Guest Post: Pumpkin Dump Cake with Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

By Melinda Strauss of kitchen-tested.com

Countless blog posts and Food Network episodes are dedicated to answering the seasonal question of how to re-purpose Thanksgiving leftovers. But I want to know what to do with all the extra groceries I bought when I over-shopped for the holiday. Why did I buy 10 cans of pureed pumpkin when I only needed 2? I’ll admit that I always over-shop at the grocery store, and especially for Thanksgiving. I am always freezing raw turkey and whole cranberries, and storing cans in my pantry. On the bright side, I can cook Thanksgiving food throughout the year on a whim or a craving without needing to run to the grocery store! It’s pretty impressive…or at least I think so. For my first post-Thanksgiving-use-my-extra-groceries dish this year, I decided on a Pumpkin Dump Cake with Homemade Non-Dairy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Now don’t be afraid of the name “Dump Cake!” It describes the baking process. Everything gets dumped into the pan and then bakes to sweet perfection! The pumpkin filling is creamy and savory while the cake topping is sweet and crunchy. Such a great balance of flavors and textures! Pumpkin dump cake is topped with homemade tart cranberry ice cream that makes my mouth water.Need an idea on how to spruce up a cake mix? Or want to impress your friends with a seasonal cake + ice cream recipe (bonus: it’s pareve!)? Look no further: this cake is pretty simple, while still being super original. And you know how much we love ice cream.

Pumpkin Dump Cake with Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Melinda Strauss, kitchen-tested.com

  • 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
  • 1 ½ cups homemade non-dairy evaporated milk (recipe below)
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • dash of nutmeg
  • 1 box Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix
  • 1 cup chopped candied pecans
  • ¾ cup margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.

3. Pour pumpkin mixture in to a greased 9×13 pan.

4. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the top of the batter and sprinkle the pecans over the top.

5. Pour the melted margarine over the top of the mix and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

6. Cool before slicing. Top with Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (recipe below).

Homemade Non-Dairy Evaporated Milk for Pumpkin Dump Cake

  • 3 cups soy milk
  • vanilla to taste
  • salt to taste

7. Cook soy milk in saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 ½ cups. This should take around 30 minutes.

8. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Cool and store in fridge until ready to use.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

  • 1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup whipped topping
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ½ cup white chocolate chips

9. In a large saucepan, cook the cranberries and water over medium heat until berries pop, around 15 minutes.


10. Strain the berries and discard the seeds and skins. Cool completely.


11. In the meantime, heat the soy milk in a large saucepan to 175 degrees.

12. Stir in sugar until dissolved and cool.

13. Stir in the whipped topping, juices and cranberries.

14. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions, usually around 20 minutes.


15. At the 15 minute mark, or a few minutes before the ice cream is done churning, add the chocolate chips.

16. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and allow to firm up in the freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.

I hope you enjoy eating this post-Thanksgiving dessert year round, and maybe you’ll even serve it at your Thanksgiving table next year.

 

Bio: Melinda Strauss, a food blogger from Woodmere, New York, loves to be adventurous and daring in the kitchen. Melinda hopes to inspire her readers by adding fresh twists to simple recipes and bravely using unusual ingredients in an accessible way. She especially loves to take recipe requests from fans, so visit Melinda on her blog kitchen-tested to find her recipes and share your reviews.