A dump cake sounds like a joke until the first warm spoonful: a smooth, spiced pumpkin filling — essentially pumpkin pie without the crust fuss — baked under a buttery, crumbly topping that starts as a box of cake mix. You layer, you drizzle, you bake. No mixer, no rolling pin, and a result that tastes like you spent the afternoon on it, which is exactly why this cake shows up at every fall potluck in America.
The method earns its name honestly. The pumpkin base is whisked in one bowl like the filling of our Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes batter — pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar and warm spices — then the dry cake mix goes over the top untouched, and melted butter does the rest in the oven, sinking through the mix and baking it into a golden, cobbler-like crust. Pecans scattered through the topping give it the crunch a soft filling needs.
Serve it warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and it eats like a pie-cobbler hybrid; serve it cold from the fridge the next day and it slices like a bar cookie. Both are excellent, and the second is the reason we always make the full pan.
Pure pumpkin, never pie filling
The can matters. This recipe is built on pure pumpkin puree, to which we add our own sugar, eggs and spice in pumpkin-pie proportions. Canned pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced, and using it here throws the whole balance off — the cake comes out cloying and the filling sets too soft. Check the label: the ingredient list on the right can is one word long. Pumpkin.
Butter coverage is the whole topping
Dry patches of cake mix are the one way a dump cake disappoints — they bake into pale, floury pockets that never crisp. The fix is coverage: sprinkle the mix in an even layer, scatter the pecans, then drizzle the melted butter slowly over every inch, tilting the pan as you go. If a dry spot survives, spoon a little extra butter onto it. Some bakers use thin pats of cold butter instead; both work, but melted butter coats more evenly and is harder to get wrong.
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree (425 g)
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (354 ml)
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar (55 g)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (5 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g)
- 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix (432 g)
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans (85 g)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (170 g)
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve
Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the oven and mix the filling. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, both sugars, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt until completely smooth and uniform in color, with no streaks of egg white remaining.
- Pour the pumpkin base. Pour the filling into the prepared dish and smooth it into an even layer with a spatula, pushing it into the corners. The base should be level — the topping can only be as even as what sits underneath it.
- Dump the cake mix. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the entire surface of the pumpkin filling, right from the box, breaking up any large lumps with your fingers as you go. Do not stir it in. The distinct layers are what bake into filling-plus-crumble instead of a uniform cake.
- Add pecans and butter. Scatter the chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix. Then drizzle the melted butter slowly back and forth over the whole top, aiming to moisten as much of the dry mix as possible. Tilt the dish slightly to help the butter reach the corners, and spoon a touch more onto any stubborn dry patches.
- Bake until set and golden. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and crisp-looking and the pumpkin layer is set — the center should jiggle only very slightly when the dish is nudged, like a baked pumpkin pie. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean. If the topping browns early, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Cool, then serve warm. Let the cake rest for at least 20 minutes before serving; the filling firms up as it cools and scoops cleanly instead of running. Serve warm, spooned into bowls, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top.
Nutrition estimate
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 385 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Saturated fat | 9 g |
| Sodium | 380 mg |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 32 g |
Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.
Storage & reheating
Cover the dish and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days — the filling contains eggs and milk, so it does not keep at room temperature. Cold slices are firm and bar-like and genuinely good; to serve warm again, microwave a portion for 30 to 45 seconds or warm the covered dish in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 15 minutes. The topping softens in the fridge and never fully re-crisps, which nobody here has ever complained about. The baked cake freezes for up to 2 months, well wrapped; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.
Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake
Pumpkin pie flavor, cobbler ease — a buttery crumble over spiced pumpkin, warm from the oven.
Ingredients
Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.
Instructions
- Heat the oven and mix the filling. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, both sugars, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt until completely smooth and uniform in color, with no streaks of egg white remaining.
- Pour the pumpkin base. Pour the filling into the prepared dish and smooth it into an even layer with a spatula, pushing it into the corners. The base should be level — the topping can only be as even as what sits underneath it.
- Dump the cake mix. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the entire surface of the pumpkin filling, right from the box, breaking up any large lumps with your fingers as you go. Do not stir it in. The distinct layers are what bake into filling-plus-crumble instead of a uniform cake.
- Add pecans and butter. Scatter the chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix. Then drizzle the melted butter slowly back and forth over the whole top, aiming to moisten as much of the dry mix as possible. Tilt the dish slightly to help the butter reach the corners, and spoon a touch more onto any stubborn dry patches.
- Bake until set and golden. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the topping is deep golden and crisp-looking and the pumpkin layer is set — the center should jiggle only very slightly when the dish is nudged, like a baked pumpkin pie. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean. If the topping browns early, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Cool, then serve warm. Let the cake rest for at least 20 minutes before serving; the filling firms up as it cools and scoops cleanly instead of running. Serve warm, spooned into bowls, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top.
Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.
