My Great-Aunt’s Holiday Cake Turns Boxed Mix Into ‘Magic’

Every family has heirloom recipes that they can’t imagine the holidays without. Mine include the pumpkin roll my great-aunt made every Thanksgiving, the Croatian nut roll my grandma insisted on for Christmas, and my mom’s Polish pound cake that’s so good we often bake two—one to enjoy and one to freeze for later.

We still haven’t perfected the pumpkin roll since my great-aunt passed away, but we try every year. And, even though I don’t actually like my grandma’s nut roll, I can’t imagine a holiday without it now that she’s gone. 

Recently, however, my family recalled another favorite that had vanished from our holiday gatherings: my great-aunt’s pumpkin cake.

How to Make My Great-Aunt’s Pumpkin Magic Cake

The original recipe came from Valerie Bertinelli’s Food Network show Valerie’s Home Cooking, one of her many “love cakes.” Each version follows the same pattern but uses different seasonal ingredients. The magic of these cakes—and why Bertinelli swears by them—is that the cake batter and creamy cheesecake-like layer switch places in the oven. 

The pumpkin cake starts with a boxed spice cake mix—prepared as directed—then gets topped with a mixture of pumpkin and cream cheese. As it bakes, the layers flip in the oven—practically like magic—creating a luscious, custardy base with a fluffy, airy cake on top.

It’s finished with a pumpkin pudding frosting, making it the perfect sweet treat for any fall or winter gathering.

When my aunt made the cake, she followed Bertinelli’s original recipe, which used ricotta and mascarpone in the creamy layer and mascarpone again in the frosting. But to make things easier (and more budget-friendly), the Allrecipes test kitchen developed a Pumpkin Magic Cake recipe that swaps in cream cheese for the filling and whipped cream for the frosting.

With a boxed mix and just a few simple ingredients, this cake is one of the easiest—and most impressive—desserts you can bring to the table.

Now that I’ve rediscovered this family favorite—and found an even easier version—I’m sure my great-aunt’s favorite “magic” pumpkin cake will reclaim its spot at our holiday gatherings once more.