This is one of the easiest desserts with two shortcuts: canned peaches and cake mix. A layer of juicy fruit with a cobbler-like topping that bakes to a golden brown and is fantastic! It's effortless to put together and is out of the oven in under an hour. If you never made a dump cake before, you're in for a sweet surprise.
Also known as cobbler cake, peach cobbler with cake mix, and peach cobbler dump cake, this recipe uses simple ingredients to make a delicious dessert that can feed many and is a crowd-pleaser.
So, following the popularity of the blueberry dump cake in this blog, I'm on a mission to try other fruits and combinations and make as many dump cake recipes as I can.
From a Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake to the original dump cake recipe or a unique pumpkin dump cake, this category has proliferated in the past year.
As for this easy peach dump cake recipe, it's a great recipe that you should have close by.
Why is it called a dump cake?
This vintage recipe uses cans of fruit filling (can of peaches for this one), a box of cake mix, and cold butter pieces.
The first two are opened and dumped into the baking dish, literally (hence the name), and the butter slices are arranged on top of the cake mix in an even layer, covering it.
A simple dessert recipe that became very popular among busy moms decades ago.
Ingredient list
- Dry cake mix: the type you find in the supermarket or grocery store, whatever brand you want. I like yellow cake mix and sometimes White cake mix for this recipe. Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines are popular ones.
- Butter: use unsalted melted butter, whatever brand you use regularly.
- Canned peaches in heavy syrup or peach pie filling. Both are easily available. Del Monte yellow cling sliced peaches is a popular brand.
- Cinnamon: optional if using canned peaches that can be quite plain. Any ground cinnamon you usually use works fine. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
Variations & substitutions
- Nuts: add coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling for a crunchy, nutty flavor.
- Spices: besides the cinnamon suggested in the recipe card, use others like ginger, nutmeg, allspice or a mix.
- Fresh fruit variation: use fresh peaches to make a homemade peach pie filling; the flavors will be fresher, and you know what ingredients go into making it.
How to make a peach dump cake
- Fruit layer: whether using canned peaches or peach pie filling, simply open the can (or cans) and pour it into the baking dish.
- Topping: this layer is simply mixing dry cake mix with melted butter to create a thick mixture that clumps together slightly. It's not overly wet or crumbly.
- Baking it: the top bakes to a golden brown, and the fruit bubbles and creates its own syrupy sauce. The key is to make sure the topping is not only golden but also fully baked inside, so check by lifting it slightly with a fork here and there. You should not find any wet dough inside. Bake it a little longer if that is not the case.
Family style desserts
Dump cakes and fruit cobblers are baked in ceramic or glass dishes and then taken to the table. So choosing a baking pan you like to showcase on the table is a good idea.
What type of baking dish to use
For me, ceramic ones are the best. I use my favorite Emile Henry small ceramic rectangular dish or the medium Emile Henry ceramic dish whenever possible, but they can be pricey.
There are several others, from rectangular ceramic dishes, and porcelain bakeware sets, to glass baking dishes or round ceramic baking dishes, that work just fine.
Also, a cast-iron skillet fits this type of dessert if you like a Southern style.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look 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(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.
- Serving it: as with most fruit desserts, the most popular way of serving this cake mix cobbler is slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But, if that's not possible - because you don't have access to an oven or fridge - it's also really good plain at room temperature. Adding fresh raspberries, blueberries, or a berry sauce works wonderfully with the peach.
- Warming it: the oven will bring the topping back to its crunchy state, so I don't recommend the microwave as it won't achieve that. But you can try with a small portion and see how you like it.
- To make ahead: bake and then freeze the entire peach dump cake for several weeks. Cover it well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. To serve, you can thaw it the night or day before in the fridge or warm it in a low oven until the juices bubble up.
They are similar, but a dump cake uses cake mix, the type you find in the supermarket. Both have a layer of fruit filling, but a cobbler uses a biscuit or pie crust topping.
It tastes like a cross between a sweet fruit crumble and a buttery cobbler. It's a dessert that combines fresh fruit that creates its own syrup as it bakes with a starchy topping made with cake mix and butter.
