Carrot Dump Cake — When the Season Turns and the Oven Is Already Warm

Mid-September and I have been on an apple kick: apple butter started again this weekend, the same six-jar batch, apple cake made Saturday morning, apple chips in the dehydrator for the first time as an experiment. The dehydrated apple chips are thin slices tossed in a little cinnamon and sugar and dried at 135 degrees for eight hours. They came out crisp and caramelized and Biscuit was not interested in them at all, which I take as a sign they are very good and I should keep all of them for myself.

Tyler has been spending weekends at his new house getting it ready, painting and patching things with Roy's help. He shows me photos of the progress and I have opinions about paint colors, which he solicits and incorporates with the attentiveness he brings to everything. The kitchen is getting pale yellow walls, which was my suggestion and which Tyler said was the right choice and Roy said was the right choice and Debbie said when Tyler showed her was exactly right and I feel good about the pale yellow kitchen walls three blocks away that I will eventually stand in on Sunday mornings.

I told Crystal that Tyler is moving to Prattville. She texted back: that is a big step. I said: it is the right one. She said: you sound sure. I said: I am. She said: that is good. She said it with something in it that I am slowly learning to recognize as something like pride. I do not know if she has earned that feeling yet. I am not deciding whether she has. I am just noting it.

With the oven running most of Saturday for the apple cake and the dehydrator humming away on the counter, it felt like the natural thing to keep the warm-spice energy going into the week. Carrot Dump Cake is one of those recipes I come back to when I want something that feels like the season without requiring me to think too hard—it’s humble and a little sweet and it smells exactly like September should. I made a note of it while I was washing apple-sticky jars, and I think it belongs right here alongside everything else this stretch of fall has been quietly adding up to.

Carrot Dump Cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can sliced or diced carrots, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Cream cheese frosting or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
2. Layer the fruit and carrots. Spread the undrained crushed pineapple evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Scatter the drained, chopped carrots over the pineapple in an even layer.
3. Add the sugar and spices. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the carrot layer, followed by the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.
4. Add the cake mix. Pour the dry yellow cake mix directly over the spiced carrot layer in an even layer. Do not stir.
5. Top with butter. Arrange the thin butter slices in a single layer over the top of the dry cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible. Scatter the chopped nuts over the top, if using.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 40—45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. The topping should look set and lightly crisp.
7. Cool and serve. Allow the cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before scooping and serving warm. Top with cream cheese frosting or a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 310mg