Caramel Apple Dump Cake

Y’all, if you need a fall dessert that takes about three minutes of effort and still makes your whole house smell like a fall festival, this Caramel Apple Dump Cake is it. 😍 It’s the kind of dessert that makes everyone think you tried way harder than you did, and that’s our little secret.

You just layer apple pie filling, cinnamon, dry yellow cake mix and melted butter right in the baking dish. No mixing bowls and no stirring. The oven does the rest, and you pull out a pan of warm, bubbly apples under a golden, buttery top.

Make it for a potluck, a church supper, a game-day spread, Thanksgiving, or any plain old weeknight when you’re craving something warm and sweet. It feeds a crowd of 10, and it’s ready in about 55 minutes total.

Why You’ll Love It

• About three minutes of hands-on work. Open, sprinkle, pour, bake.
• No mixing bowl. Everything goes straight into one 9×13 dish.
• Pantry-friendly. It’s mostly canned filling, boxed cake mix and butter.
• Feeds a crowd. It serves 10, so it’s perfect for get-togethers.
• Tastes like fall. Cinnamon apples, caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Apple pie filling: Two 21 oz cans make the gooey bottom layer.
• Yellow cake mix: One box, used dry, straight from the bag. It bakes into that golden crumbly top.
• Butter: 3/4 cup, melted. This is what turns the dry cake mix golden and crisp.
• Cinnamon: Just 1 teaspoon sprinkled over the apples for that cozy fall flavor.
• Chopped pecans (optional): Add a little crunch on top if your crew likes nuts. Skip them if they don’t.
• Caramel sauce: For drizzling over the top when you serve it.
• Vanilla ice cream: For serving. Warm cake plus cold ice cream is the whole point!

You’ll find the exact amounts and steps in the printable recipe card below.

Tips for the Best Dump Cake

• Don’t stir! Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the apples and leave it alone. The layers are what make it work.
• Cover as much of the cake mix with butter as you can. Pour slowly and go back and forth across the whole pan so you don’t end up with dry, powdery spots.
• Bake until golden and bubbly. That usually takes 45 to 50 minutes. Look for a golden top with apple filling bubbling up around the edges.
• Serve it warm. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle right before serving is just perfect.
• Use the right size dish. A 9×13 gives you the right depth so the top bakes up golden.

Warm out of the oven on a cool night, it does not get cozier than this. 🍎

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

Three minutes of effort and your whole house smells like a fall festival. Apple pie filling, cinnamon, yellow cake mix and melted butter bake up golden and bubbly, then get a caramel drizzle and vanilla ice cream.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Dessert

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 cans apple pie filling 21 oz each
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
• caramel sauce for drizzling
• vanilla ice cream for serving

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Spread both cans of apple pie filling in the dish and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the apples. Do not stir.
4. Pour melted butter over the top, covering as much of the cake mix as you can. Add pecans if using.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until golden and bubbly.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle.

Notes

Do not stir. The dry cake mix goes right on top of the apples and the melted butter soaks in as it bakes.

Cover as much of the cake mix with melted butter as you can.

Pecans are optional.