Bity
The first time someone put a pumpkin dump cake in front of me I assumed it was pumpkin pie that had gone wrong. Then I ate it, went back for a second bowl, and asked for the recipe before I had finished the first.
It is pumpkin pie underneath and a buttery crumbly lid on top, and it takes about ten minutes of actual work. No mixer, no pastry, one dish, and the oven does the rest while you get on with the roast.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Two puddings in one dish. Custard below, crisp golden crumble above, no rolling pin anywhere.
- Seven ingredients. Most of them come out of a tin or a box.
- No mixer required. A whisk and a spatula handle the whole thing.
- Feeds twelve. In fact it stretches further than a pie, which matters on a crowded table.
- Better slightly warm. Meanwhile it reheats in a microwave without suffering at all.
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin puree. A 15 ounce tin of pure puree, not pie filling. Pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, so it throws the whole balance out.
- Evaporated milk. A 12 ounce tin. It is thicker than fresh milk, which is why the base sets like custard rather than staying loose.
- Two eggs. They do the setting. Whisk them in until no streaks remain.
- Sugar and pumpkin spice. Three quarters of a cup of sugar and one to two teaspoons of spice, depending on how forward you like it.
- A box of yellow cake mix. Straight from the packet and completely dry. It never touches liquid until it is already in the dish.
- Melted butter. Three quarters of a cup, poured over the top. Pumpkin belongs to the wider squash family, and Harvard’s Nutrition Source covers what those orange vegetables actually give you.
Do You Stir the Cake Mix In?
No, and this is the rule the whole thing depends on. The dry mix is sprinkled over the custard and left completely alone.
Here is what happens in the oven. Butter soaks down into the powder from above while steam rises into it from the custard below, and the layer between the two turns into something halfway between shortbread and crumble.
Stir it and you lose that entirely. You end up with a single wet spiced sponge, which is perfectly edible and not what a pumpkin dump cake is meant to be.
Yellow Cake Mix or Spice Cake Mix
Yellow cake mix is the version I make. It is buttery and neutral, so the pumpkin and the spice you added stay in charge.
Spice cake mix doubles down instead. The topping arrives already carrying cinnamon and ginger, which makes the finished dish warmer and noticeably more festive. If you go that way, drop your own spice to a single teaspoon.
White cake mix works too, though it browns less. Whichever box you use, sift out any lumps as you sprinkle, since a lump stays a lump.
How To Make Pumpkin Dump Cake
1. Heat the oven and grease the dish. First set it to 350F, or 175C, and butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. A cast iron skillet works beautifully as well, which is what I used here.
2. Whisk the custard. Next whisk the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and pumpkin spice together until the mixture is completely smooth and evenly orange.
3. Pour and level. Then pour it into the prepared dish and tilt until the surface is even. It should look like a shallow pool of pie filling.
4. Sprinkle the dry mix. After that scatter the cake mix straight from the box across the whole surface. Cover it right to the corners, and do not stir.
5. Drizzle the butter. Pour the melted butter slowly and evenly over the powder, moving in lines so you wet as much of it as possible. Any dry patches stay chalky.
6. Bake until set. Finally bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre no longer sloshes when you nudge the dish. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Pumpkin Dump Cake Mistakes to Avoid
- Stirring the layers. The single biggest one. A pumpkin dump cake is built in layers on purpose.
- Using pie filling. Already sweetened and spiced, so the result is sickly and loose.
- Rushing the butter. Tipping it on in one place leaves dry powder everywhere else.
- Cutting it hot. The custard needs twenty minutes to firm up, or it runs across the plate.
- A dish that is too small. It bubbles up considerably. Use the full 9×13 or set a tray underneath.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Slice the butter thinly and lay it over the top instead of pouring, if you want the most even coverage.
- Scatter chopped pecans over the cake mix before the butter goes on. They toast as it bakes.
- Check at 45 minutes. Ovens vary, and an overbaked pumpkin dump cake loses the soft custard layer.
- If dry patches remain after 30 minutes, dot a few extra pieces of butter onto them.
- Serve it in bowls rather than on plates. It is closer to a cobbler than a cake, and it does not slice neatly.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge. Cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The custard layer firms up further as it chills.
- Reheating. Thirty seconds in the microwave per portion brings it back. Meanwhile a low oven crisps the top again.
- Freezer. Freeze portions in sealed containers for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Make ahead. Bake it the day before and rewarm. Honestly, it is just as good.
Variations and Substitutions
- Pecan topped. A cup of chopped pecans or walnuts over the mix before the butter.
- Caramel. Drizzle warm salted caramel over each bowl at the table.
- Less sweet. Cut the sugar to half a cup. The texture holds fine.
- Other dump cakes. Once you know the method it works with almost anything, which is how my berry dump cake and chocolate dump cake came about. For more of what is worth cooking in October, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics rounds up the best autumn produce.
What to Serve With Pumpkin Dump Cake
Warm pumpkin dump cake and cold ice cream is the whole point. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream melting into the crumb is genuinely hard to beat.
Whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon work if you want something lighter. In addition, a pot of coffee alongside turns it into the easiest possible end to a Sunday lunch, much like my easy peach cobbler does in summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Method and Ingredients
Do I mix the cake mix in?
No. Sprinkle it dry over the filling and leave it. The dry layer is what turns into the crisp buttery top as it bakes.
Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of puree?
Not really. Pie filling already contains sugar and spice, so the finished dish comes out too sweet and never sets properly.
Can I use spice cake mix?
Yes, and it is lovely. Reduce your own pumpkin spice to one teaspoon so the finished cake is warm rather than overwhelming.
Can I add nuts?
Of course. Chopped pecans or walnuts go on top of the dry mix, before the butter, so they toast rather than steam.
Baking and Storage
Why is my topping still powdery?
The butter did not reach it. So pour slowly in lines across the whole surface, and dot any dry patches with extra butter partway through.
How do I know when it is done?
The top should be evenly golden and the centre should no longer move in waves when you nudge the dish. That is usually 50 to 55 minutes.
How should I store it?
Covered in the fridge for up to four days, or frozen in portions for two months. Serve it slightly warm rather than fridge cold.
Ingredients
- 1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz / 425 g, not pie filling
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 oz / 354 ml
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar 150 g
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice up to 2 teaspoons for a bolder flavour
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25 oz / 432 g, dry
- 3/4 cup butter 170 g, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin spice until smooth.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin layer. Do not stir.
- Slowly pour the melted butter evenly over the top, covering as much of the cake mix as possible.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre is set.
- Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
