Instructions
1. **Preheat and Prep:** Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. **Mix the Pumpkin Base:** In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, granulated sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. Pour this mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
3. **Layer the Dry Mix:** Evenly sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix over the pumpkin mixture. Do not stir it in.
4. **Add the Oats:** Sprinkle the quick-cooking oats evenly over the cake mix layer. Again, do not stir.
5. **Pour the Butter:** Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the entire top of the cake mix and oat layers. Try to cover as much of the dry ingredients as possible.
6. **Bake:** Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean (a little moistness is okay, as it’s a dump cake).
7. **Cool and Serve:** Let the dump cake cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. It’s fantastic warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Short Tips:
* **Don’t Stir!** The key to a dump cake is to not mix the dry ingredients into the wet. The butter and moisture from the pumpkin will create a delicious crumble topping as it bakes.
* **Pumpkin Pie Spice Hack:** If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make your own by combining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and a pinch of cloves.
* **Add Nuts:** For extra crunch and flavor, sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts over the oats before drizzling the butter.
* **Storage:** Store any leftover dump cake loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It tastes great warmed up or even cold!
