Pumpkin Dump Cake – Perfect for Potlucks!
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Rich, creamy pumpkin filling meets buttery, crumbly cake to make a delightfully delicious Pumpkin Dump Cake.
The pumpkin is the star of this easy dessert and is perfect for the fall. (Though I am pretty sure you’ll want to be making this cake year-round!)
Pumpkin Dump Cake
I am a fan of dump cakes! I have recipes for blueberry dump cake, peach dump cake, cherry dump cake, and even an apple pie dump cake (coming soon!) Easy prep, the delicious buttery cake, plus all of the delicious fruits and fillings. What’s not to love?
This Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe, with its half pumpkin pie, half buttery golden cake is no exception to my love of all dump cakes. Even if you’re not the biggest pumpkin pie fan, the pumpkin pie filling plus the buttery, slightly crunchy dump cake topping will have you coming back for seconds.
The prep on this particular dump cake is a bit more than dumping everything into the baking pan. (You have to mix the pumpkin pie ingredients together before adding them to the pan.) It takes only a few extra minutes, but I promise the extra step is totally worth it!
Why you’ll love this Yummy fall Dessert
- Easy to prepare – Just mix the pumpkin ingredients, then add the cake mix and butter!
- Tastes delicious – The combination of pumpkin pie spice, yellow cake mix, and butter make this cake full of flavor.
- Crowd pleaser – So delicious; everyone loves this pumpkin dessert and always asks for the recipe! It makes a perfect potluck dessert for your Thanksgiving or other fall-themed gatherings.
Ingredients + Tips
- Pumpkin | Canned, pure pumpkin puree is what you want in this dessert. Make sure to buy pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Libby’s is my preferred brand.
- Evaporated milk | You want evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk for this recipe. They are not interchangeable.
- Brown sugar | Brown sugar adds a nice caramel-like sweet flavor.
- Eggs | 3 Large eggs.
- Spices | You need cinnamon in addition to pumpkin pie spice, plus salt.
- Yellow cake mix | Any yellow cake mix is fine.
- Butter | I like salted butter for my dump cakes, but if you are watching your salt, unsalted is fine.
- Chopped pecans | Nuts are optional, but the nutty crunch the pecans give to the cake is really great!
How to make pumpkin Dump Cake
1 Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease with butter or cooking spray, a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to a large bowl and mix.
2 Pour: Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Cut the butter into thin slices and place on top of the cake.
3 Bake: Bake for about 50 minutes or until the cake topping is done. If desired, you can sprinkle the pecan pieces over the top of the cake at about halfway through the baking time.
4 Cool: Allow the cake to cool and set up for at least one hour. Serve with a scoop of Cool Whip or ice cream.
Recipe Tips
- There’s no need to prepare the cake mix; you just sprinkle the dry mix on top of the pumpkin mixture.
- I don’t recommend fresh pumpkin; it is way too much effort for this recipe, plus it tends to be more watery and could affect the outcome of your easy pumpkin dump cake.
- Check the freshness date on your spices. They will lose their potency over time and cause your recipes to be less flavorful.
- Make sure your butter is very cold. It is much easier to slice thinly.
- Some people like to use melted butter to pour over the top of dump cakes. It is faster, but I don’t like this method; in my opinion, it leaves too many dry spots on the top of the cake.
- If adding nuts to the cake, I suggest sprinkling them over the top at about 25 minutes into the baking so they don’t burn.
- The bottom layer of the pumpkin dump cake should be soft but set. Similar to a pumpkin pie. (If you insert a knife in the middle, it should come out moist but clean.)
- If your top layer begins to get too brown before the cooking time is done, you can loosely cover it with foil.
Pin this recipe for later.
Variations
- Add nuts or leave them off. Pecans or walnuts work great.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips, toffee bits, or even candied pecans over the cake batter/butter layer.
- Drizzle with caramel topping, or for an even more decadent treat, try microwaving a can of cream cheese icing and drizzling some of it over the cake. (And then you can use that leftover cream cheese icing on these cinnamon waffles! – oh, how I love holiday baking.)
- Use a spice cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix. Vanilla or white cake also works.
Storage
Once fully cool, wrap the baking dish with plastic wrap and store the pumpkin dump cake in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. After that, it will still taste yummy, but the pumpkin pie layer will start to get a bit watery. You can also freeze pumpkin dump cake for up to 3 months.
FAQs
What if I don’t have pumpkin pie spice?
Pumpkin pie spice can be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, or you can make your own. To make the two tablespoons needed in this recipe, use:
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 lightly heaping teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
This is in addition to the extra teaspoon of cinnamon called for in the recipe.
How to know when your pumpkin dump cake is done.
The bottom layer of the pumpkin dump cake should be soft but set. Similar to a pumpkin pie. (If you insert a knife in the middle, it should come out moist but clean.)
If your top layer begins to get too brown before the cooking time is done, you can loosely cover it with foil.
How should this dump cake be served?
You can serve it at room temperature with a dollop of cool whip or whipped cream. It is also extremely delicious, warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Do you need to refrigerate a dump cake?
Since the pumpkin pie half of this dump cake is made with eggs, I do recommend storing it in the fridge after it has completely cooled.
Looking for more fall Pumpkin recipes?
- Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding With Caramel Sauce
- Pumpkin Pie Cake Bars
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Scones
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Did You Make This Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe?
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Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: desserts
- Method: oven
Description
Half pumpkin pie, half buttery delicious dump cake. This easy fall-inspired dessert recipe will have everyone coming back for seconds!
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can of pumpkin
- 12-ounce can of evaporated milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 15.25-ounce box of yellow cake mix
- 1.5 to 2 sticks cold butter, sliced thin. Use as much butter as needed to completely top the cake. (I like salted butter, but use your preference.)
- Optional: 1/2 cup (or more) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Add the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to a large bowl and mix.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin mixture.
- Cut the butter into thin slices and place on top of the cake. (I usually don’t use the entire two sticks.)
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cake topping is done. If desired, you can sprinkle the pecan pieces over the top of the cake at about halfway through the baking time. (Any earlier, and the pecans tend to burn.)
- Allow the cake to cool and set up for at least one hour.
- Serve with a scoop of Cool Whip or ice cream.
Notes
See tips and storage information in the post
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 430
- Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 81
- Protein: 8
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