Pumpkin Crunch Torte

Crunch Topping

In large bowl with spoon, mix 1 1/2 C walnuts ( I use pecans) finely chopped, 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafers crumbs, 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar and 3/4 C melted butter. Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Cake
1 1/4 C sugar
3/4 C of soften butter
1 C pumpkin
2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C plain yogurt
1 T pumpkin pie spice
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 cups of whipping cream

1. Prepare crunch topping into each of (4) 9 inch round cake pans, measure 1/4 of topping;pat evenly to cover bottom of pans. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter just until blended. Increase speed to medium;beat 10 minutes or until light and fluffy, scaping bowl often. Reduce speed to low add pumpkin and next seven (7) ingredients; beat until well mixed. Increase speed to Hi beat two minutes.

3. Spoon batter over topping in pans, stagger four cake pans on two oven racks so no cake pan is directly above the other. Cook 20 min or until toothpick comes out clean. Rotate pans between upper and lower racks after ten min. Loosen cake from pans and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

4. In large bowl mix whip cream until stiff peaks form. On cake plate, place on cake layer (crunch topping side up) top with 1/4 of whipped cream. Repeat with the two more cake layers and more whipped cream. Place remaining cake layer on top (crunch side up) spoon remaining whipped cream in dollops and top edge of cake. Sprinkle dollops lightly with vanilla wafer crumbs if desired.