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Made with just a handful of pantry staples, this Apple Dump Cake may just become your new easy go-to dessert recipe!
Do you ever have those days when you’re craving a sweet, cozy dessert, but you pretty much have zero desire to make anything?
Ha! Me too!
This Easy Apple Dump Cake is going to become one of your new favorites. If you have just a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes to prep it, you’ll be enjoying this sweet fall inspired treat in no time.
If you’re feeling just a little extra, add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce for some caramel apple vibes.
EASY APPLE DUMP CAKE
A few months ago, I shared a recipe for Easy Peach Cobbler. Aside from my Pumpkin Crunch Cake recipe, I hadn’t played around with making dump cakes much before that.
Maybe it’s because I hate the name dump cake. I don’t know why I had a mental block toward these recipes because it turns out that they’re pretty awesome.
For one, they take just a handful of ingredients. Most of which I keep on hand.
For two, they take maaaaybe 5 minutes to prep before they go in the oven.
For three, they’re pretty easy to tweak for whatever flavors you want or season you’re in.
Like this apple version – apples and pecans scream fall to me, and this is an even easier fall dessert than my Caramel Apple Poke Cake. Because sometimes you just need an easy, no-brainer fall dessert, ok??
DUMP CAKE INGREDIENTS
Most dump cake recipes use just a handful of basic ingredients:
- Canned fruit in syrup or pie filling
- Cake mix
- Butter
Depending on what flavor you want your cake to be, you can switch up the fruit or pie filling or the cake mix or add extra ingredients.
For this apple version, I used apple pie filling and added apple pie spice and pecans.
I always have a couple boxes of cake mix on hand, but you could make this with a homemade cake mix if you prefer! If you have some homemade apple pie filling on hand you could use it, but I think the canned stuff is just as good in this recipe.
After all, the point of this kind of dessert is to dump it all together and have a cake that’s ready to bake in just a few minutes.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE DUMP CAKE
You’ve probably picked up by now how this process is going to go, but let’s review how to make this Apple Dump Cake:
- Pour the apple pie filling into a 13×9-inch cake pan and stir in half of the apple pie spice.
- Sprinkle the cake mix on top, followed by the rest of the apple pie spice and the chopped pecans.
- Pour melted butter on top.
- Bake!
THAT’S IT. That’s the recipe.
It’s so easy anyone could make this cake. If you have a kid who is just getting started in the kitchen, cake mix recipes like this one and my Ridiculously Simple Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are great for them to make completely on their own. (With you helping them with the oven, of course!)
But really, it doesn’t matter if your kid is making this or if you’re making it yourself, this is an easy recipe you’re for sure going to want to make again!
Apple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cans apple pie filling 21 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice divided use
- 1 box French vanilla or yellow cake mix 15.25 ounces
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
- ¾ cup salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread apple pie filling evenly in bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle apple pie filling with ½ teaspoon apple pie spice and mix to combine.
- Evenly distribute the dry cake mix over the apple pie filling. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon apple pie spice over the dry cake mix. If you are using pecans, sprinkle them evenly over the dry cake mix as well.
- Pour melted butter over top, tilting pan to cover as much of the top with butter as possible.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until light golden brown, mostly dry on top and bubbly around edges.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How do you think the dump cake will work if I mixed water with the cake mix and then poured it over the apples(I’d omit the melted butter on top)?
Hi Roselyn-
I am honestly not sure how this would work since I have never tried it. Thanks for stopping by.
-Jamie
This recipe is very similar to the one I use. I use Butter Pecan or Spice cake instead. A yummy treat for fallish weather, rolling into the holidays.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jill! Happy baking!
Jamie
Didn’t have Apple pie spice but I added a little bit of Nutmeg and cinnamon then topped it with zero sugar yellow cake mix and uses a whole stick of butter melted and didn’t add walnuts my kiddos don’t like them. But this is quick and easy to make. Will be making it again.
So glad you enjoyed, Kristina! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
@Kristina Corra, awesome. I used just one stick of melted butter too.
Yummy
Do you cover to bake?
Hi there –ย No, no need to cover. Happy baking!
Jamie
FIVE STARS. Oh my goodness. So easy and so delicious! I double my spices for all my apple desserts and it definitely did not let me down for this one. SO tasty!
So glad you enjoyed this cake, Sarah! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
This is delicious!I sprinkled a 1/2c of dark brown sugar on the top before adding the butter.I substituted walnuts for pecans.
I love those tweaks! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback, John! Happy baking โ
Jamie
Iโm going to try this cake this weekend! Can I add your crumb recipe on top before putting this in the oven?
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this addition, so I am not sure of the result, but imagine it would be fine. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
I had put blueberries on my applese it was great
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping back to leave your feedback!
-Jamie
I can’t wait to try this, thanks for sharing!
WOW! This is definitely a must-try! Going to do this sweet treat this weekend for our mini family dinner. Can’t wait to add personal touch to this too! Thanks for sharing the recipe!