{"id":11249,"date":"2015-10-12T04:00:18","date_gmt":"2015-10-12T08:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ourgrandmotherskitchens.com\/?p=11249"},"modified":"2015-10-11T12:31:03","modified_gmt":"2015-10-11T16:31:03","slug":"pumpkin-dump-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourgrandmotherskitchens.com\/?p=11249","title":{"rendered":"Pumpkin Dump Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Halloween<\/a>

Halloween begins to weave its spell at the Casa Tinky.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Pumpkin season is here, and I\u2019m embracing it. Part of my love for pumpkin at this time of year is related to its remarkable color. I savor the way its orange reflects our New England trees (and inspires me to start decorating the house for Halloween!).<\/span><\/p>\n

I enjoy cooking with pumpkin as well as looking at the fruit, of course;\u00a0it\u00a0melds beautifully with a variety of sweet and savory flavors. I am particularly happy when\u00a0pumpkin preparation involves baking. I spend much of the summer avoiding turning on my oven\u2014but when fall arrives I welcome the chance to give the house that extra measure of heat.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fall baking doesn\u2019t only make us feel warm. It fills the house with lovely aromas that remind us of childhood pleasures. This particular pumpkin dessert smells divine in the oven; scents of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and butter waft through the house and tempt even the most virtuous dieter.<\/span><\/p>\n

I adapted the recipe from one a friend sent me last year; the original came from an old community cookbook.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cake\u2019s name is misleading. Yes, it\u2019s pumpkin. But it\u2019s not made entirely by dumping, and it\u2019s not really a cake. It\u2019s a bit goopy coming out of the pan.<\/span><\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t come up with a better term, however. It\u2019s not a crisp or a crumble. It could be called an upside-down pumpkin pie\u2014but that name doesn\u2019t feel quite right either.<\/span><\/p>\n

The recipe is worth bothering with, however, because whatever you call it, it\u2019s delicious. I like it MORE than pumpkin pie. I baked it on Mass Appeal<\/em><\/a> last week (along with my favorite meatloaf<\/a>), and it made everyone there happy.<\/span><\/p>\n

My extremely autumnal hat also made everyone happy!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Seth<\/a>

Seth couldn’t resist the hat!<\/p><\/div>\n

The cake mix called for in the recipe is a large one, like King Arthur Flour\u2019s golden vanilla cake mix<\/a>. If you don\u2019t have that on hand, you may either use a regular smaller cake mix (in which case you\u2019ll want to reduce the amount of butter required in the recipe) or make your own mix with 3-1\/4 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 2-1\/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt.<\/span><\/p>\n

You won\u2019t have any vanilla in the latter combination, but you may add some along with the melted butter\u2014or assume (as I did) that the pumpkin and spices will give the \u201cdump cake\u201d sufficient flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"dump<\/a><\/p>\n

Pumpkin Kinda Sorta Dump Cake<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ingredients:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

3 eggs
\n1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
\n2 teaspoons cinnamon
\n1\/2 teaspoon ginger
\n1\/4 teaspoon cloves
\n1\/2 teaspoon salt
\n1 29-ounce can pumpkin (or about 3-1\/2 cups)
\n1\/4 cup white sugar
\n1\/2 cup brown sugar, packed
\n1 large box yellow cake mix
\n1 cup (2 sticks) sweet butter, melted<\/span><\/p>\n

Instructions:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. In a large bowl beat the eggs; then beat in the evaporated milk, the spices, the salt, and the pumpkin. Stir in the sugars and blend. Pour the resulting mixture into the prepared pan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sprinkle the cake mix over the top and make sure it is fairly even; then drizzle the melted butter over all. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool before cutting and serving. Serve with whipped cream.<\/span><\/p>\n

Serves 12.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is the dump-cake video:<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

And here is the meatloaf video, in which I wax poetic about why I love to cook.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n