Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe | Joyful Healthy Eats

This Pumpkin Dump Cake is a fun twist on the classic pumpkin pie, is way easier to make and has quickly become our family’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert. Velvety pumpkin pie filling topped with a crunchy pecan buttery yellow cake mix for one epic bite!

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Dessert

If velvety pumpkin purée and warm spices are your thing, this simple pumpkin dump cake will be your go-to dessert for the holidays.

• Beginner-friendly. Whisk the wet ingredients, add the cake mix and butter, and bake away.
• Convenient. Using yellow cake mix means this dessert is an effortless sweet treat.
• Great for fall. There’s pumpkin purée, brown sugar, nutty pecans, and earthy pumpkin spice in every bite.
• Perfect for freezing. You can get a head start on your holiday baking if you prepare this cake and freeze it in advance.

What Is A Dump Cake?

Dump cake is a classic American dessert that’s very popular around the holiday season and in potlucks. It consists of “dumping” certain ingredients into a baking dish. Dump cakes are made with a fruity compote, pie filling, or sweet purée and yellow cake mix. Melted butter is then added on top and the whole thing is baked until golden. It’s served with whipped cream or ice cream.

Recipe Ingredients

Evaporated milk, sweet vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice add hints of creamy, floral, and earthy goodness. Scroll to the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.

• Pumpkin purée – Try to use an organic and completely sugar-free one.
• Evaporated milk – Half-and-half or heavy cream are good substitutes. Don’t swap it for sweetened condensed milk.
• Eggs – Make sure they’re at room temperature to prevent the mixture from splitting.
• White sugar – You can use light brown sugar instead.
• Brown sugar – Go for light or dark brown sugar.
• Vanilla extract – Clear and brown (pure) extract both work for this.
• Pumpkin pie spice – Add your favorite.
• Salt – Kosher salt is best.
• Yellow cake mix – White/vanilla cake mix works too.
• Pecans – Feel free to use walnuts instead.
• Butter – Skip the salt in the rest of the recipe if you use salted butter.

How To Make Pumpkin Dump Cake

Don’t worry about over-mixing anything because the cake mix is just dumped over the wet ingredients. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.

• Prep the oven. Preheat it to 350F. Grease a 13×9″ baking dish with cooking spray. You can also use butter or non-stick spray.
• Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, eggs, sugars, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.

• Add the cake mix. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the cake mix over it until completely covered.
• Top it. Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix. Pour the melted butter on top. Swirl the baking dish around gently to make sure it’s fully coated.
• Bake it. Pop it into the oven for 50-55 minutes or until the filling is almost set and the cake is golden. Remove it from the oven and let cool for 1 hour.
• Serve. Slice the cooled cake, top with whipped cream, serve, and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Pumpkin dump cake is super versatile. Turn it into muffins or add fluffy cream cheese frosting and dried cranberries!

• Frost it. Once fully cooled, top the cake with a layer of vanilla, cream cheese, or chocolate frosting for the most decadent bite. Cool Whip works too.
• More toppings. Sprinkling in 1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or dried cranberries before adding the melted butter gives you more flavor and texture.
• Make muffins. Line a muffin tray with cupcake liners. Add the pumpkin mixture to each one until half full, then add 1-2 tablespoons cake mix on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cover it. After 30 minutes in the oven, check the cake. If the top and edges are turning dark brown, cover the baking dish with foil for the remaining baking time to prevent burning.
• Use an oven thermometer. When ovens aren’t properly calibrated, they bake at different temperatures than the ones you set them to. This causes issues with final texture and baking times. Prevent this by sticking an oven thermometer into the center oven rack and adjust the oven’s dials as needed until you’re actually baking at 350F.
• Choose the right baking dish. Avoid glass baking dishes. They take longer to heat up and the bottom of baked goods are usually burnt before the center is done baking. For even heat distribution and best results, stick to ceramic or stainless steel baking dishes.

Serving Suggestions

This tender pumpkin dump cake is amazing with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I love it with my Iced Chai Tea Latte, Sweet Cream Iced Coffee, or Coconut Milk Thai Iced Coffee. For ice cream ideas, add scoops of my vanilla, chocolate, or Espresso Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

How To Store Leftovers

Keep it away from strong-smelling foods to prevent the cake from absorbing odors.

• Counter: Place it in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
• Fridge: Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also use a container.
• Freezer: Transfer it to a freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 30 minutes.

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