This is a very simple recipe that combines favorite flavors: caramel, cinnamon, and apples. A layer of sweet pie filling is topped with the easiest 2-ingredient crumble for an easy dessert everyone will rave about. Similar to an apple cobbler, it's fall baking at its best.
I don't know about you, but in this house, when apple season hits, the combination of apples and caramel is something we consider to be at the top of our list. Well, this is the perfect dessert probably and a great recipe to make often.
What is a dump cake?
It's one of the easiest desserts that consists 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, sprinkle over it the content of a purchased cake mix, cover it with thin slices of butter and then bake 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.
Ingredients
This caramel apple dump cake is all about simple ingredients, many pantry staples.
- Dry cake mix: the type you find in the supermarket or store, whatever brand you want. I tend to use yellow cake mix, but white cake mix works very well too.
- Butter: use unsalted melted butter, whatever brand you use regularly.
- Homemade apple pie filling:
Brown sugar - it works very well with the fruit. You can use white sugar if that's all you have.
Apples - the best for this dessert are granny smith apples because they are acid and they balance out well the richness and sugar from the rest of the ingredients.
Cornstarch - it thickens the filling.
Lemon - some lemon juice enhances the flavors and adds some acidity.
Cinnamon - we can't have apples and caramel without some ground cinnamon, right?
Vanilla extract - this is optional but a small amount enhances the sweetness and adds a caramel tone. - Store-bought apple pie filling can also be used.
How to assemble a dump cake
Apple pie filing
- 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.
Top tips
- 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.
Related recipes you might like:
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Easy Apple Caramel Dump Cake
This is a very simple recipe that combines favorite flavors: caramel, cinnamon, and apples. A layer of sweet pie filling is topped with the easiest 2-ingredient crumble for an easy dessert everyone will rave about. Similar to an apple cobbler, it's fall baking at its best.
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the topping: (see Notes, below)
- 2 cups yellow cake mix or white cake mix (half an 18oz box)
- ½ cup butter, melted
For the apples:
- 4 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 10 medium)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons white or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ cup of water
Caramel sauce or dulce de leche, for serving
Instructions
- Have ready a rectangular 11x7-inch ovenproof dish in which you will serve the pudding. I like a ceramic dish, but glass also works. Remember the bread pudding will be served directly from the baking dish, so choose one that you like to put on the table.
For the apples:
- Peel, core, and cut the apples in wedges.
- Choose one of the two options below:
Raw apples: mix the wedges in a bowl with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Heavily butter the dish (use the amount in the ingredients) and arrange the apples.
Partially cooked apples: melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and sprinkle sugar on top. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula and cook for about 3 minutes, until they begin to brown and caramelize here and there. Do not let them turn too dark or too soft. Remove from heat, add the cinnamon and lemon juice and arrange them in the prepared dish. - Mix cornstarch with the water in a small bowl until no lumps remain and pour over the apples (for both options). It will not cover them completely, at all. You can mix everything lightly before adding the topping.
For the topping:
- Mix cake mix with the melted butter until you have a crumbly mixture.
- Top the apples with this, spreading it out slightly. It will not cover the filling completely and it will be very rustic-looking, and that is fine. Don't stir it and mix it with the apples, simply smooth it out a little.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and dry, checking close to the end of the baking time by lifting the topping here and there, making sure it's completely baked inside. Bake it more if necessary, until the top is dry and the filling bubbles around the edges.
- Serve warm drizzled with caramel sauce or dulce de leche (find links below) or with whipped cream/scoop of ice cream in addition to the sauce.
- Refrigerate leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
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.
Topping: if you want more topping than filling you can use 3 cups of cake mix and ¾ cup of butter, melted. You might probably need a longer baking time, so check at 45 minutes and see how it's going.
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, a french vanilla cake mix, or even a chocolate one, like devil's food cake mix 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 apple pie filling: this is the original idea, dumping a can of 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.
Dulce de leche: I have the best dulce de leche recipe in this blog, but you can also buy it online. I like Dulce de Leche Cachafaz warmed with a few teaspoons of milk/water before using it, so it's more fluid. You can also buy a dulce de leche sauce like La Lechera.
Caramel: you can buy online the topping like Ghirardelli caramel-flavored sauce, or make your own following this salted caramel recipe or this homemade caramel recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 565
- Sugar: 56.6 g
- Sodium: 362.6 mg
- Fat: 24.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 84.5 g
- Protein: 3.1 g
- Cholesterol: 55.6 mg
Keywords: apple dump cake
Maca says
Wow to this dessert! How simple and impressive. I have to try it, and soon.
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
I hope you do Maca, it's so easy to put together and so delicious!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Love apple season -- they're so good in desserts (savory dishes too, but they really shine in desserts). Fantastic looking cake. Thanks!
angiesrecipes says
This looks like a streusel cake, but better because of extra caramel sauce 🙂