Caramel Apple Dump Cake with Fresh Apples
Fresh apples caramelized in butter and brown sugar, a 2-ingredient cake mix topping and a caramel drizzle. The old-fashioned dump cake, made from scratch, ready in just over an hour.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 410kcal
Ingredients
Homemade fresh apple filling:
- 4 pounds Granny Smith apples about 10 medium
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar or white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water
Cake mix topping:
- 15.25 ounces yellow or white cake mix 1 box
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and lukewarm, not hot
For serving:
- 1 cup caramel sauce purchased or homemade caramel or dulce de leche
Instructions
- Have a 9x13-inch ovenproof dish ready in which you will serve the dump cake. I like ceramic dishes, but glass ones also work. It will be served directly from the baking dish, so choose one you like to take to the table.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Make the apple filling:
- You will need to cook the apples in batches, or they will crowd the skillet and steam rather than caramelize.
- Peel, core, and cut 4 pounds Granny Smith apples into medium wedges.
- Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and sprinkle ¼ cup light brown 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 and arrange them in the prepared dish.
- Sprinkle the apples with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and drizzle 3 tablespoons lemon juice and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Mix 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch with ⅓ cup water in a small bowl until no lumps remain, and pour over the apples. It will not cover them. You can stir everything lightly before adding the topping.
For the topping:
- Mix 15.25 ounces yellow or white cake mix with ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and lukewarm, not hot, adding the remaining ¼ cup unsalted butter a little at a time until crumbly. Different brands of cake mix absorb moisture differently, and the butter temperature also plays a role. Don't let it get overly wet, or it will seep into the filling and not bake crisp and dry.
- Sprinkle the topping mixture over the apples. It will not cover the filling completely and will be very rustic-looking, which is fine. Don't stir or mix it with the apples.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and dry on top and the filling bubbles around the edges, making sure the filling is fully baked inside. Check by lifting the topping here and there. Bake it longer, if necessary.
- Serve warm, drizzled with 1 cup caramel sauce or dulce de leche or with whipped cream/scoop of ice cream in addition to the sauce if you want a very rich dessert.
- Refrigerate leftovers covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Notes
Sweetness: I keep the filling lightly sweet because the topping and caramel add plenty. If your apples are very tart or you prefer a sweeter dessert, add up to 2 more tablespoons of sugar.
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 cake mix if you're a little more adventurous (like with the chocolate apple crisp recipe).
Flavorings: I 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: I'm 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 eat it at room temperature or warm with only the sauce on top.
Short on time? Make the classic apple dump cake with canned pie filling.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 570IU | Vitamin C: 9mg
