Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Beat pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Clean and dry the bowl.

Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and milk together in the bowl with the electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Dollop tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture onto the pumpkin mixture, spacing them evenly. Draw the tip of a wooden skewer or a thin knife through both fillings to create swirls.

Sprinkle dry cake mix over the pumpkin-cream cheese mixture. Poke holes with a skewer or tip of a knife through the cake-mix topping, just to the top of the filling. Drizzle melted butter evenly over the top. Sprinkle with pecans, if using.

Bake until the filling is firm and the topping is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight before serving.