Sweet potato dump cake is a warm fall dessert with two layers: a creamy, spiced sweet potato filling on the bottom, like the inside of a sweet potato pie, and a buttery, golden, pecan-studded cake topping. There is no batter to mix for the cake. Dry yellow cake mix is sprinkled over the filling and butter does the work in the oven. It is a Thanksgiving and holiday favorite, and an easy stand-in for pie.
How to make sweet potato dump cake: Mash canned sweet potatoes and stir in evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Pour into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix evenly over the top, add chopped pecans and cover with pats of butter. Bake at 350°F for 85 to 90 minutes, until golden and set, and cool for 15 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Pie flavor without a crust. A custardy sweet potato layer under a crisp, buttery top.
- Ten minutes of prep. One bowl for the filling, then layer and bake.
- Pantry ingredients. Canned sweet potatoes and a box of cake mix.
- It feeds a crowd. Twelve servings from one dish.
- Holiday-ready. It travels well and is good warm or at room temperature.
Ingredient Notes
Sweet potatoes. Two 29-ounce cans, packed in light syrup. Drain them well.
Evaporated milk. One 12-ounce can. It makes the filling creamy.
Light brown sugar. Three-quarters of a cup, packed.
Eggs. Three large eggs, at room temperature. They set the filling.
Vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Two teaspoons of each.
Yellow cake mix. One 15.25-ounce package, used dry. Do not prepare it.
Pecans. One cup, chopped.
Unsalted butter. Three-quarters of a cup, which is 1 1/2 sticks, cut into about 16 small pats.
Whipped cream. For serving.
Ingredients
- 2 cans sweet potatoes in light syrup (29 ounces each), drained
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 package yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces), dry
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into about 16 small pats
- Whipped cream, for serving
How to Make Sweet Potato Dump Cake
1. Prepare the dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Mix the filling. Mash the drained sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
3. Layer the cake. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over it, then add the chopped pecans.
4. Distribute the butter. Cut the butter into about 16 small pats and spread them evenly across the cake mix.
5. Bake. Bake for 85 to 90 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Because the filling contains eggs, check that the center reaches at least 160°F with a food thermometer.
6. Cool and serve. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with whipped cream and, if you like, more chopped pecans.
How Do You Avoid Patches of Dry Cake Mix?
The most common dump cake complaint is a top with pale, powdery spots where the cake mix never baked. It happens when dry mix has no butter above it and no moisture below it. You cannot stir, because the layers are the whole point. So everything comes down to how evenly you spread things.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Level the filling | Smooth the sweet potato layer flat | An even base gives an even topping |
| Spread the mix | Sprinkle the dry cake mix in an even layer, right to the corners | Thick piles are where dry pockets hide |
| Space the butter | Cut the butter into about 16 small pats and set them in even rows | Each pat melts and soaks the mix around it |
| Do not stir | Leave the layers alone | Stirring turns it into a heavy batter |
Sixteen pats on a 9×13-inch dish works out to four rows of four. Cover the edges and corners as carefully as the middle.
Another approach is to melt the 3/4 cup of butter and pour it slowly over the dry mix, covering as much of the surface as you can. Either way, the goal is the same: no bare patches of cake mix when the dish goes into the oven.
Tips for Success
What is the biggest mistake to avoid when making a dump cake?
Uneven layers. A lumpy pile of cake mix or butter dropped in only a few places leaves dry, floury spots. Spread both evenly.
How smooth should the sweet potatoes be?
Mash them well. A few small lumps are fine, but large pieces make the filling uneven.
How do I know it is done?
The top is golden brown, the cake is set and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. The center should read at least 160°F.
Do I prepare the cake mix first?
No. It goes on dry, straight from the package.
Why does it need to cool?
The filling is very soft when hot. At least 15 minutes of cooling lets it firm up enough to scoop.
How Long Does It Take?
About 110 minutes: 10 minutes of prep, about 85 minutes in the oven and at least 15 minutes of cooling. Nearly all of it is hands-off.
Storage & Reheating
Cover leftovers and refrigerate them within 2 hours. They keep for 3 to 4 days. Warm individual servings in the microwave or the oven. The topping softens in the refrigerator, but a few minutes in a warm oven brings some of the crispness back.
What to Serve With It
Whipped cream is the classic topping, and vanilla ice cream is just as good. For more dump cakes, make the pecan pie dump cake, the slow cooker caramel apple dump cake or the lemon cream cheese dump cake. For more sweet potatoes on the holiday table, there are the Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and slow cooker Amish chicken and sweet potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest mistake to avoid when making a dump cake?
Leaving dry cake mix uncovered. Spread the mix evenly and space the butter over all of it.
How do I cover the dry cake mix with butter without stirring the layers?
Cut the butter into about 16 small pats and set them evenly across the top, or pour melted butter slowly over the surface.
Is the cake mix prepared first?
No. It is sprinkled on dry.
How long does it bake?
For 85 to 90 minutes at 350°F.
Final Notes
I cut the butter straight from the refrigerator, because cold butter slices into neat pats and soft butter smears. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Sweet Potato Dump Cake
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Ingredients
- 2 cans sweet potatoes 29 ounces each, packed in light syrup, drained
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 ounces
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3 eggs large, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 package yellow cake mix 15.25 ounces, used dry
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks, cut into about 16 small pats
- whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Mash the drained sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into the dish. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over it, then add the chopped pecans.
- Cut the butter into about 16 small pats and spread them evenly across the cake mix.
- Bake for 85 to 90 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Because the filling contains eggs, check that the center reaches at least 160°F with a food thermometer.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Top with whipped cream and, if you like, more chopped pecans.
Notes
Nutrition
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