Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe

Active Time:

15 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Servings:

12

Caramel apple dump cake is super easy to make, and it’s a seasonal delight that tastes just like fall on a plate. In this recipe, tender apples and soft caramel candies create the ultimate warm feeling, combining for a dessert that people with a sweet tooth are sure to love.

Caramel Apple Dump Cake Ingredients

To make caramel apple dump cake, you'll need:

large Gala apples
light brown sugar
apple pie spice
kosher salt
ground nutmeg
caramel candies
yellow cake mix
unsalted butter
cooking spray

All ingredients are easy to find at typical grocery stores.

Southern Living Caramel Apple Dump Cake ingredients — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

How To Make Apple Dump Cake

As with almost all dump cakes, this recipe is really easy. There are only a few steps needed to get you to a warm and comforting dessert. Here's where to start:

Step 1. Lightly coat a baking pan with cooking spray, and set it aside.
Step 2. Toss together the apples, brown sugar, apple pie spice, salt, and nutmeg to coat. Transfer the apple mixture to the prepared baking pan in an even layer, and top evenly with caramel candies. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the apple mixture.
Step 3. Place the butter slices evenly over the dry cake mix and bake in a 350°F oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the baking pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Does Dump Cake Have To Be Refrigerated?

No, store apple dump cake covered at room temperature for up to three days.

Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe Tips

Make sure to cover the top evenly with the butter because the cake mix will remain dry as iI bakes if any spots aren’t covered well enough.

Caramel Apple Dump Cake Variations

Gala apples have just the right amount of sweetness and hold their shape well, but you can use other varieties of apples based on your preference and availability.

You can also use any flavor of cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix if you’d like. For instance, a spiced cake mix would also complement these flavors well.

How To Serve Apple Dump Cake

This apple dump cake must be served warm; otherwise, the caramel pieces will be hard when they cool. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or with a hot cup of tea. And try topping the cake with flaky sea salt for a salted caramel flavor profile.

Southern Living Caramel Apple Dump Cake in a bowl to serve topped with whipped cream — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Why Is It Called a Dump Cake?

This type of cake is called a dump cake because of the easy way you prepare it: All you need to do is dump in the ingredients, which typically include canned fruit or pie filling, followed by boxed cake mix—with no need for mixing.

Baking it unmixed creates a crusty, crumbly, buttery top, with a deliciously gooey inside. The liquid in the fruit combines with the butter and cake mix as iI bakes.

Southerners shine when it comes to dolling up store-bought ingredients for a scratch-made result, so it’s easy to see why Southerners have long loved dump cakes.

More Great Dump Cake Recipes

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
5 large (9 oz. each) Gala apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-in.-thick slices (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. apple pie spice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup caramel candies (from 1 [11-oz.] pkg.) (such as Kraft Caramels), halved
1 (15 1/4-oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix (such as Duncan Hines)
1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, cut into 1/8-in.-thick slices

Directions

Prepare oven and pan:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Make apple mixture:

Toss together apples, brown sugar, apple pie spice, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl until evenly coated.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Add apples to baking dish:

Transfer apple mixture to prepared baking pan, spreading into an even layer. Top evenly with caramel candies.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Add cake mix:

Sprinkle cake mix evenly over apple mixture.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Cover with butter:

Place butter slices evenly over dry cake mix, making sure most of cake mix is covered.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Bake dump cake:

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in baking pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless