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This Pumpkin Dump Cake is a great recipe for fall with some of the best flavors: pumpkin and apple all in one! This recipe starts with a cake mix and doesn’t even need a bowl for mixing!
Table of Contents
Apple Pumpkin Dump Cake
Dump Cakes have become such fun recipes to make. A dump cake is when you pour your mixture in the bottom of a pan and then ‘dump’ cake mix all over the top! I used yellow cake mix in this recipe and it goes so nicely with all the other flavors. This recipe is a combination of a pumpkin pie and pumpkin apple cobbler all in one!
A lot of pumpkin pie recipes call for evaporated milk, but I used sweetened condensed milk instead, like I do with my seriously easy pumpkin pie. They cans look very similar, but sweetened condensed milk is sweeter and thicker. That is why this recipe doesn’t call for any sugar, because all the ingredients bring enough sweetness on their own. If you want a recipe that screams fall, this ones for you!
Ingredients Needed
- Pumpkin puree: One step to getting the fall flavor – be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pie mix.
- Sweetened condensed milk: This is where all the liquid and sweetness comes from – be sure to buy the correct can. Nonfat works too.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Will make your kitchen smell amazing – use store bought or make my DIY Pumpkin Spice!
- Apple pie filling: I love the combination of apples and pumpkin. Use a can or make my homemade apple pie filling.
- Yellow cake mix: This will form the crumble part on top, any brand works.
- Unsalted butter: It’s best if it’s really cold or even frozen.
How to make Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13” pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Pour into the bottom of the prepared 9×13” pan.
- Spread apple pie filling over the top of the pumpkin.
- Sprinkle entire cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin and apples. Sprinkle with pecans.
- Slice butter into thin strips and place in an even grid all over the cake.
- Bake for 44-50 minutes until the center is set and it is golden brown around the edges.
Expert Tips
- When using butter on top of the dump cake, I find it best to cut it in thin slices. It’s easiest to cut when frozen. You can also grate it if you prefer.
- Make sure you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- If you want to use spice cake mix for more flavor, you can, that would be fantastic.
FAQs
One big mistake people make is mixing their dump cake. Therefore don’t mix the cake mix and butter with the bottom mixture because it will not bake properly.
If you don’t want your dump cake to go bad, you should keep it refrigerated.
Make sure you put enough butter in an even grid over the cake therefore it spread evenly when baking.
Pumpkin Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can (425g) pumpkin puree
- 1 14 ounce can (396g) sweetened condensed milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 20 ounce can apple pie filling
- 1 approx 15 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (113g) pecans , coarsely chopped
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13” pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl. Pour into the bottom of the prepared 9×13” pan.
- Spread apple pie filling over the top of the pumpkin.
- Sprinkle entire cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin and apples. Sprinkle with pecans.
- Slice butter into thin strips and place in an even grid all over the cake.
- Bake for 44-50 minutes until the center is set and it is golden brown around the edges.
Recipe Notes
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix.
- You can use regular or fat-free sweetened condensed milk but be sure NOT to use evaporated milk.
- If you can find it, use a spice cake mix for even more flavor!
- You can omit the apple pie filling if you don’t want to add it.
- For the butter, I find it easiest to slice thin when it’s been frozen. Or freeze it and then grate it and sprinkle it evenly over the top.
- Check the oven after about 20 minutes and if you notice any spots where the butter is not covering do a little mix with a wooden spoon (otherwise the powder will stay dry). This is why it’s important to evenly spread your butter!
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
- Serving suggestions: plain, with whipped cream, or ice cream.
Recipe Nutrition
Other Pumpkin Recipes
Last Updated on August 20, 2023
This recipe is absolutely fabulous!
The basic recipe has been a family favorite for many years. Adding the apple pie filling is a nice variation to the basic recipe!
Fall is just around the corner, so “everything pumpkin” is all the rage!
It says to add the heavy cream, but no heavy cream listed in ingredients. So how much heavy cream?
Follow the recipe as written – this post is in the process of being updated.
Can you substitute apple pie filling for the fresh cooked apples to make it even easier?
Do you use salted or non salted butter.
In that recipe I used salted. Unless otherwise stated, I normally use salted butter out of habit, although I’m trying to switch to unsalted. You can decrease or increase salt by 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter if you’re subbing one or the other!
Thanks for the reply I made this for Thanksgiving and used salted butter I was just making sure. It was extremely good and a huge hit. Have a Merry Christmas
I’m glad you liked it Kassidy! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made it for my husband’s work Thanksgiving dinner. Taste is amazing! But I have a question…the cake part is more like a soft mousse or custard, is this right? I tested after an hour to make sure the middle was done and my knife was clean. Just want to make sure I got the texture right before I send hubby on his way tomorrow. Thanks!
Yes! It’s kind of like a custard/pumpkin pie consistency. The “cake” comes from the cake mix on top! 🙂
Great recipe! Question – do you store leftovers in the fridge or room temp?
I stored them in the refrigerator! It tastes best room temp or warmed, so you can microwave it for a few seconds before eating, or leave it to room temp before serving!
I can almost smell this. It looks incredible. I already have my Fall insulation on but what’s a little more? 🙂
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