PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE is an EASY pumpkin recipe that will quickly become your go-to fall dessert! It’s made with yellow cake mix, which is a great shortcut.
Love Pumpkin Recipes? Try my Pumpkin Roll and my Pumpkin Scones!
Pumpkin Dump Cake Is Going To Be Your Go-To Fall Dessert!
This easy dump cake recipe has been my most requested with friends and family and most popular recipe with readers. It’s a classic with an unfortunate name, “dump cake”. I published this recipe way back in 2011 and it has continued to be my most beloved fall recipe. It’s a lot like a pumpkin cobbler, but it’s made with super easy ingredients and a lot of butter. The dry cake mix you add on top creates a buttery, sweet crumble topping on top of the silky pumpkin. This is a MUST MAKE!
What is a Dump Cake?
I know you have heard of dump cake before. It was a recipe that became popular in the 80’s by church cookbooks and potlucks…my mom made them and so did my grandma. You basically dump in a few cans of fruit in a pan and cover it with cake mix and butter and bake it. This is the same idea, only adios fruit and hola pumpkin.
It’s a pumpkin dump cake recipe with yellow cake mix, evaporated milk and a few other easy ingredient. AND I made a Pumpkin Dump Cake VIDEO to show you just how easy it is!
Pumpkin Dump Cake Ingredients:
- Pure Pumpkin. Don’t get the pumpkin pie filling that is also sold in cans. This is 100% pumpkin. The brand Libby’s is readily available year round!
- Evaporated Milk. Make sure you don’t use sweetened condensed milk!
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Yellow cake mix
- Melted butter
- Coarsely crushed graham crackers. Or you can use chopped pecans if you like nuts!
- Toffee Bits. This is TOTALLY optional. I used to use toffee bits every time I made this pumpkin cake, but I sometimes have a hard time finding them so I make it without them too. Adding them adding a sweet toffee flavor in the topping, but it’s not necessary!
How To Make Pumpkin Dump Cake/Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the can of pumpkin puree , evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine and pour into your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the entire box of dry cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
- Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Variations:
This recipe is pretty perfect on its own, but there are little switches you can make it you fond yourself without an ingredient or just want to try something different!
- Use a different flavor cake! I have had so many readers say they use spice cake mix instead of the yellow, vanilla or white cake mix and have enjoyed it. If you do this you can probably omit the pumpkin pie spice, since the cake mix is already spiced!
- As I wrote in the recipe I use chopped graham crackers in the crumble topping for this cake to give a sweet crunch. But if you like nuts you can absolutely swap out the cracker for pecans!
- If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you can use a mix of cinnamon, ginger, and ground cloves.
- Add in some chopped granny smith apples to make this an apple pumpkin dessert.
How To Reheat Dump Cake:
If you’re not serving this to a crowd, you might find yourself with a little leftover. I cover it airtight and pop it in the fridge. To reheat, I usually just scoop out a slice, pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so until it’s warmed through. Note that when this is reheated it loses a little of the crunch on top from the crumble topping, but it’s still equally delicious!
You could also reheat this in the oven at 350°F for 10 – 15 minutes.
I have never made this and frozen it, but it’s absolutely possible. Cover airtight and freeze for up to 30 days for best freshness. Allow it to thaw completely in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven as stated above.
Don’t forget to tag me and use the hashtag #cookiesandcups if you post you pictures on social media!
Print
Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Pumpkin Dump Cake is an easy fall dessert that starts with yellow cake mix! So delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can pure Pumpkin
- 1 (10 ounce) can Evaporated Milk
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
- 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans
- 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine and pour into your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
- Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
serve with ice cream or whipped cream
Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 461
- Sugar: 35.3 g
- Sodium: 395 mg
- Fat: 21.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.1 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 88 mg
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I made this for christmas and it was a huge hit! I used the pecans and almost one cup of toffe. This will be something I make every year.
well, i love pumpkin and i’m pretty sure i’m going to make this tomorrow! no joke! looks sooo good!
Found your recipe on Pinerest and we made it during the Thanksgiving holiday and it WAS AMAZING! So yummy. Split the recipe into two smaller pans and only added nuts to one of them because my 9 yr old doesn’t like nuts. Both were delicious! Will definitely be making this again.
eeewwww……………….do you really have to go there? why do people have to talk about
gross stuff when discussing food.
I’m making this recipe today… can’t wait to try it :)Happy Thanksgiving!
Help! I bought sweetend condensed milk instead of evaporated milk! Can I use that or 2% milk or something else?!?!
I might cut back on the sugar. Use the sweetened condensed but omit the brown sugar, I think it will be fine 🙂
Mmmm… this sounds and looks awesome! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Amazing! I served this for dessert last night to my in-laws. My MIL happens to be the biggest critic out there and she LOVED it! She asked me to make it again on Thanksgiving! Thanks so much for this recipe! It’s definitely a keeper!!!
I’m doing a special feature on my blog this month called 30 days of desserts which each day I feature a different dessert from different bloggers featuring their recipe and blog (etsy shops, fb pages, etc…). I came across your blog and was wondering if you would be interested in participating! Just let me know!
Thanks,
Summer Jo Brooks
Author of Believing Boldly
Hi Summer, why don’t you email me at cookiesandcups@live.com 🙂
I had this on my weekly dinner menu for dessert one night. Ended up having an inpromptu cookout at the lake a few weeks ago. I wanted to take dessert because we never have enough, believe it or not. I really didn’t have anything else on hand to make so I made this with the feeling that it wasn’t going to get eaten because of it being pumpkin. I shouldn’t have worried at all. I had 6 grown men standing there with their plates dividing up what little was left of the cake to take home. It was a huge hit and will become a staple at our house. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.