Pumpkin Dump Cake Dessert (Print Version)

A simple autumn dessert featuring pumpkin, warm spices, and golden buttery cake topping that comes together in minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pumpkin Filling

01 - 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée
02 - 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
03 - 3 large eggs
04 - 1 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
06 - 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cake Topping

09 - 1 box (about 15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
10 - 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly with butter or cooking spray.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla extract until completely smooth and well combined.
03 - Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly across the bottom using a spatula.
04 - Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture, ensuring complete coverage without stirring.
05 - Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the cake mix, covering as much surface area as possible.
06 - Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the top if desired.
07 - Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (some moist crumbs are acceptable).
08 - Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The texture is somewhere between cake and pie, with a crisp, buttery top that gives way to creamy spiced pumpkin beneath
  • It takes literally ten minutes of hands-on time, yet tastes like something you fussed over for hours
  • The ingredients are mostly pantry staples, making it perfect for unexpected guests or sudden autumn cravings
02 -
  • The butter needs to be completely melted and hot when you pour it over the dry cake mix, or you'll end up with dry, floury patches on top
  • Letting the cake cool for those 20 minutes feels impossible when your kitchen smells this good, but cutting into it too soon will make the pumpkin layer runny
  • The cake continues to set as it cools, so if the center seems slightly jiggly when you pull it from the oven, that's completely normal
03 -
  • Use the back of a spoon to gently press some of the dry cake mix down into the pumpkin mixture before adding the butter, creating little islands of moist cake within the crispy topping
  • If the butter pools in spots rather than soaking evenly into the cake mix, use a fork to gently redistribute it about halfway through baking
  • For extra flavor, toast the pecans in a dry pan for 5 minutes before sprinkling them over the cake

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