Pumpkin Dump Cake

I made this the week I was too tired to deal with pie crust and just wanted pumpkin pie flavor without the fuss. Dump cake solves that problem — pumpkin pie filling on the bottom, a layer of cake mix and butter and pecans on top that bakes into something between a crumble and a blondie. Nobody asks about the crust. Nobody misses it either.

Why This Works

The trick is the order, not the ingredients. You pour a wet pumpkin custard into the pan first, then cover it with dry cake mix — you don’t stir it in. That layer of dry mix sits on top and slowly soaks up butter as it bakes, which is what turns it into a crisp, slightly chewy topping instead of a flat cake. Skip the butter step or go light on it and you’ll end up with patches of unmelted cake mix that never crisp — I’ve had corners like that when I rushed the pour. Spreading the melted butter evenly, all the way to the edges, is what prevents it.

The custard layer underneath needs the full bake time to set. Pull it at 40 minutes because the top looks done and the middle will still jiggle like loose pudding when you cut it later.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Dump Cake

• 2 (15 oz) cans pureed pumpkin
• 1 (16 oz) can evaporated milk
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2–2/3 cup English toffee bits
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Fresh Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4–1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Pumpkin Dump Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with baking spray.
2. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, vanilla, granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and eggs in a large bowl. Whip until fully combined.
3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared dish.
4. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top — cover the pumpkin layer completely, don’t stir it in.
5. Scatter the pecans and toffee bits over the cake mix.
6. Pour the melted butter evenly over everything, getting it into the corners.
7. Bake 50–60 minutes, until the center is set when you gently shake the pan and the top is golden.
8. Check at the 40-minute mark. Loosely tent with foil if it’s browning too fast.
9. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 hours.
10. Chill at least 2 hours before cutting.
11. Store leftovers chilled.

Fresh Whipped Cream

1. Chill a large bowl and beaters in the freezer 10–15 minutes.
2. Beat the heavy cream and vanilla with an electric mixer.
3. Whip on medium, adding sugar gradually.
4. Beat until stiff peaks form — don’t overbeat, it turns grainy fast.
5. Store chilled until serving.

Tips

• Spread the butter to the edges of the pan — corners are where dry cake mix hides and never crisps up.
• Don’t skip the 2-hour cooling rest. Cutting it warm gets you a soupy mess instead of clean layers.
• Use room-temperature eggs if you can — they blend into the custard faster and you get fewer streaks.

Variations

Butter pecan or spice cake mix both work fine here. If you go with spice cake mix, cut back on or skip the pumpkin pie spice entirely — otherwise it turns muddy and over-spiced. I’d skip walnuts if you’re choosing between the two nuts; pecans hold their shape better against the melted butter and don’t turn bitter the way walnuts sometimes do after an hour in the oven.

Want to build your own pumpkin pie spice instead of buying a jar? Use 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cloves, and a small dash of cardamom.

Make-Ahead Notes

This doesn’t hold up well unrefrigerated for long — the custard layer stays soft, so leftovers need to go straight into the fridge, not the counter. The whipped cream is a same-day thing; it starts weeping liquid by the next day, so if you’re making this ahead, use thawed Cool Whip instead and skip the homemade cream entirely.

FAQ

Can I use a different cake mix flavor? Yes — yellow, butter, butter pecan, or spice cake mix all work.

Why is the middle of my dump cake still wet after baking? That’s usually just underbaking — the custard layer needs the full 50–60 minutes and then a proper cool-down before it fully sets. If you cut it hot, it’ll look undercooked even when it’s not; give it the full 2-hour rest on the counter plus 2 hours chilled.

Do I have to make homemade whipped cream? No, and honestly if you’re short on time, thawed Cool Whip is the better move — the homemade version is only really good the day you make it.

Can I make this ahead of time? The cake itself keeps chilled for a few days, but I wouldn’t make the whipped cream more than a few hours ahead of serving.

Closing Thoughts

This is the kind of dessert that’s better the second day out of the fridge, cold, straight out of the pan with a fork — no plating needed.

About the Author

I’m Kima, and I test everything I write about in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog — usually more than once, until I know exactly where a recipe can go wrong.