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Toasty pecans dot a golden, buttery crust on this gooey caramel and apple dump cake. This simple and effortless dessert is best served warm with a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Once upon a time, long before the internet and viral recipe hacks, there was the dump cake. In the late 1960s, these easy desserts began popping up in church cookbooks and passed between home cooks. So, you just dump everything in the pan? Does it really work? Yes, girl: and you gotta try it.
My version with just 7 ingredients pays homage to the traditional dump cake. I added tart lemon juice to balance out the sweetness of the canned apple filling, and used salted butter to create its golden and crunchy lid. This apple dump cake is bound to become one of your new favorite fall dessert ideas.
Bring this cake to an autumn gathering and while everyone swoons over it, you can tell them about the magic of the dump cake.
Why is it Called a Dump Cake?
This cake’s silly-sounding name has a simple meaning!
This crowd-pleaser dessert is called a dump cake because there is no mixing involved. You simply layer (dump) the ingredients into a prepared pan and bake. Voila! Apple dump cake.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll only need a few ingredients to pull this easy apple dessert together in a flash.
- Apple pie filling – Canned
- Cinnamon
- Lemon juice
- Kraft caramels – Unwrapped and cut in half.
- Boxed yellow cake mix – The dry mix, leave unprepared.
- Pecans – Chopped
- Butter – salted
- Optional garnishes – Vanilla ice cream, prepared caramel sauce, whipped cream
How to Make a Caramel Apple Dump Cake
This apple dump cake comes together quickly. Each ingredient is simply layered (or dumped) on top of the next one.
- Preheat. Set Oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare Pan. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Combine Filling. Stir apple pie filling, cinnamon, and lemon juice and pour this mixture into the pan.
- Add Caramel Layer. After halving them, arrange the cut caramels evenly over the apple pie filling.
- Next the Cake Mix. Spread the still-dry cake mix evenly over the caramels layer.
- Sprinkle Nuts. Spread the chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix layer.
- Place Butter. Evenly dot the butter pats over the pecans.
- Bake. Check after 40-45 minutes or until starting to turn golden
Tips for Success
While this Fall treat is quite easy to pull together, I have a few suggestions when making this recipe.
- Don’t skip the acid. The tartness of the lemon juice balances out the sweet apple filling. If you don’t have any, you can use lime or orange juice or apple cider.
- Use salted butter. Since this dessert is a sweet one, the salted butter adds contrast to the caramel apple filling.
- Serve warm. Try it warm with a scoop of ice cream on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
You want to use about 1 ½ cups of caramels. And if you use a little more, it will still work – I’ve tried it that way too.
Yes, spice cake mix works really well, or you could use a white cake mix.
You could either substitute chopped walnuts or leave the nuts out completely.
No, the beauty of this cake is dumping in the ingredients for each of the layer. It bakes just like that!
The best substitute would be lime juice, orange juice, or apple cider. Or, if you have it, you could use 1 teaspoon of lemon zest or ½ teaspoon lemon extract. You may also substitute 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. It is important to balance the sweetness of the apple filling and caramel.
How to Serve a Dump Cake
Much like a fruit cobbler, this dump cake is easily scooped out of its pan using a large serving spoon.
Best served warm, I highly recommend trying this cake a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can also make this treat even sweeter by adding caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Storing and Freezing Extra Cake
If you find you have leftover dump cake, here’s how to ensure it stays fresh.
- Counter: Once cooled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap for up to 2 days.
- Fridge: Cover tightly with plastic wrap after cooling completely. Keeps in fridge for 5 days.
- Freezer: Be sure to cool the cake first and then wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Can be frozen for at least 3 months.
More Apple Recipes to Try
There are so many ways to bake with apples – try out my other Fall dessert recipes and let me know what you think.
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 60 ounces (1701 g) apple pie filling, (three 20 ounce cans)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 11 ounces (312 g) Kraft caramels, unwrapped and cut in half
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (55 g) chopped pecans
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, cut into small chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C)
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by spraying with non-stick spray.
- Unwrap and cut caramels in half.
- Combine apple pie filling, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a medium sized bowl.
- Pour apple mixture into the prepared pan.
- Arrange the cut caramels evenly over the apple pie filling.
- Spread the cake mix over top, evenly.
- Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over the top of the cake.
- Place the chunks of butter evenly over the pecan layer.
- Bake the cake for 45 minutes or until starting to turn golden.
