Pumpkin Crunch Cake: Silky Custard, 1h 10m

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease your 23x33 cm baking dish with butter or a neutral oil spray. This ensures the custard doesn't stick to the sides, making serving much cleaner later.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 425g pumpkin puree, 355ml evaporated milk, 3 large eggs, 200g sugar, 7.5ml pumpkin pie spice, and 2.5ml salt. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth and pale orange.
3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into your prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer, ensuring it reaches all the corners of the pan.
4. Open the 432g yellow cake mix and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the wet pumpkin layer. Note: Do not stir the cake mix into the pumpkin; it must sit on top to create the crunch.
5. Distribute the 110g of chopped pecans over the dry cake mix. Try to get an even distribution so every bite has that nutty snap.
6. Slowly and carefully drizzle the 227g of melted butter over the entire surface. Aim for total coverage, especially near the edges where the dry mix tends to hide. Look for the butter to soak into the powder, turning it a dark golden hue.
7. Place the pan in the center rack of the oven. Bake for 55 minutes until the top is browned and the center barely jiggles when the pan is nudged.
8. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This allows the custard to finish setting through carryover heat.
9. Slice into squares and serve. It's best enjoyed warm or at room temperature, though some of my friends swear by eating it cold right out of the fridge the next morning.