Pumpkin crumble is a super easy and a perfect dessert for thanksgiving dinner. Since pumpkin is abundant around this time of the year, pumpkin desserts are the most popular choice for thanksgiving dinner. This pumpkin crumble, with a generous additional of spices is a dessert that not only tastes scrumptious, but is going to make your whole house smell wonderful too. This pumpkin crumble tastes great served warm or cold. So, if you happen to stuff yourself up with dinner and have no space for a dessert on the night of thanksgiving dinner, don’t worry, this dessert tastes great the next day too.
You can serve this dessert as a pumpkin crumble or you can turn it upside down and serve it as an upside down cake topped with toasted walnuts and caramel sauce. It tastes great either way!! If you decide on making it upside down cake you have to make sure to line the base of your pan with parchment. Believe me it makes it a whole lot easier to flip the cake onto a serving dish. The quantities mentioned here are good enough for a 9 * 13 rectangular pan or a 9 ” circle pan.
For the pumpkin, you can either use the canned pumpkin puree or you can roast your own pumpkin and puree it. Make sure you do not use the canned pumpkin pie mix, but the unsweetened pumpkin puree. For the crumble I used a yellow cake mix that gives the whole dessert a nice golden colour. If you are planning on serving it as a crumble, top it off with the walnuts before you start baking, otherwise once you flip the cake upside down, throw lightly toasted walnuts on top and drizzle some thick ooyee gooyee caramel sauce and you have your decadent dessert ready to be devoured on thanksgiving night (or any other night for that matter)
Ingredients :
For the filling
1 16 ounce can of pumpkin puree (about 2 cups if you decide to make your own)
1 12 ounce can evaporated milk
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
For Crumble
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch allspice
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
For Topping
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Caramel sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup half and half (cream)
1/3 cup butter
1/8 tsp salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Line a 9” circle pan or a 9 * 13 rectangular pan with parchment. (Skip this step if you are gonna serve it as a crumble.)
In a mixing bowl put the ingredients for the filling and mix very well. Pour it in the prepared pan.
In a dry bowl mix the cake mix thoroughly with cinnamon and dry ground ginger.
Sprinkle it evenly over the filling. Drizzle the melted butter on top.
If you are going to serve it as a crumble, sprinkle chopped walnuts at this point, otherwise toast them lightly in a pan and keep aside.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 45-50 minutes. If the crumble starts to brown too fast cover loosely with a foil.
Take it out once a tester poked in the crumble comes out clean .
Run a knife around the edges to separate the cake from the sides of the pan.
Let it cool on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes while you make the caramel sauce.
For the caramel sauce, pour all the sauce ingredients in a heavy base pan and heat at medium heat . Stir frequently, till the sugar dissolves completely. Keep on a low flame till the sauce thickens and becomes dark brown /golden in colour.
Put a serving platter about couple inches bigger than your cake pan on top of the cake pan and flip the cake upside down. Peel the parchment off. Sprinkle the chopped, toasted walnuts on top and drizzle a generous serving of caramel sauce on top and letting some of it pour off the sides.
Enjoy a slice after your thanksgiving dinner, and the leftovers the next day with a cup of chai or coffee.
Meri Rasoi Se 
