Mini Pumpkin Dump Cake Without Cake Mix
This mini pumpkin dump cake is made from scratch with a soft, spiced pumpkin layer and a crisp, buttery cake topping, no boxed mix needed. It's the right size for one or two
Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pumpkin layer
- ½ cup canned pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 large egg
For the topping
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons salted butter , room temperature and cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 5-inch square baking dish.
- Make the pumpkin layer: In a medium bowl, stir ½ cup pumpkin purée, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon allspice until smooth.
- Add the egg and stir until no streaks remain.
- Pour the filling into the prepared dish.
- Make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup flour, ⅓ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder.
- Sprinkle the dry mix over the pumpkin filling in an even layer so none of the pumpkin shows through.
- Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Dot the butter pieces evenly over the topping and scatter the walnuts on top, if using.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and slightly crunchy. The pumpkin layer will stay soft, and a toothpick will not come out clean.
- Let cool for 15 minutes, then serve warm, spooned onto a plate or straight from the dish.
Notes
Use the 5x5-inch dish. This recipe was built for a 5-inch square dish, where the pumpkin layer bakes up thick enough to spoon. In a larger dish the filling spreads thin and dries out before the top browns.
Dot the butter evenly over the top. Cut room-temperature butter into small pieces and space them across the dry mix so every section of the topping has a piece nearby. The butter spreads as it melts, and evenly spaced pieces give you an evenly golden, crisp top.
Judge doneness by the top. The cake is done when the topping is golden and slightly crunchy. The pumpkin layer stays soft, so a toothpick will never come out clean, and waiting for one overbakes the cake.
Let it cool for 15 minutes. The filling is very hot straight from the oven, and the pumpkin layer thickens a little as it cools, which makes it easier to spoon out cleanly.
Bake it on a rimmed sheet pan. Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet before it goes in the oven. It catches any bubbling over and makes the hot dish easier to pull out.
To make a larger pumpkin dump cake, double the ingredient amounts and use either two 5x5-inch baking dishes or one 6x8-inch baking dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 5033IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
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