Caramel Apple Dump Cake
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With only 4 ingredients, it’s easy to put a delicious fall spin on a vintage dessert, with this Caramel Apple Dump Cake recipe! Named for the fact that all of the ingredients are simply dumped into a baking dish, there’s not an easier dessert recipe out there!
Table of contents
I grew up with my Grandma Meme’s recipe for cherry dump cake, but she simply called it cherry cake. It included a can of cherry pie filling, a can of crushed pineapple, white cake mix and butter. The exact origins of dump cake are unknown, but it’s speculated to have come about after prepared cake mixes went on the market in the 1950s.
This dish is similar to a crumble or cobbler, because it does not have a bottom crust, and starts with a layer of fruit or pie filling. Instead of being topped with pie crust, biscuit dough, or a streusel topping, it’s topped with cake mix to form a cake-like topping.
When it comes to the holiday season, I’m always looking for easy dessert recipes that I can take to a party, or serve after hosting a dinner. If you’re looking for the same thing, there’s nothing easier than this caramel apple dump cake recipe!
This fall twist on my Grandma Meme’s original recipe also uses only 4 ingredients. Apple pie filling and caramel sauce make up the bottom layer, while spice cake mix and butter create the topping. Everything is literally dumped into a baking dish, for the easiest 5 minute prep ever!
When baking this cake in the oven, your house will smell amazing, and everyone will get so excited for dessert! Serve it hot out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream, or dollop of whipped cream on top. The next time you’re in charge of dessert, whip up this easy dump cake recipe and impress all of your friends and family!
Ingredients
- Apple pie filling – to make this recipe quick and easy, use canned pie filling. If you have fresh apples, use my homemade apple pie filling recipe. You’ll need to double the recipe to make enough filling to equal two cans of store-bought pie filling. The recipe is easy to make in 15 minutes, and you can make it up to a week in advance of making this cake recipe.
- Caramel sauce – a jar or bottle of caramel sauce will work for this recipe. You’ll usually find this ingredient on the end cap of the ice cream aisle at the grocery store.
- Spice cake mix – made with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, the flavors of the spice cake mix pair perfectly with the caramel and apples in this recipe. If you can’t find spice cake mix, you can use yellow cake mix in it’s place, and simply combine the cake mix with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice before using it in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Pour the apple pie filling in an even layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Drizzle the caramel sauce evenly over the apple pie filling.
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the caramel apples. You can use a spatula to spread it into an even layer, but do not mix it with the caramel apples.
- Pour melted butter evenly on top of the cake mix. You want to cover as much of the cake mix as possible. But if it’s not completely covered, that’s okay.
- Bake the dump cake in a 350°F preheated oven for 50 minutes.
Optional additions
- Add a scoop of ice cream – when the cake is still warm from the oven, scoop it out of the pan and serve it on plates, or in bowls. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Add whipped cream – a dollop of whipped cream on top of the warm apple dump cake is also delicious. Around the holidays, I’ve seen caramel whipped cream at the grocery store. This would be absolutely delicious on top!
- Add nuts – my grandma’s original dump cake recipe called for nuts on top. As kids, my brother and I didn’t like nuts, so we’d make her recipe without them. If you’d like to, you can sprinkle a 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or chopped pecans on top before baking. Or for even more flavor, use chopped candied pecans.
Storage and reheating
Store any leftover apple dump cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or let the cake cool completely, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Do not store the cake at room temperature.
Reheat the cake in individual portions on a plate in the microwave for 60 seconds. Or reheat the entire cake in the oven. Cover with foil and place the cake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated throughout.
Recipe notes
- Do not stir the dump cake! This is one of the beautiful things about dump cake, you don’t even need a spoon to stir it. This recipe only works if you layer the ingredients. This way the cake mix covered with butter browns perfectly on top.
- You’ll know when the cake is done, when the top layer is brown and you see the apple pie filling bubbling up from below.
- The top texture of the dump cake should be buttery, crumbly and crisp, while the filling should be gooey, but not runny.
- Do not follow the instructions on the box of cake mix to make dump cake. Simply sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pie filling, then top with the melted butter and bake.
More dessert recipes
After making this caramel apple dump cake, try the other most popular dessert recipes on the blog! And be sure to save my Blueberry Dump Cake recipe for the summer months!
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 40 ounces apple pie filling, 2 cans, or 5 cups homemade apple pie filling
- ½ cup caramel sauce, + more for drizzling on top
- 15.25 ounces spice cake mix, 1 box
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
- Pour the apple pie filling into the baking dish in an even layer.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce evenly over the apple pie filling.
- Sprinkle the spice cake mix evenly over the caramel apple filling. Do not mix the cake mix into the caramel apple filling.
- Pour the melted butter evenly over the cake mix. You want to cover as much of the cake mix as possible. But if it’s not completely covered, that’s okay.
- Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Notes
- Apple pie filling – to make this recipe quick and easy, use canned pie filling. If you have fresh apples, use my homemade apple pie filling recipe. You’ll need to double the recipe to make enough filling to equal two cans of store-bought pie filling. The recipe is easy to make in 15 minutes, and you can make it up to a week in advance of making this cake recipe.
- Spice cake mix – if you can’t find spice cake mix, you can use yellow cake mix in it’s place, and simply combine the cake mix with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice before using it in this recipe.
- Store any leftover apple dump cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or let the cake cool completely, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Do not store the cake at room temperature.
- Reheat the cake in individual portions on a plate in the microwave for 60 seconds. Or reheat the entire cake in the oven. Cover with foil and place the cake in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until heated throughout.
- Do not stir the dump cake! This is one of the beautiful things about dump cake, you don’t even need a spoon to stir it. This recipe only works if you layer the ingredients. This way the cake mix covered with butter browns perfectly on top.
Nutrition Facts
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2 Comments on “Caramel Apple Dump Cake”
Looks easy and looks pretty tasty
Thanks Tina! I hope you enjoy it!