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Pumpkin Dump Cake is my go-to fall dessert! Like the name suggests, you just dump the ingredients into a dish and bake. It’s a pumpkin pie and cake all in one!
You can make this Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe in about an hour and with less than 10 simple ingredients. For more pumpkin desserts, try my Baked Pumpkin Donuts and Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip.
Best Pumpkin Dump Cake
Dump cakes are really just as simple as the name suggests. Dump in the ingredients and bake and you’ve got a delicious cake!
Start with a layer of fruit filling, sprinkle with dry cake mix, then melted butter. Usually that’s enough for your typical dump cake, but this pumpkin dump cake is a little extra, with a crunchy, buttery walnut topping.
Why is it Called Dump Cake?
Dump cakes are really just as simple as the name suggests. Dump in the ingredients and bake and you’ve got a delicious cake!
There is a layer of fruit pie filling on the bottom, then dry cake mix sprinkled over that. Finally you drizzle the top with melted butter. As it bakes, the liquid in the pie filling and the butter reacts with the cake mix and cooks the cake. By extension, any simple cake made with just one bowl or pan could be termed a dump cake.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Pumpkin puree – make sure you get the can of pureed pumpkin, not pie filling which has added ingredients.
- Evaporated milk – one small can.
- Sugar – a combination of granulated and brown sugars.
- Eggs
- Pumpkin pie spice – If you don’t have this or don’t want to buy it, you can use ground cinnamon instead.
- Yellow cake mix – one regular sized box
- Melted butter
- Walnuts or pecan, chopped for the topping. You can leave this out if there’s a nut allergy, and just sprinkle with extra brown sugar and some pie spice.
How to make Dump Cake
Super easy and just as delicious as if you slaved for hours, this cake is going to be your new favorite fall dessert. Pumpkin Dump Cake is perfect for potlucks, parties, or the holidays.
Prep. Preheat the oven, grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Mix the pumpkin filling. Combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugars, and spice in a large bowl. Pour into the greased baking dish and spread evenly.
Top with cake mix and butter. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pumpkin filling, then sprinkle on the nuts and drizzle over the melted butter.
Bake the cake for about an hour or until the top is golden brown.
Serve. Cool completely, then cut into squares and serve topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Storing leftovers: Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Or, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Additional topping ideas: If you can’t use or don’t like nuts, you can use toffee bits or graham crackers.
Yes, cover it with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. It will stay fresh and delicious for 2-3 days. If you want to enjoy a slice warm, heat it in the microwave at 20 second intervals until your desired temperature is reached.
The verdict seems to be out on how to serve this type of cake, either warm or chilled. I can enjoy it either way, so it’s really up to personal taste. Some like it warm just out of the oven, and some prefer it cold. I prefer mine either way as long as it’s accompanied by a giant scoop of fresh whipped cream!
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Pumpkin, Corn and Potato Chowder
- Mini Maple Pumpkin Pies
- Pumpkin Pie & Apple Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Cookie & Marshmallow Whoopie Pies
- Pumpkin Alfredo
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree not pie filling
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 15 ounce box of yellow cake mix
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 cup chopped walnuts and/or pecans
- 1/4 cup brown sugar for sprinkling on the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugars, pumpkin pie spice. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture.
- Sprinkle chopped nuts and brown sugar over the cake mix.
- Drizzle melted butter evenly over everything.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool completely, then cut into squares and served.
- This pumpkin dump cake is delicious topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
Notes
- Storing leftovers: Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Or, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
- If you want to enjoy a slice warm, heat it in the microwave at 20 second intervals until your desired temperature is reached.
- Additional topping ideas: If you can’t use or don’t like nuts, you can use toffee bits or graham crackers.
Congratulations on a very beautiful, well thought out and creative website. I’m hooked already and I haven’t even tried anything yet.
Thank you for restoring the Joy of cooking and baking in me to again.
Keep up the good work.
God bless
P.S. Looking forward to trying as many delicious recipes as humanly possible in such a short amount of time left in this Earth.
Blessings,
– Beckie
Thanks for such a sweet message, Beckie. Let me know if you need help finding anything.
Well I guess we will find out bout this pumpkin dump cake. I still used yellow cake mix instead of spice…
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it years sgo for a Thanksgiving family get together. My family loved it. I misolaced the recipe and am grateful to have found it again!
Oh my God! How yummi it looks! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you for stopping by!