Pumpkin Apple Dump Cake combines sharp apples, with brown sugar, soft pumpkin puree and a blend of warming spices, before being topped with a soft sponge cake. This delicious cake is super simple and can be prepared in 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Apple Dump Cake

Name: Pumpkin Apple Dump Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups diced apples; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1 15- ounce can pumpkin puree; 1 box yellow cake mix; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

Packed with all the flavors of fall, this delicious dump cake is the perfect autumn dessert, you have to give it a try.

I’ve take a traditional Apple Dump Cake and played with the flavors. The diced apples are coated in cinnamon, pumpkin spice mix and pumpkin puree, for a flavor explosion. You won’t find a dessert with more flavors of the season.

But the best part about this pumpkin apple dump cake is how easy it is to make. In four simple steps, you’ll have a delicious dessert perfect for any holiday gathering with family and friends.

I’ve chose to use pumpkin and apple, along with spice, but this is a versatile recipe and you can swap out the fruit and spices for flavors your family enjoy. To help you out I’ve come up with some suggestions later in the post.

Why is it called a dump cake?

This American dessert, is similar to a cobbler or crisp, but it has a cake like topping over the fruit base. It’s called a dump cake as the ingredients tend to be dumped into the dish without everything being mixed together.

How to make Pumpkin Apple Dump Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

In a large bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon until the apples are completely coated in the spices.

Add pumpkin and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and spread evenly.

Top the apples and pumpkin with the entire box of cake mix, spreading the mix evenly over the fruit.

Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the cake mix.
Place the baking dish in the oven for 45 minutes.

The cake is done with the syrup is bubbly and the topping is brown and crisp.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Recipe ingredients & substitutions:

APPLES: I like to use a firm and slightly tart apple when baking. A Granny Smith or Pink Lady apple are great for cooking.
SUGAR: I use brown sugar as it adds a depth of flavor to the fruit, however you could also use granulated sugar, or even some honey or maple syrup to sweeten the apples.
PUMPKIN: I use canned pumpkin puree as it’s a great time saver.
CAKE MIX: For the cake topping, I use a box of yellow cake mix, but you can use any other cake mix to top the cake.
SPICES: I add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and also pumpkin pie spice to flavor the apples and pumpkin. You could also use a blend of individual spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
BUTTER: you can use either salted or unsalted butter, either will work, just make sure you melt it first before pouring over the top.

Serving suggestion:

I like to top this delicious apple dump cake with some vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. However, you can also drizzle over some caramel.

See this recipe for my 6 Minute Salted Caramel Sauce which makes the best Caramel Drizzle!

Recipe variations:

This is a really versatile recipe and you can easily adapt the flavors to suit your own taste. Here are some ideas:

Use any variety of fresh fruit for the base, apples, plums, apricots, peaches, strawberries, blackberries and cherries would all work a treat.
Play with the spices, I’ve pumpkin spice mix, but you could use any individual spices, for example cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, clove.
I have used a combination of fresh apple alongside the pumpkin puree to form the base of the cake, but for ease and convenience, canned fruits would work a treat here too.
A teaspoon of vanilla extract adds great flavor to the apple and pumpkin.
Swap the yellow cake mix for any other flavor, chocolate would be a great option too.

Recipe hints & tips:

If using a sweeter dessert apple, I suggest adding a splash of lemon juice to balance out the sweet apples.
You can make your own pumpkin puree by roasting the pumpkin and blitzing it until smooth. But for ease I like to use canned pumpkin, and keep a stock of this in my larder.
Leftover pumpkin puree can be stored in the freezer for another day. I like to freeze pumpkin puree in ready measured containers, that way I just take out what I need for each bake and nothing goes to waste.

FAQs:

Do you stir a dump cake?

Once the apples, pumpkin and spices have been combined they are added to the dish ready for baking. The cake mix is then sprinkled over and the melted butter poured over that. At no point are all the ingredients mixed together. Hence, why this is a dump cake as each layers is dumped on top of the one below.

How do you know when dump cake is done?

Dump cake is baked when the top is brown and bubbly, and the dessert still a little gooey, but not runny.

Should dump cake be gooey?

Yes, the finished dessert will be a little gooey, due to the fruit base. However, it should not be runny. If runny, pop it back into the oven for another 5 minutes or so.

How long will dump cake stay fresh?

Once baked and cooled, leftover dump cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. It needs to be stored in the refrigerator otherwise the fruit will spoil.

Can I freeze pumpkin apple dump cake?

Once baked and cooled, place the cake into an airtight container then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat in a warm oven at around 350 degrees F.

Don’t miss these additional delicious Pumpkin Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

Yield: 8