Whenever I whip this up, the house smells divine. This recipe is a keeper

When the weather starts to get cooler, the year's biggest food trend springs to life: pumpkin! This pumpkin dump cake is simple to prepare and bake, mainly because the slow cooker does all the work. Simply combine the ingredients together directly inside the slow cooker. Baking inside the slow cooker means baked goods come out light, fluffy and delicious.

Although many varieties of "dump cake" exist, the pumpkin dump cake made in the recipe that follows uses a blend of pumpkin spice and cinnamon, giving the perfect flavors of fall. The crumbled cake mix also provides a sweet cinnamon topping to the dessert. You can serve this tasty dessert at a Halloween party or fall campfire, but it's welcome all year.

One 18-ounce package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
Two 15-ounce cans pumpkin purée
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground cinnamon
Whipped cream (optional)

1. Put the yellow cake mix into a mixing bowl, and add the melted butter. Stir to combine. It will be a bit crumbly.

2. In the bottom of a slow cooker, add the sugar, pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine well.

3. Sprinkle the cake mix-butter mixture over the pumpkin mixture in the slow cooker in an even layer.

4. Sprinkle cinnamon over the cake batter.

5. Place two paper towels between the lid and the slow cooker before cooking to help eliminate condensation.

6. Close the lid securely, and cook on low until the cake is formed and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 2 hours.

7. Remove the lid, and let sit on warm for 15-20 minutes.

8. Scoop the cake out of the slow cooker using a large plastic serving spoon, and serve in individual bowls.

Serve warm topped with whipped cream and a cinnamon sprinkle or alongside a scoop of vanilla or pumpkin ice cream.