There are so many dump cake recipes out there and they are, as the name implies, easy....just basically dump and go. Some call them "Depression Cakes." This pumpkin dump cake with caramel and ice cream fits the bill for a quick, easy, and decadent dessert. And, as we have discussed on this site many times, it's not uncommon to find a harried Amish cook reaching for a box of cake mix to make something like this Amish Pumpkin Dump Cake.
I mean, imagine having 8 kids underfoot, a farmhouse to care for, church to prepare for, and on and on, so sometimes quick short cuts are the way to go.
This past weekend we took our daughters to a fall farm festival, all outdoors, and then came back and wanted a quick dessert to whip up. Pumpkin dump cake was on the menu. And loaded with butter, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice, this is a winner.
Amish Pumpkin dump cake with caramel and ice cream
SIGH, most recipes for this I have seen elsewhere say to keep the cake at room temperature, i.e., just in a sealed container on your kitchen counter so I left it that way in the instructions. But, personally, I'd store in the fridge. I just think pumpkin tastes better cold. Perhaps that is my quirk. Also, another tip with this, you can use the 50-cent eggs from Aldi and it will turn out just fine, but fresh, farm eggs really will make a difference in the taste if you have access to them.
🙋 FAQ
Everyone is different and has different preferences but boxed cake mixes are common in Amish kitchens. They are popular in "cheat cakes" and "dump cakes" like this. The majority of Amish cooks and bakers make cakes from scratch but boxed cake mixes are popular in a pinch.
Yes, fresh pumpkin puree, if you grow your own pumpkins, could be used in place of the canned in this recipe!
This Amish pumpkin dump cake has your very basics: vegetable oil, brown sugar, boxed cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, and a few other favorites.
Amish pumpkin dump cake also has a lot of butter and everything is better with butter!
Pumpkins are one of the punctuations put at the end of the Amish gardening season. when you start to see those bright orange pumpkins in Amish-owned farm fields, you know that it’s almost a wrap for the gardening season. I love traveling to Amish farms in the Midwest during late September and October when you see fields ablaze with the fiery hue of pumpkin. I've witnessed pumpkin harvests, where boys and girls in the field toss pumpkins up onto a car where their siblings catch them and pile them up.
Once the pumpkins turn flaming orange, you know that the first frost of the season can’t be far behind. So there’s something poignant about pumpkin season, because it means the end of another gardening season. Many Amish family farms do grow pumpkins, they're a profitable crop in the fall, pumpkins proliferate in so many foods and flavors in the fall. Plus, they are good for roadside farm stands where touristsflock. So, for the Amish, the pumpkins take up a lot of room to grow, but they also more than pull their weight
I should have maybe spread the caramel more on the cake instead of just heaping a spoonful on it. But it's all good. So enjoy this pumpkin dump cake with caramel and ice cream!
Okay, so enjoy!
🎃 Amish Pumpkin Dump Cake Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
- 1 (10 ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 farm fresh eggs
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
- Marzetti's caramel dip
- Vanilla ice cream
📋 Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl blend the pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Combine and pour into your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top.
- Pour your melted butter uniformly on top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are browned.
- Top with caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve warm.
🎃 Amish Recipes Using Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a versatile Amish favorite this time of year, found in all sorts of dishes!
A classic, crunch, that is so good!
Pumpkin Pie Squares
A nice twist on an old favorite!
Delicious! This is a cake you can pretty much eat anytime between October and Christmas. Or, heck, who says you can't enjoy pumpkin in April or May?
Homemade Pumpkin Fritters With Whipped Cream
For breakfast, supper, or anytime you want a pumpkin-infused meal!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Pumpkin Dump Cake with Caramel and Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin
- 1 10 oz can evaporated milk
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3 eggs
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup melted butter
- to taste Marzetti's caramel dip
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl blend the pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Combine and pour into your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix on top.
- Pour your melted butter uniformly on top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are browned.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are browned.
Barbara A Jenkins
I would like to try this, but vegetable oil is not in the actual ingredient list for this recipe.