask me,….
Hi Diane, I’m not sure if there is a way to do a sugar free version. Sorry.
Um…couldn’t you use a sugar substitute, such as Splenda? They do make a version that’s formulated for baking..
There is still sugar in the cake mix though. I suppose if you found a sugar free cake mix, and used a brown sugar substitute, and a sugar free version of pudding mix and Cool whip… you might be able to achieve a sugar free version. I can’t guarantee results though.
I just made it using a sugar free cake mix and sugar free pudding. I did use regular brown sugar but they do make the brown sugars that are sugar free and suitable for baking.
Awesome! So glad you found an alternative that works for you! 🙂
Use the pillsbury sugar free cake mix, brown sugar, sugar substitute for baking, and sugar free vanilla pudding, with sugar free coolwhip.
Gah!! I want this, no scratch that, I NEED this in my life like yesterday!! Looks sooooo good!!
Wow I need this in my life, been really feeling all the pumpkin recipes I”m seeing lately. Your pics look fabulous too!
Looks amazing!! Can’t wait to try! Can Half & Half or whole milk be substituted for the cream? Thanks.
I’d like to know the answer to this too! I’d like to make it with 1 cup of evaporated milk. Can I make this substitution?
Hi Rose, I’m sure it would work with a full cup of evaporated milk in place of the heavy cream. The cream adds a little bit more richness and body to the pie, but I’m sure it would still taste great without it. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I used a full cup of evaporated milk and it turned ouy great. I took it to a church function and came home with 4 small peices. It is a very good cake. Will make for Thanksgiving rather a pie.
Awesome! I’m so glad it worked out for you! 🙂
Oh my, I’m going to have to try this. It seems like a richer and more moist version of my grandmother’s pumpkin pleaser.
http://thisfineday.com/blog/2013/9/30/baking-with-kids-great-grandmas-pumpkin-pleaser-recipe
Thanks for the post, can’t wait to give it a go!
What a perfect cake. I’m dying over every single layer!
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit with my pumpkin loving family! Will definitely make it over and over and over again! Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Awesome! So happy your family loved it!!
Oooooh! Yes!!
It’s hard to belive such a random drizzle of the batter can come out so perfectly even! Great job.
Thanks Erin! It’s really a fun and tasty cake to make! Everyone loves the layers!
Love those layers!
Thanks Rachel! 🙂
Hi, can i make the frosting while the cake is baking? O in other words, how far ahead can i make the frosting? Can I make it right befor serving or can it stay in the fridge for a while? Thanks, Beth
The frosting can be made ahead of time and placed in the fridge. 🙂
i did a test run with regular ingredients. It turned out just like the photo. I used my office mates to taste test. The reviews were outstanding! So the next step was to try it with Gluten free products because I have celiac disease. It was a disaster!
I made this and there is still pumpkin on the top :/ Dont know what happened but it still taste good. If I can get it to do what it should it will be bett3er
I just made this desert and I used pumpkin spice cake mix just to see , so with the cake mix and pumpkin pix puree, you may not see the layers to much but still will get heaven tasting . Also I see not comments about the frosting, so easy to make and sooooooo yummy . I think now I will use this idea for frosting I will use more often on other deserts and different flavored puddings.. thank you for this recipe
Awesome! And yes, that frosting is some good stuff, right?! 🙂