Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sometimes you just need something sweet after dinner.

I love to bake, and one night after dinner I decided I wanted to make something sweet for the family. I didn’t have a big plan or a fancy recipe in mind. I had pumpkin, a yellow cake mix, and everything I needed for cream cheese frosting, so I decided to start throwing things together.

And this Pumpkin Dump Cake is what happened!

It’s sort of a dump cake, sort of a pumpkin cake, and almost reminds me of pumpkin pie on the bottom. Whatever you want to call it, it was GOOD.

The bottom is a soft, creamy pumpkin layer topped with yellow cake mix, pecans, and butter. Then the whole thing gets covered in homemade cream cheese frosting.

This is exactly the kind of dessert I love: easy ingredients, very little fuss, and something the whole family wants to eat before I’ve even had time to let it cool.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Dump Cake

This is such a good fall dessert when you want pumpkin but don’t necessarily want to make another pumpkin pie.

You don’t have to make a cake batter or worry about getting everything perfect. The pumpkin mixture goes on the bottom, dry yellow cake mix goes right over it, then pecans and melted butter go on top.

Bake it, frost it, and you’re done.

The yellow cake mix gives you that sweet, buttery cake layer while the pumpkin pie spice adds all those warm fall flavors. Add the pecans and homemade cream cheese frosting, and it takes the whole thing over the top.

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Dump Cake

• 2 (15 oz.) cans pure pumpkin
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 (15.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Chopped pecans for garnish, optional
• Cinnamon for sprinkling on top, optional

How to Make Pumpkin Dump Cake

Step 1: Make the Pumpkin Layer

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Add the two cans of pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk to your mixer.

I put everything straight into my KitchenAid and let it do the work for me. Mix until everything is smooth and well combined.

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick baking spray and pour the pumpkin mixture into the dish.

Step 2: Add the Yellow Cake Mix and Pecans

Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture.

Don’t prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box, and don’t stir it into the pumpkin. Just sprinkle the dry mix directly over the top.

Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix.

Step 3: Add the Butter

Melt one stick of butter and drizzle it as evenly as possible over the dry cake mix and pecans.

Try to cover as much of the cake mix as you can.

You can gently use the back of a spoon to spread the butter over any dry spots, but don’t get carried away mixing everything together. You want to keep that pumpkin layer on the bottom.

Step 4: Bake

Bake at 350°F for about 50 minutes.

Here’s the important part: jiggly is good; soupy is not.

Mine was still a little jiggly in the center at 50 minutes, and that was perfect. The pumpkin layer will continue to set as the cake cools.

If yours still looks soupy in the middle, give it another 10 minutes and check it again.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

While the cake is baking, make the frosting.

Beat the softened cream cheese for about 2 minutes, until it’s smooth and there aren’t any lumps.

Add the softened butter and beat again until smooth and creamy.

Mix in the vanilla.

Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue beating until you have a thick, creamy frosting.

Put the frosting in the refrigerator while the cake finishes baking and cooling.

Now Comes the Hard Part: Let It Cool!

I need you to do as I say here and not necessarily as I did.

Let the cake cool completely before you frost it.

My family was standing around waiting for this thing, and patience was running low.

I should have let mine cool much longer.

I didn’t.

I put the cream cheese frosting on while the cake was still a little warm, so naturally the frosting started getting a little melty.

Did anyone in my family care?

Absolutely not.

It was still delicious.

But if you want that pretty, thick layer of cream cheese frosting on top, let your cake cool completely first. I’d give it at least an hour, and longer is even better.

Once it’s cool, spread the frosting over the entire cake.

I finished mine with a light sprinkle of cinnamon over the top. You can also add a few more chopped pecans if you’d like.

Finding Easy Tips

Don’t mix the cake mix into the pumpkin. You want the creamy pumpkin mixture on the bottom and that buttery yellow cake and pecan layer on top.

Jiggly and soupy are two different things. A little jiggle after 50 minutes is fine. If the middle looks liquid or soupy, give it another 10 minutes.

Cool it completely. Yes, I’m saying it again because we didn’t do a very good job of following this rule at my house! Your frosting will look much prettier if the cake is completely cool.

Make it ahead. This is actually a great dessert to make earlier in the day. Bake it, let it cool completely, frost it, and refrigerate it until you’re ready for dessert.

Keep leftovers refrigerated. Because of the cream cheese frosting, cover the cake and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Can You Make Pumpkin Dump Cake Ahead of Time?

Yes! And after seeing what happened when my family wouldn’t wait for mine to cool, I actually think making it ahead is the way to go.

Bake the cake earlier in the day and let it cool completely. Once it’s cool, add the cream cheese frosting and refrigerate it.

Then dessert is completely ready when you are.

Do You Serve Pumpkin Dump Cake Warm or Cold?

You can enjoy the cake slightly warm before adding the frosting, but once you’ve added cream cheese frosting, I prefer it cooled or chilled.

The pumpkin layer also firms up as it cools, giving you a much prettier slice.

If presentation isn’t important and your family is standing around the kitchen with forks waiting for you to finish—well, I can confirm it’s pretty delicious warm and messy too!

Easy Pumpkin Dump Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 50–60 minutes
Cooling Time: At least 1 hour
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Pan Size: 9×13-inch

Ingredients

Pumpkin Dump Cake

• 2 (15 oz.) cans pure pumpkin
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 (15.25 oz.) box yellow cake mix
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Chopped pecans for garnish, optional
• Cinnamon for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
2. Mix the pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, and evaporated milk until smooth.
3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared baking dish.
4. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Do not stir.
5. Sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix.
6. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top, covering as much of the dry cake mix as possible.
7. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. The center should be slightly jiggly but not soupy. If it’s still soupy, bake for another 10 minutes and check again.
8. Allow the cake to cool completely.
9. While the cake cools, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the softened butter and beat until creamy.
10. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
11. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled cake.
12. Sprinkle with cinnamon and additional chopped pecans, if desired.
13. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

An Easy Fall Dessert Worth Making Again

This one started because I wanted something sweet after dinner, but it definitely earned a spot in the make-it-again pile.

That creamy pumpkin bottom with the buttery yellow cake and pecan layer and homemade cream cheese frosting is SO good together.

And that’s what Finding Easy is all about. Life is already busy enough. Good food, fun projects, and the things we do for our families don’t always have to be complicated.

If you make this Pumpkin Dump Cake, let me know what you think—and please tell me your family is better at waiting for a cake to cool than mine is!