The Great Pumpkin Cake

Welcome to Episode 5 — the final reveal of The Great Pumpkin Cake Series.

This cake has been weeks in the making: plush pumpkin cake layers, silky no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, soft pumpkin pudding cookies, cinnamon buttercream, and toasted marshmallow frosting… all stacked into one giant, cozy, fall-baking masterpiece.

If you’ve followed along with Episodes 1–4, this is where everything comes together.

If you’re new here — welcome. This post includes every component you need, linked and listed, so you can build the full Great Pumpkin Cake from start to finish.

INGREDIENT HIGHLIGHT

Here’s everything the final cake uses:

• Pumpkin Cake Layers – from Episode 1 
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling – from Episode 2 
• Pumpkin Pudding Cookies (for crumble + decoration) – from Episode 3 
• Cinnamon Buttercream (for dam + crumb coat) – from Episode 4 
• Marshmallow Frosting (Torchable) – from Episode 4 

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CAKE

• It’s the ultimate fall showstopper — soft, silky, cozy layers in every bite. 
• Uses no-bake cheesecake for an incredibly plush center. 
• Pumpkin cookies add texture and a cookie-dough-meets-pumpkin-pie moment. 
• A cinnamon buttercream dam keeps layers stable, bakery-style. 
• The torched marshmallow frosting turns the cake into a dramatic reveal. 
• The recipe is broken down into 5 manageable episodes so anyone can make it.

STEP OVERVIEW (Quick Guide)

1. Torte the pumpkin cake layers 
2. Pipe cinnamon buttercream dam 
3. Add cheesecake filling 
4. Add pumpkin cookie crumble 
5. Repeat and stack 
6. Chill 
7. Crumb coat 
8. Chill again 
9. Add marshmallow frosting 
10. Torch 
11. Decorate with cookies 
12. Slice & serve

WHAT YOU’LL NEED (Component Recipes)

Pumpkin Cake (Episode 1)

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling (Episode 2)

Pumpkin Pudding Cookies (Episode 3)

Marshmallow Frosting + Cinnamon Buttercream (Episode 4)

Now that all four building blocks are ready, it’s time to assemble the entire Great Pumpkin Cake. This is a tall, layered, bakery-style cake, so chilling between steps is the secret to success. The structure relies on the cinnamon buttercream dam and the chill time — this gives you clean layers and a perfectly stacked cake.

You’ll start by torting the pumpkin cake layers, creating four even, plush layers. Then each layer gets piped with a cinnamon buttercream dam (this keeps the cheesecake contained), followed by a thick spread of pumpkin cheesecake filling, and a handful of pumpkin cookie crumble for sweet texture.

This method repeats all the way up, creating tall, defined layers. After stacking, the cake gets its first chill before being crumb coated in buttercream. A second chill ensures the marshmallow frosting sits beautifully on top — swoopy, cloud-like, and ready to be torched.

The final step is the dramatic reveal: golden-toasted marshmallow peaks, finished with mini pumpkin cookies. Slice into it and you’ll see every layer — cake, cheesecake, cookies — stacked like a cozy fall dessert dream.

And that’s it — The Great Pumpkin Cake, fully assembled and glowing with torched marshmallow peaks. If you’ve made it through all 5 episodes, I’m so proud of you. This cake is dramatic, delicious, and unforgettable — a true holiday centerpiece. Whether you make the full cake or mix-and-match your favorite layers, I hope this series brings cozy fall baking right into your home.

The Great Pumpkin Cake (Episode 5: The Great Pumpkin Cake Series)

The final assembly of The Great Pumpkin Cake — layered pumpkin cake, no-bake cheesecake filling, pumpkin cookie crumble, cinnamon buttercream, and toasted marshmallow frosting.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 16 People

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Fall Baking

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Cake Assembly

• Pumpkin cake layers from Episode 1
• No-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling Episode 2
• Pumpkin pudding cookies crumbled + whole for topping (Episode 3)
• Cinnamon buttercream Episode 4
• Marshmallow frosting Episode 4

Equipment

• Serrated knife
• Piping bags + tips (optional)
• Offset spatula
• Bench scraper (optional)
• Turn table (optional)
• Kitchen torch be sure to get butane if needed

Method

 

Instructions

Torte Cake Layers:

1. Slice each pumpkin cake layer horizontally to create four even layers.

First Layer – Buttercream Dam:

1. Pipe a tall dam of cinnamon buttercream around the outer edge of the cake layer.

Add Cheesecake Filling:

1. Spread a thick layer of the no-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling inside the buttercream dam.

Add Cookie Crumble:

1. Sprinkle a generous layer of crumbled pumpkin pudding cookies over the cheesecake layer.

Stack & Repeat:

1. Add the next cake layer and repeat the buttercream dam → cheesecake filling → cookie crumble process three times.

Chill:

1. Refrigerate the stacked cake for 15 minutes to firm up.

Crumb Coat:

1. Apply a thin layer of cinnamon buttercream around the sides and top of the cake. Chill for another 15 minutes.

Marshmallow Frosting:

1. Spoon or pipe marshmallow frosting over the chilled crumb coat, creating swoops and peaks.

Torch:

1. Lightly toast the marshmallow frosting with a kitchen torch until golden in spots.

Decorate:

1. Top with extra pumpkin pudding cookies.

Final Chill:

1. Refrigerate the completed cake for 30 minutes before slicing for clean layers.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

• Chill between every major step for perfect structure.
• Buttercream dam must be tall and firm — it’s what holds in the cheesecake.
• Use a serrated knife to torte layers evenly.
• Torch from a distance to avoid melting the frosting.

Storage

• Assembled Cake: Refrigerate up to 3 days.
• Slices: Store airtight up to 3 days.
• Do not freeze once frosted with marshmallow frosting (it will weep).
• Cake layers alone may be frozen up to 1 month.