A day or two at a cool room temperature should be fine, but I don't recommend it longer than that. Fruit desserts can ferment quickly, especially in a hot environment. A dump cake should be cooled down on a wire rack, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. Warm it up slightly before eating it.
Related recipes you might like:
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Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 large can, 29 oz of canned peaches (or 1 large can of peach pie filling)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional but nice
For the topping:
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups 225g yellow cake mix (white cake also works)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Have ready an 8x11-inch ceramic or glass dish.
- Dump the canned peaches with the syrup into the dish, spreading to cover the whole pan.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
For the topping:
- Combine the cake mix with the melted butter in a medium bowl until you have a crumbly mixture with some dry spots. You can also sprinkle the cake mix on top of the peaches, even it out carefully, and then pour butter on top, covering as much as possible. I don't do it this way because sometimes the topping is baked with large floury patches that never quite mix with the butter. Alternatively, place thin slices of cold butter over the dry mix (see the 3-ingredient dump cake for reference).
- Top the peaches with this mixture, smoothing it slightly but leaving the edges uncovered. It will not cover them completely and that is fine. Don't stir or mix it with the peach filling, simply smooth it out a little.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and dry and the filling bubbles around the edges, checking close to the end of the baking time by carefully lifting the topping to ensure it's fully baked inside. Bake it more if necessary.
- Serve warm and plain, with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (the best way in my opinion).
- Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm slightly before serving (in a medium-low oven).
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 are as accurate as I they can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven to check that your oven is the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Serving it: as with most fruit and simple desserts, I find the best way is slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. But, if that's not possible - because you don't have access to an oven or fridge - it's also really good at room temperature. Adding fresh raspberries or a berry sauce also works wonderfully with the peach.
- Warming it: the oven will bring the topping back to its crunchy state, so I don't recommend the microwave as it won't achieve that. But you can try with a small portion and see how you like it.
- To make ahead: bake and then freeze the entire peach dump cake for several weeks. Cover it well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. To serve, you can thaw it the night or day before in the fridge or warm it in a low oven until the juices bubble up.
Ken says
I see these recipes on YouTube where they dump the juice of the peaches into the mix and do not understand the purpose. Some of them look like you could drink the cobbler rather than use a fork to eat it. I personally am going to build a peach cobbler today with canned peaches with gluten free Bisquick and omit the juice except for maybe a half can out of the three cans I will use. Another thing that bothers me about your recipes are the lack of gluten free recipes otherwise I am impressed with the various recipes presented.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Ken, I post about what I have experience with and that is not gluten-free baking. That's the reason I don't have GF recipes in this blog (except for a few old posts), but traditional ones. Have a great weekend!
Cindy Costa says
Hi I want to make this but using home made cake mix. The box ones in the store have palm oil in the ingredient list and I don’t eat palm oil. So if I use my dry ingredients cake mix I’m hoping the dump cake will work. What do you think?
Thanks cindy
Paula Montenegro says
It should work Cindy!
Sheri lynn speis I says
Paula as a brain cancer survivor so far I am looking for quick easy good foods to eat can't wait to try it will let you know, glad I ran across your recipes Sheri lynn speis thanks
Nancy Mackenzie says
This recipe is worth keeping. I will use the homemade filling for this and other recipes. Made my own cake mix (recipes are on line including Make-A-Mix Cookery). The only problem I had with the recipe (and the only reason I didn’t give this five stars) is that when I used all the butter called for, the batter required quite a bit more cake mix to have the right consistency. Turned out great with the adjusted amounts. The next time I made it, I used half the butter called for. It turned out delicious.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Nancy! I found out that less mix makes for a crunchier topping, but ratios can be easily adjusted if you want a more cakey one. Have a great week.
Caroline says
I have to say I didn’t know what to expect and it was amazing, one of our favorite summer desserts! The topping is so crunchy, I wasn’t expecting that being cake mix and all. Very happy with this recipe.
angiesrecipes says
The topping batter looks like biscuit, which I love dearly. A wonderfully delicious and fuss free dessert!