Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Mix the yellow cake mix, pumpkin puree, eggs, water, melted butter, and pumpkin pie spice for 30 seconds and then beat on medium speed for two minutes.
Grease and flour a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan. (It makes enough batter for either two loaf pans OR one loaf pan and twelve cupcakes. Save the extra cake or cupcakes for another use.)
Bake the loaf pan chocolate cake at 350˚F degrees for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Pumpkin Pudding
Beat the softened cream cheese for two minutes and then scrape the bowl.
Beat in the pumpkin puree.
Add the instant vanilla pudding, heavy cream, and pumpkin pie spice. Beat for thirty seconds on low and then beat for two minutes on medium.
Assembly
To prepare the loaf pan, cut two long pieces of aluminum foil and line the loaf pan with the pieces, one going each direction, with the ends hanging over the sides.
Use a serrated knife to cut off the round top of one of the cooled pumpkin loaf cakes and then cut the remaining cake in half horizontally.
Place the bottom layer of pumpkin loaf cake in the foil lined loaf pan. Spread 1 1/2 cups of ice cream over the cake. Spread 1 cup of pumpkin pudding over the ice cream. Top with the middle layer of cake, more ice cream, and more peanut butter pudding. Add the final layer of cake and wrap well with foil.
Freeze the cake for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Remove from the freezer and peel off the foil. Use a knife to cut off a thin slice around the outside of the cake to show the layers underneath.
Spread caramel ice cream topping over the cake allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Top with chopped pecans.
Return the cake to the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
Additional six hours needed to allow the cake to freeze. Can be prepared the day before and left in the freezer overnight.