Pumpkin Dump Cake

Pumpkin dump cake with cake mix, need I say anything else??!! My two favorite things. Easy dessert paired with anything pumpkin is heaven to me. Now on the list as one of our favorite dump cake recipes!

Once it hits about August I am ready for all things pumpkin!! No joke. I have made many dump cakes in my day but this one is definitely top of the list. Topped with ice cream or hey….have it for breakfast when the holidays come!

I have made this for my family every year but when we have guests come over they rave about it. Not sure how many times I have printed the recipe below to give it to a friend, or share during a potluck with relatives. As easy and dump some of this in and fold together, it bakes to very tender like a spoon cake. Don’t expect to slice it you just scoop and enjoy.

Ingredient Notes

You want to add room temperature Eggs that have been gently whisked before folding into the batter.

Half and half is very thick which will help make this dessert as moist as possible. You could use whole milk but that isn’t as thick. If a dairy free alternative is chosen you would want to whisk in 1 tbsp of cornstarch to make it the same consistency.

Light Brown sugar is best for this one. I don’t bother to pack it when measuring, just scoop up and in with everything else to sweeten more.

Melted Butter is need, a dairy free alternative will work just fine for this. 1/2 cup of nuts are optional, I added some crushed on to the top for texture.

Best Cake Mix to Use

Cake mix, the best for this one is spiced cake flavor to bring out a lot of those Fall flavors. This will make it so you won’t have to add any more cinnamon, nutmeg etc because it is already in those dry ingredients.

Can you substitute pumpkin pie filling for pumpkin puree?

You want to start with 1 large can of pumpkin puree, or make Instant Pot pumpkin fresh and use that. This is different from pie filling as it is just steamed and mashed flesh from pumpkins without any spices added in there.

Can you add nuts?

Absolutely, and we did do that. I feel like crushed walnuts are the best choice sprinkled on the top to give it more texture, a bit of crunch, and flavor. If you preferred candied pecans that might work too but I would chop those too.

What size pan should you use?

I made this in a 13×9″ glass baking dish which works well and if you are serving it straight to the table for a get together. It looks nice and you can see the layers through the pan which is a nice look. Plus it comes with a lid so if you have leftovers they will stay fresh.

I recommend non stick cooking spray before adding batter. You just need one medium bowl or large bowl for the dry cake mix and other ingredients to make the pumpkin mixture for this Fall dessert.

How Long to Bake Pumpkin Dump Cake

You will want to preheat your oven and when ready to bake it is best at about 50 minutes. If you want it to be super moist this is just right, allowed to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving to firm up a bit. In the case that you want it a bit more cakey you could increase to 55 minutes with the same cooling time.

Can you make pumpkin dump cake ahead of time?

I mean technically you can but the texture won’t be as ideal. You do want the top to have a bit of crisp to it especially with the nuts and all. If you store it beyond a few hours it would need to be refrigerated and that will make it begin to soften. If you don’t mind that difference then yes, but store in a sealed container or covered tightly with foil on top of the cooled dish.

Other Easy Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love

Pumpkin angel food cake is so good with just 2 ingredients. For a smaller batch, try air fryer pumpkin bread in mini loaf pans. Our pumpkin pie sheet cake is amazing for a larger group of guests.

If you wanted to add some fruit into the mix, it really adds to the tenderness of the pumpkin apple bread, our favorite breakfast during Fall. Have a crowd coming over? Make some air fryer pumpkin pies to serve with this too.

How do you store leftovers?

If you have leftovers of this I would just keep it wrapped on the counter to enjoy the next day. For our pumpkin pudding cake I do refrigerate it, it’s great cold for breakfast tomorrow. 😉 Here’s a peek at it once we had it all layered up.

You’ll want to keep this nice and moist by moving it to a smaller airtight container. Store in the fridge and it is best 24 hours later but can be kept for up to 3 days.

How to reheat

When you’re ready move what you want to a plate. Drizzle a little maple syrup over the top and microwave for 45 sec. to 1 minute. You could put a little dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to the top too before heating. The point of this is to add moisture to it so use what you wish. You only need 1 tbsp or so though. Warmed is better than cold but I have been guilty of right out of the fridge for breakfast too. 😉

It literally takes 5 minutes to throw together and you can enjoy it straight out of the oven or throughout the day if you’re having a brunch and want a variety of treats and foods laid out for everyone to enjoy and snack on. Any flavor really works with this. Spice will give you more Fall flavors but yellow will work just the same if that is all you have on hand.

If you haven’t made a dessert like this it is true to form, dump it in and pop it in the oven for perfection. I’ve made them in a variety of ways including an Instant Pot dump cake but traditionally they are baked in the oven.

Layering a few ingredients on top of one another, typically there is no mixing required at all which is nice. A great way to incorporate kids in the kitchen and get them baking with you. Top with some whipped topping or vanilla ice cream and you won’t need much because it is rich.

Try it out yourself and let us know what you think! If there is something you add in or on this that turns out to be a real hit let us know below so we can try it the next go around. If you added anything else that turned out yummy leave us a note below. Here is the printable recipe as well.