The No-Fuss Cake I'll Be Making All Fall

Let’s be honest—baking can sometimes be a pain, especially when you’re a home cook. I got into baking during the pandemic lockdown, but I was totally out of my element when it came to some of the recipes. It felt like I couldn’t make anything because I didn’t have the right tools and ingredients. And don’t get me started on the cleanup. But that’s where easy desserts like dump cakes come in—and it’s completely changed my outlook on baking.

What Is a Dump Cake?

Whether you're new to baking or just need a quick and easy dessert, dump cakes are going to become your new best friend. While other cakes require lots of mixing and incorporating of ingredients, dump cakes are wonderfully simplistic because, as the name suggests, you’re essentially dumping the ingredients together, then throwing them into the oven. It requires minimal bowls to clean, there's no need to follow a long list of steps, and it just got the perfect fall upgrade.

I am pining for fall (yes, I am one of the enthusiasts celebrating Halloween months early), so I was excited to see @bbyychachi's pumpkin dump cake pop up. It's the perfect way to keep me satisfied until it’s more socially acceptable to bring out everything pumpkin.

How to Make a Pumpkin Dump Cake

If you want to taste the season of fall in one delicious cake bite, we have you covered with this community favorite from Allrecipes. You just need some baking staples like cake mix, pumpkin purée, evaporated milk, and eggs, plus autumnal spices such as ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease a 9x13-inch pan. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, and both kinds of sugar in a large bowl. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. If you want your dump cake to be extra tasty, our users recommend going the extra mile and using fresh spices rather than dried ones. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin filling. The recipe calls for a spice cake mix, but some reviewers recommend a moist yellow cake mix as an alternative (like in this similar Pumpkin Crunch Cake recipe). Sprinkle pecans over the cake mix, and then finally, drizzle melted butter over the top and bake in the preheated oven until the edges are lightly browned, about 50 to 60 minutes. Once it’s out of the oven, allow it to cool completely before enjoying your taste of autumn.