Name: Pumpkin Dump Cake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 15-ounce can pumpkin; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 12 ounces evaporated milk; 2 eggs (slightly beaten); 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1 box cake mix (butter pecan, spice, white, or yellow); ¾ cup salted butter (cold)

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Pumpkin Dump Cake is the perfect fall dessert when you’re craving pumpkin pie but don’t want to wait for Thanksgiving. It has a creamy pumpkin pie bottom with a simple cake mix topping that bakes up crunchy and golden. AND it serves twice as many people as a traditional pie.

Pumpkin dump cake slices topped with whipped cream and candied pecans on plates — Photo Credit: Pear Tree Kitchen

You might have heard it called pumpkin crunch cake because of that crispy, buttery top layer. While it’s great for holidays (it’s been a part of our Thanksgiving tradition for over 15 years now), it also works as an after-school snack, tailgate dessert, or even packed in lunchboxes.

Best part? Unlike regular pumpkin pie, the filling won’t separate from the crust after sitting for a day.

Don’t miss the good stuff! Scroll down past the recipe card for helpful Pro Tips and additional information.

Slices of pumpkin crunch cake topped with whipped cream and candied pecans on white plates

Pumpkin Dump Cake

Creamy pumpkin pie base topped with a crunchy top layer made from a simple cake mix and butter topping. A crowd favorite!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Holiday

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 5

Servings:

Calories: 371kcal

Author: Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller

Equipment

▢
9×13 baking dish

Ingredients

▢ 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar
▢ 12 ounces evaporated milk
▢ 2 eggs slightly beaten
▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
▢ 1 box cake mix butter pecan, spice, white, or yellow
▢ ¾ cup salted butter cold

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Make the pumpkin pie filling: Combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice.
Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the pumpkin pie filling.
Thinly slice the cold butter and distribute evenly over the cake mix.
Bake until golden brown on the top and the pumpkin pie filling has set, about 55 to 65 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

Notes

Any pumpkin pie filling recipe for one pie can be used as the base of this cake. Make the filling as you normally would, but add it to the bottom of a cake pan rather than a pie crust.

Pecans may be added between the cake mix and butter prior to baking. If the nuts begin to brown too quickly, tent pan with foil.

Up to 1/4 cup additional butter may be required if the butter was cut too thick.

Top with whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and candied pecans.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Pro Tips

All you need for this layer is a box of cake mix. Use the dry mix only and ignore the directions on the box.

Sprinkle the dry mix lightly by hand instead of dumping it all at once. Dumping causes the center to sink and bake dry.

After sprinkling, gently pat the cake mix to level the top.

Use thin butter slices, not melted butter. Place the slices close together to keep butter from pooling in low spots.

The longer you bake it (within reason), the crunchier the topping gets. 55 to 65 minutes at 350°F is ideal for us.

Add pecans after baking. They get too toasted if baked for an hour. Candied pecans make a good garnish.

Our favorite cake mix is butter pecan. White, yellow, and spice cake mix all work.

Any pumpkin pie recipe that fits a 9-inch pan will work. If you’re using canned pumpkin pie mix (not plain pumpkin), follow the directions on that can. If you’re using a pre-made or homemade pumpkin pie filling that’s already complete, use that instead of the pumpkin base ingredients listed in the recipe.

Storage Tips

Room temperature: good for two days before the topping softens.

Refrigerated: keeps up to four days but the top softens faster.

Slice of pumpkin dump cake topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sprinkles, and candied pecans on a plate next to a fork in from of the glass baking dish — Photo Credit: Pear Tree Kitchen

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This recipe was written and tested by a human.

Editor: Oliver Baysinger

Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller

Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller is a food journalist, CEO of Pear Tree Kitchen, and co-creator of Food Blogger Help. She also has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a registered nurse licensed in the State of Oklahoma. When she has free time between writing, blogging, and cooking, she can be found volunteering as an RN with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps.

4 Comments

Cheryl says:

September 6, 2023 at 12:12 am

Can you leave the premixed pumpkin pie?

1. Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller says:
  
  September 6, 2023 at 7:35 am
  
  Hi Cheryl!
  You can! Follow the directions on the back of the can for making a single pumpkin pie. Use that filling in place of the filling in the recipe. You can follow the recipe from there. Hope this heps!
  Cheers!
  
Ishmar Tabahari Jr. says:

September 17, 2019 at 9:30 am

Jeezus! My heart rate dropped 20% when I saw all that BUTTER!!!

1. Beth Mueller says:
  
  September 17, 2019 at 9:36 am
  
  Hi Ishmar!
  Thanks for visiting! It is a lot of butter, but you can cut the butter into super thin slices and get by with about 1 stick of butter.
  Cheers!

Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake (Pumpkin Crunch Cake)