Pumpkin dump cake is a rich and perfectly spiced pumpkin dessert made with a layer of brown sugar pumpkin pie inspired filling topped with buttery cake mix and crunchy pecans. Top this easy to make and decadent pumpkin spice dump cake with cold vanilla ice cream and caramel for the perfect fall dessert.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love a good cake mix dump cake recipe. They’re, quick, easy to make and feed a crowd. A few of my favorites on the blog are my Chocolate Dump Cake, Cherry Dump Cake and Oreo Dump Cake. I am so excited to add this pumpkin dump cake recipe to the blog. I know you’ll love it because:
- Quick to make, easy to bake. This dump cake with pumpkin uses just a handful of ingredients to make. All you have to do is mix the pumpkin pie filling together, layer with box cake mix, butter and pecans, bake and enjoy.
- A simple dessert for the pumpkin season. This rich and buttery pumpkin filled dump cake has the same flavor profile as pumpkin pie. Top this cake mix pumpkin cobbler with cold vanilla ice cream and salted caramel and you have the perfect fall dessert.
Ingredients
This easy and delicious pumpkin pie dump cake recipe requires only a handful of ingredients to make and is as simple as dumping a few ingredients into a pan and baking it.
Gather pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, light brown sugar, pumpkin spice, eggs, salt, boxed yellow cake mix, butter and pecans.
Substitutions
This pumpkin cobbler dump cake is meant to be quick, easy and use simple pantry basics. Here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe if you need them:
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: You can use the same amount of fresh pumpkin puree if you have some on hand. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.
- Evaporated Milk: If you don’t have evaporated milk on hand, mix 3 oz. whole milk with 9 oz. heavy cream or simmer 32 oz. of whole milk until the milk reduces down to 12 oz.
- Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar is a wonderful refined sugar free alternative.
- Eggs: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Pumpkin Spice: Feel free to use your preferred fall spice blend or mix together 1 teaspoon cinnamon with ½ teaspoon ginger and ½ teaspoon cloves.
- Box Yellow Cake Mix: I prefer using yellow cake mix but feel free to use any box cake mix such as vanilla, white or spice cake mix. Use a gluten free cake mix if needed.
- Unsalted Butter: Feel free to use any butter you like. For dump cake recipes, salted or unsalted butter works perfectly.
- Pecans: This is completely optional and more to add another layer of flavor and texture. Feel free to omit or use another nut such as walnuts.
How To Make
Learn how to make pumpkin dump cake in a few easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). In a large mixing bowl whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, evaporated milk, light brown sugar, spices and salt together until smooth and well combined.
- 2. Lightly grease an 11 x 7 or 9 x 13 inch baking dish using a tablespoon of butter. Evenly pour the pumpkin pie filling into the prepared pan. Evenly spread the yellow cake mix on top of the pumpkin filling. Top the cake mix with ½ - ¾ cup cold slices of butter. Make sure to evenly space the butter so that almost all the cake mix is covered with pats of butter. Top the slices of butter with the chopped pecans and melted butter. The melted butter is to ensure all the dry cake mix is covered with butter.
- Bake the pumpkin dump cake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of this rich pumpkin dessert comes out clean. Cool the pumpkin cake mix cobbler for about 1 hour or to room temperature on a cooling rack.
- When it’s time to serve, scoop generous piece of pumpkin spice dump cake into a bowl or plate, top with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel if you like and enjoy!
How To Store, Freeze, Thaw and Reheat and Serve
- Store: Transfer any leftover pumpkin dump cake into an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freeze: Make and bake the cake according to the pumpkin cake mix dump cake recipe directions and cool completely. Wrap the entire dish in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store the dump cake pumpkin dessert in the freezer for up to 1 months.
- Thaw: Transfer the pumpkin dessert to the refrigerator. Allow it to thaw overnight and reheat the dump cake in the oven at 325 F (177 C) for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
- Serve: The best way to serve this pumpkin cobbler dump cake is with a big scoop of cold vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream on top. A drizzle of salted caramel would really make this fall dessert shine.
M’s Expert Tips
- Grease the bottom and sides of the baking dish with about 1 tablespoon (14 g) softened butter.
- Mix just to combine. Just like mixing the filling for pumpkin pie, the key to a creamy and rich pumpkin pie custard filling is not to overmix.
- Use sliced cold butter and melted butter. The sliced pieces of butter work well to cover most of the cake mix. The melted butter can be used to top the any dry spaces of the dump cake before baking or within the last 20 minutes of baking.
- Use a crunchy topping. I personally love the extra crunch from the pecans. However, any crunchy topping can be used in it’s place. Crushed graham crackers or toffee bits would also be really delicious.
- Let the cake rest, but not for too long. Give this pumpkin pie dump cake about 45 - 60 minutes to rest and cool before serving.
FAQs
For the dump cake to truly be called a dump cake, the one thing you should not do is mix the ingredients. The ease and beauty of dump cake desserts is that the literal dumping of all the ingredients into a pan in a certain order and baking. This pumpkin spiced dump cake filling has to be mixed before layering into the prepared pan. However, all the other steps hold true to the classic “dump it” nature of these easy desserts.
Yes, dump cakes made with eggs, like this pumpkin dump cake need to be stored in the fridge.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes to Try
If you try this Pumpkin Dump Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking!
Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 11x7 or 9x13 oven safe baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 small microwave safe bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 30 oz. canned pumpkin puree
- 12 oz. canned evaporated milk
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 15.25 oz. boxed yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, divided
- ½ - 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease an 11 x 7 or 9 x 13 inch baking dish using a tablespoon of butter.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk the pumpkin puree, eggs, evaporated milk, light brown sugar, spices and salt together until smooth and well combined.30 oz. canned pumpkin puree, 12 oz. canned evaporated milk, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 3 large eggs, room temperature, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, ½ teaspoon salt
- Evenly pour the pumpkin pie filling into the prepared pan. Evenly spread the yellow cake mix on top of the pumpkin filling. Top the cake mix with ½ - ¾ cup cold slices of butter. Make sure to evenly space the butter so that almost all the cake mix is covered with pats of butter.15.25 oz. boxed yellow cake mix, 1 cup (226 g) butter, divided
- Melt the remaining ¼ - ½ cup (57 - 113 g) butter in a microwave safe dish. Top the slices of butter with the chopped pecans and melted butter. The melted butter is to ensure all the dry cake mix is covered with butter.½ - 1 cup chopped pecans
- Bake the pumpkin dump cake for 45 - 60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of this rich pumpkin dessert comes out clean. Cool the pumpkin cake mix cobbler for about 1 hour or to room temperature on a cooling rack.
- When it’s time to serve, scoop generous piece of pumpkin spice dump cake into a bowl or plate, top with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel if you like and enjoy!
Barbara Juarez says
Was a hit at a potluck. Didn't have any leftovers
Megan says
Thanks for the great review. I am so happy to know this pumpkin dump cake was a hit for you!
Megan says
Hi Michael, thanks for the question. I have updated the ingredient picture with the correct ingredient-evaporated milk. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Faith Barber says
Hi why can’t I use canned pumpkin pie mix instead of canned pumpkin?
Megan says
Hi Faith, pumpkin pie mix contains other ingredients like sugar and spices. I haven't tested the dessert pumpkin pie mix to know if it works with the same results. If you would like to try this recipe with pumpkin pie mix, please let me know how it turns out.
Betsy Muehlhausen says
Do you really use a 30oz. can of pumpkin or 15oz. like all the other pumpkin dump cake recipes I'm looking at?
Megan says
Hi Betsy, 30 oz. canned pumpkin puree is the correct amount for this pumpkin dump cake recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions.