Easy Sweet Potato Dump Cake for Thanksgiving

If you are a sweet potato fan, I think you’re going to like this easy Sweet Potato Dump Cake!

I took one of my favorite side dishes that my mom makes for holiday meals and made it into dessert. 

And it’s so tasty! It’s a great Thanksgiving dessert idea! If you like dump cakes, you’re going to flip for this one! 

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You’ve Got to Try Sweet Potato Dump Cake!

This is not the same thing as a sweet potato casserole. Using the boxed cake mix really makes this into a dessert. 

I’m not saying you can’t serve it as a side dish. But I am saying you should absolutely serve it at some point during the meal. 

The canned sweet potatoes and pecans give this dish a nice bite and keep it from feeling too mushy. 

And, oh man. The butter. And cake mix. I can’t get enough. 

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How to Make Sweet Potato Dump Cake

Like I mentioned above, I took a recipe my mom makes as a side dish and turned it into a dump cake.

So I grabbed the same canned sweet potatoes she uses. And I use some of the same ingredients that she does. (Although I forgot to add brown sugar in the photo above…) 

But then I discovered that it would be even better with a drizzle of caramel sauce at the end. 

Her side dish definitely doesn’t have any caramel. 

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• Qty. 2) 29 oz cans sweet potatoes in light syrup, drained (make sure these are cut and not mashed)
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• 1 tsp orange zest
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• caramel sauce

Make sure to drain the liquid from the canned sweet potatoes. This will keep it from getting too sweet potato-y.

We’ll add the moisture back in with orange juice, which along with the orange zest, will add in tons of flavor. 

The pineapple is a classic dump cake ingredient. It adds sweetness, texture and not a lot of pineapple flavor. 

Adding the brown sugar will help to sweeten the dish up to dessert status. 

I always try to keep dump cakes as simple as possible, but if you give the orange juice, zest, and brown sugar a quick stir with the sweet potatoes it will help to distribute everything evenly-ish. 

Instructions

Pour the canned sweet potatoes into a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Evenly pour crushed pineapple over the sweet potatoes.

Spread out the orange juice and orange zest and brown sugar.

Use a spoon to give it a quick stir (just to try to evenly distribute the flavors).

Pour dry cake mix evenly over the top.

Melt butter and pour it over the cake mix.

Top with pecans.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for about an hour until golden brown.

Serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce.

I decided it would be a good idea to let each person add their own caramel. 

I like a lot of sauce on things. My hubby, on the other hand, likes his sauces more subtle. 

I think you’ll be surprised by how delicious this Canned Sweet Potato Dump Cake is! 

The chunks of sweet potato give it a lot of flavor. And I love that they don’t turn totally mushy as they cook.

There is still a savory component to the dish which keeps it from getting too sweet.

But you could cook pretty much anything under the cake mix and butter and it would taste amazing. 

How to Serve Sweet Potato Dump Cake

Most of my dump cake recipes are equally as delicious warm, at room temperature and cold. But I like this one hot to warm. 

Adding the caramel is the perfect way to add another layer of flavor and sweetness and make this really decadent.

Topping it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream would be another great way (and still super easy) to add creaminess. 

Can You Make it Ahead? 

This yummy dump cake can be made ahead of time so it doesn’t compete for oven space during that delicate dance that is cooking at Thanksgiving meal. 

Like my Pumpkin Dump Cake, this one does not require eggs, or real stirring or anything like that. 

It stays true to the dump cake ethos of open and dump. 

I would plan to, reheat it though, just before serving. 

How to Store The Dump Cake with Sweet Potatoes

I like to store my dump cakes in the refrigerator, tightly covered. If I cook it earlier in the day and plan to serve it a few hours later, I let it sit out.

But if it to be served the next day, I will put it in the fridge overnight. 

Have you ever had Sweet Potato Dump Cake before? This is the year! 

Printable Sweet Potato Dump Cake Recipe

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Sweet Potato Dump Cake is unique and delicious! Serve it for Thanksgiving! 

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