Pumpkin Dump Cake is like autumn in a dish—spiced pumpkin meets buttery cake with a crunchy top, all baked with zero effort. It's cozy, delicious, and irresistibly easy!
Pumpkin Dump Cake is like autumn in a baking dish! Imagine taking all the best parts of fall—cozy spices, creamy pumpkin, and a sweet, buttery crunch—and just casually tossing them together. The beauty of this dessert is in its name: you literally "dump" all the ingredients in, and somehow, magic happens in the oven. The pumpkin base becomes velvety smooth, perfectly spiced, while the cake mix topping crisps up like the most satisfying, golden crust. It’s a little messy, super easy, and irresistibly delicious—kind of like a pumpkin pie and a crunchy cobbler had a love child, and it’s ready to make your fall gatherings a whole lot sweeter!
Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Try some of our other cake recipes: Apple Butter Texas Sheet Cake, Chocolate Dr Pepper Cake, Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake, or Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake.
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Dump Cake
- spice or yellow cake mix
- canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- evaporated milk
- eggs
- butter
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- ground ginger
- brown sugar
- chopped pecans
FAQs
Pumpkin Dump Cake is a dessert that combines the best of pumpkin pie and cake into one easy-to-make treat. You simply "dump" the ingredients—usually canned pumpkin, spices, cake mix, and butter—into a baking dish, then bake until it’s golden and delicious!
Yellow cake mix is the classic choice, but you can get creative! Spice cake mix adds an extra kick of fall flavors, and even chocolate cake mix can work for a richer twist.
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or cold with a dollop of whipped cream. It’s delicious either way, and perfect for potlucks, holidays, or just because!
Pumpkin Dump Cake can be enjoyed both warm and cold. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a cozy treat, or refrigerate it and enjoy chilled for a refreshing dessert.
Yes! You can bake it a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve, reheat it in the oven until warm, and it’ll taste just as fresh as when it first came out of the oven.
Top Tips
- Use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has spices and sugar added, which can make the cake too sweet.
- Don’t be afraid to try different flavors of cake mix to match your taste preferences or seasonal themes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for about 3-4 days. Reheat gently to preserve the texture.
How to make Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. If using nuts, scatter them over the cake mix.
- Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 box spice or yellow cake mix
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Mix well until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. If using nuts, scatter them over the cake mix.
- Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
George Rupp
Recipe step 2 says to add "pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and SALT." The ingredients list does not include salt?
Jill Lockridge
Hi, George! You are correct! There is no salt in this cheesecake. I will fix that right now. Thank you for pointing it out! I hope you enjoy the dump cake. Have a wonderful day!