Easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake

What is a dump cake?

Dump cakes are one of the easiest desserts that consist of a layer of fruit pie filling and a topping made with boxed cake mix and butter. All pantry staples. And very, very delicious.

The original recipe calls for opening a can of pie filling and 'dumping' it on a baking dish, sprinkling over it the content of a purchased cake mix, covering it with thin slices of butter and then baking it until the top is baked to a golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.

I choose to make the fillings from scratch, whether it's a chocolate cherry dump cake or a blueberry lemon dump cake because I find the flavors fresher and better. But that's just me.

There are many flavors combinations possible, and let's just say that an apple caramel dump cake was waiting to happen and that we plan to eat it regularly here, probably warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, mind you.

About this apple dessert

• Easy to make: making the apple pie filling from scratch is quite simple, but you can use the canned type to make your life easier. Especially if you already use a brand you love.
• Make ahead: just like a cobbler or an apple crisp, you can make this dessert a few days ahead of when you're planning to serve it and keep it refrigerated. Or even frozen for a few weeks. Simply defrost and warm in the oven before eating it.
• Perfect for a crowd: if you have guests or a large family, it's a very easy apple dessert to put together that can be easily doubled, and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

How to assemble a dump cake

Apple pie filling

• Should you cook the apples first?: you can use raw, fresh apples or lightly cook them first in butter and sugar (images 1 and 2). I like the second option because it adds a lot of flavor as the apples caramelize a little in the skillet, something that will probably not happen if baked directly.
• Apple wedges: slice them as thick or thin as you want, but take into account that thicker wedges will keep their shape more, especially if you cook them first.
• Apple layer: the apples are dumped onto the baking dish, sprinkled with cinnamon, and drizzled with cornstarch, lemon juice, and water (image 3). If you use raw apples, you will also add the sugar at this point.

Cake mix topping

This is the simplest part and what makes a dump cake so convenient and easy to put together.

• Put the cake mix in a large bowl and add the melted butter. Image 4
• Mix both ingredients until crumbly. Some floury spots will remain. Image 5
• Spread over the prepared apples not covering them completely. You want to leave some spots without cake mixture so the juices bubble and the topping bakes faster. Image 6

Important: make sure the cobbler-like topping is fully baked. It might be golden and dry, but still a little raw inside. So lift it carefully here and there and make sure it's not still a little wet.

Vintage Kitchen Tip

Caramel sauce

A drizzle of it rounds up this incredible dessert.

• Homemade caramel sauce: until I post my favorite recipe, you can buy the topping online like Ghirardelli caramel-flavored sauce, or make your own following this salted caramel recipe or this homemade caramel recipe.
• Dulce de leche: if you never tried this delectable sweet jam, you most certainly should! I use it regularly because I live in Argentina and it's our most popular spread here. I use my homemade dulce de leche recipe, but you can easily buy it online. Links are in the Notes section of the recipe card below.
• How much should you add? Oh, as much as you want probably! I drizzle about half a cup on top of the cake and then pass a small jar with more sauce so everyone can flood the bowl with as much caramel or dulce de leche as they want.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
• Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
• Cake mixes: white and yellow cake are the most common flavors for topping an apple dump cake, but you can also use a spice cake mix or even a chocolate one if you're a little more adventurous (like with the chocolate apple crisp recipe).
• Butter: the original recipe calls for putting thin slices of butter on top of the cake mix. After several tries, I find that melted butter is the best option to fully moisten the cake mix which results in a much crumbly topping. If you want to go the original way, there are images in the chocolate cherry dump cake post.
• Store-bought filling: this is the original idea, dumping a can of apple pie filling on a baking dish, so do take advantage of this alternative if you have a favorite one you love. It is, after all, an easy apple dump cake recipe.
• Flavorings: we use a mix of ground cinnamon and vanilla extract, but feel free to use apple pie spice mix. Also, a grating of lemon or orange zest in the filling will add an extra citrus tone if that's your thing.
• Serving it: we are partial to eating it warm with a scoop of ice cream (or whipped cream) and a heavy dose of caramel sauce or dulce de leche. But you can it eat at room temperature or warm with only the sauce on top.