Apple Dump Cake
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My Apple Dump Cake is the ultimate easy dessert for fall! Bursting with warm, spiced apple flavor, it’s made with just a few simple ingredients that you literally dump into a baking dish — no fuss, no mixing bowls required. Perfect for busy days and holiday gatherings, this cozy treat is a go-to from Thanksgiving all the way through Christmas.
Spiced Apple Dump Cake
This Apple Cump Cake recipe is a family favorite because it is made with pantry staples we usually always have on hand. It’s a simple recipe that takes mere minutes to put together, and it tastes so good! We often make it as a weeknight treat or as dessert when guests come over. With wonderfully warming fall flavors of spiced apple and roasted pecans, this Apple Dump Cake is sure to become a holiday staple in your home too.
All-in this easy dessert recipe takes about an hour from start to finish, so it’s pretty quick to make. Dump cakes are great as you make them quickly, they are designed for easy baking and great tasting. Using store-bought cake mix, canned apples, and spice mix all there is to do for prep is melt some butter and chop pecans and you’re good to go!
Ingredients for Apple Dump Cake
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- apple pie filling – use canned apple pie filling
- apple pie spice –
- yellow cake mix
- melted butter
- chopped pecans (optional)
How To Make Easy Apple Dump Cake
Here are my step-by-step instructions so you can make this recipe with ease. For the full, printable recipe with amounts and temperatures, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Pour apple filling on the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle with apple pie spice.
Add Cake Mix and Melted Butter
- Sprinkle the box of cake mix on top, covering the apples.
- Pour melted butter over the cake mix, tilting the pan slightly to cover as much of the top with butter as possible.
Add Pecans and Bake
- Top with chopped pecans
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is light golden brown, mostly dry on top and bubbly around edges.
- Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and add a caramel drizzle on top.
Suggestions and Alternatives
- To use fresh apples use 6 cups of chopped and peeled apples (about 6 medium apples) and ½ cup of sugar.
- Evenly spread the cake mix and the melted butter on top of the apples so it bakes without any mounds, for best results.
- Use a homemade cake mix, just ensure it is the same amount as a boxed version (which is 15.25 ounces).
- White Cake Mix or Spice Cake Mix will also work.
- Make a Cherry Dump Cake by using a cherry pie filling instead, or check out my Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake too.
- Top this dump cake with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice for a more intense spiced flavor.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the cake mix before baking for extra sweetness.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate – Once baked, store in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days.
What’s the Difference Between a Dump Cake and a Cobbler?
Both desserts have a layer of fruit filling, you typically top them differently. Cobbler traditionally uses a biscuit or pie crust topping, whereas dump cake uses a cake mix. All of these can be either homemade mixes or store-bought versions, so both desserts are typically very quick and easy to make.
Why Do They Call it Dump Cake?
Dump Cake is also known as Lazy Cake because you, quite literally, lazily dump ingredients into a pan and bake it in the oven. There is no need for whisking, folding, or stirring of any kind. Making a dump cake is a very hands-off baking experience as far as cakes go, made all the easier with canned fruit and boxed cake mixes.
How Do You Make Cinnamon Apple Dump Cake?
Follow this recipe, substituting cinnamon for the apple spice mix at a 1:1 ratio for a purely apple and cinnamon flavored dump cake.
More Easy Dump Cake Recipes
Pin this recipe to find it later
Apple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 42 ounces apple pie filling 2 cans
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ½ cup pecans chopped (optional)
- caramel sauce optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9×13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- Pour apple pie filing on bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with apple pie spice.42 ounces apple pie filling, 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- Sprinkle dry cake mix on top, covering the apples.1 box yellow cake mix
- Pour melted butter over cake mix, tilting pan to cover as much of the top with butter as possible.¾ cup butter
- Top with chopped pecans½ cup pecans
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until top is light golden brown, mostly dry on top and bubbly around edges.
- Cool 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.caramel sauce
Notes
- To use fresh apples use 6 cups chopped peeled apples (about 6 medium apples) and ½ cup sugar
- Make sure the cake mix and the melted butter is evenly spread on top of the apples so it bakes without any mounds.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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