Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe

Easy pumpkin dump cake is a rich and flavorful cake made with cake mix, pecans, plenty of pumpkin, and comforting seasonal spices.

It’s the kind of delicious dessert that will turn non-pumpkin eaters into pumpkin lovers. It’s THAT good.

Simple Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin dump cake on a white plate.

Pumpkin dump cake is not only an easy fall dessert to make; it’s one of the tastiest.

When I say this is truly one of the best pumpkin desserts I’ve ever eaten, I mean it. And pumpkin is not one of my top favorites, but this turned me into a big pumpkin fan!

Dump cake recipes are fun to make, and you can’t go wrong with a pumpkin version of dump cake.

But, when I took a bite of this cake, with the sweet combination of cake mix, pumpkin, fall seasonings, and crunchy pecans, I couldn’t get enough.

It is nothing short of amazing and a great option for gatherings.

Easy dump cake on a plate with ice cream on top.

What Ingredients Are Needed For Pumpkin Dump Cake?

  • Canned pumpkin
  • Evaporated milk
  • Brown sugar
  • Eggs
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground ginger
  • Ground cloves
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Boxed yellow cake mix
  • Chopped pecans
  • Butter, sliced

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Watch How To Make The Easiest Fall Dessert

Tools Needed For Pumpkin Dump Cake

  • Mixing bowls
  • Measuring spoons
  • 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish
  • Oven

Two Main Parts

The easy pumpkin dump cake recipe features two main parts:

The pumpkin pie bottom layer – this pumpkin filling layer features the typical ingredients that form a pumpkin pie. It will have the same consistency as a pie and taste just as good.

The top cake mixture layer – it seems strange to just use cake mix, butter, and pecans for the top layer, but it’s really my favorite part of the dessert.

It’s crunchy and perfectly sweet. I knew it was going to be a wonderful dessert, but I honestly didn’t know it would be so amazing.

How Do I Make The Dump Cake From Scratch?

  1. Preheat the oven got 350 degrees and grease a 9″ X 13″ baking dish.
  2. Add the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to a large bowl and mix well.
  3. Pour the ingredients into the baking dish.
  4. In another bowl, mix the dry cake and chopped pecans and gently pour over the pumpkin mixture.
  5. Slice the butter and place it on top of the dry cake mix.
  6. Bake for one hour and 15 minutes.
  7. Allow the cake to cool for at least one hour.

If you love pumpkin recipes, Jennifer over at Plowing Through Life has some tasty pumpkin cookies with cream cheese icing.

How To Make A Dump Cake

Pumpkin puree in a glass bowl.

Start by adding the pumpkin puree to a large bowl.

Pouring evaporated milk into a bowl with pumpkin puree.

Next, pour the evaporated milk into the bowl and combine it with pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin dump cake ingredients in a glass bowl.

Add the brown sugar to the bowl.

Adding eggs to a bowl of pumpkin ingredients.

Next, add the eggs.

Fall seasonings in a small glass bowl.

The seasonings go into the mixture next.

I used cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for the recipe, but you can also use some pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have on hand.

I really like the fall flavors of each of these seasonings, so that’s what I like to add to the cake.

Pumpkin pie ingredients in a baking dish.

Pour the mixed ingredients into a greased 9″ x 13″ casserole dish.

The mixture will be very liquidy, like a pumpkin pie–that’s basically what you’re baking on the bottom half of the cake.

It will have the consistency of pumpkin pie.

Cake mix and chopped pecans in a glass bowl.

In another bowl, mix the chopped pecans and the dry cake mix together.

For the cake mix, I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix.

Dry cake mix on top of pumpkin pie in a baking dish.

Gently sprinkle dry cake mix on top of the pumpkin pie bottom layer.

I used a small measuring cup to sprinkle the cake mix on top, so it wouldn’t dump on and push through the liquid mixture.

The idea is to keep the dry mixture on top, so when it bakes, it will be nice and crunchy and sweet.

Slices of butter on top of cake mix.

Finally, cut the butter into small pieces and it place on top of the cake mix.

It will melt while the cake cooks and add so much flavor. Plus, it will help make the top crusty.

Bake the simple fall cake for one hour and 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Pumpkin dump cake slices in a pan.

Allow the pumpkin dump cake to set up for at least one hour.

That’s honestly the hardest part of this recipe–waiting to eat it.

But let the cake cool. Otherwise, the bottom will not have set up yet, so it might be a little messy.

A slice of pumpkin dump cake on a plate with vanilla ice cream.

Once the cake cools, it will be at room temperature. You can add a slice to a plate and top with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

You can also add a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. It’s definitely a great recipe.

Be ready because once you taste this dump cake, you are going to want plenty more.

The easy dump cake recipe is good enough for after Thanksgiving dinner.

Does Pumpkin Dump Cake Need To Be Refrigerated?

Yes, the cake needs to be refrigerated. Be sure to keep it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap.

The cake will last about one week in the refrigerator.

Other recipes you’ll love:

  • Chocolate chess pie is one of those desserts that you will want to make year after year. It’s rich and decadent and always creamy and delicious.
  • Praline pecans recipe is a must for the holidays. And, they are easy to make and ship well if you want to share them with friends and family far away.
  • Butter pecan fudge is one dessert you will never forget and crave it on the daily. It’s a treat that is especially wonderful around the holidays.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin dump cakes are a delicious fall dessert. And this pumpkin cake with yellow cake mix is no exception.

The recipe is easy to make and is the best pumpkin dump cake around. Be sure to get the recipe below.

Pumpkin dump cake on a white plate.

Pumpkin Dump Cake

4.67 from 3 votes
Julie Pollitt
Pumpkin dump cake is an easy recipe made with pumpkin pie filling, dry cake mix, a few more simple ingredients. It is the perfect fall dessert. All you need is a scoop of ice cream right on top.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Cake
Cuisine American
Servings 20 pieces
Calories 275 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 15 ounce can of pumpkin
  • 12 ounce can of evaporated milk
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 sticks butter sliced thin

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350-degrees and grease a 9" x 13" baking dish.
  • Add the pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg to a large bowl and mix.
  • Pour the mixture into the baking dish (the mixture will be runny like pumpkin pie).
  • In another bowl, mix the cake mix and chopped pecans and gently sprinkle cake mix over the pumpkin mixture.
  • Cut the butter into slices and place on top of the cake.
  • Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool and set up for at least one hour.
  • Cut, top with a scoop of ice cream and serve.

Video

Notes

Do not make the cake mixture according to the box directions. Only use the ingredients in the list above.
For this recipe, I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 264mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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4.67 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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11 Comments

  1. Miz Helen says:

    Your pumpkin dump cake looks so darn good! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Thanks Miz Helen!!

  2. Pamela Miller says:

    If using pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices, how much do use?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Pamela, I would use about 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of the pumpkin pie spice.

    2. Pamela Miller says:

      @Julie Pollitt, Thank you 😊

  3. Just made this and it is awesome!! Thank you for the recipe.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That’s great! So glad to hear it and thanks for sharing!

  4. I have made this pumpkin dump cake but for the topping I take the cake mix, butter, and pecans and use my pastry dough cutter to turn it to a crumble. I love it this way.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing it with us!

  5. LouAnn M Bartlett says:

    Can left overs be frozen?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi LouAnn,

      You can freeze it for up to two months. Just make sure it’s in a freezer-safe container and let it cool off completely before wrapping it up. Hope you love it!