Quick & Easy Apple Dump Cake

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In an effort to keep things simple…I made a semi-homemade apple dump cake! It’s quick, easy and tastes like you’ve been baking all day. I’ve received rave reviews from family and friends. This is a recipe to keep in your back pocket when you need an easy dessert, but don’t have a ton of time. 

I made you a dump cake! An Apple Cinnamon one to be exact because, you know, it’s Fall. I have only one other dump cake recipe on the blog…it’s a Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake which is my grandma’s recipe and it’s downright amazing. Gotta love those nostalgic farm recipes, right?

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• So easy, it’s almost impossible to mess up – You literally “dump” the ingredinets into a baking dish. No mixing, no difficult steps, no dishes stacked to the ceiling. Yay!
• Perfect when time is tight – Some days I’m running between errands, school drop-offs, and recipe testing.This apple dump cake saves me. It’s the kind of recipe you can pull together in a few minutes rather than dedicating an entire afternoon to making a dessert. It’s great recipe when you’re in charge of bringing dessert.
• Semi-homemade but still cozy and wholesome – You use boxed cake mix, but the apples, spices, pecans and melted butter give that from-scratch flavor. It reminds me so much of the simple, comforting dishes we used to enjoy at my grandparent’s house in Iowa.
• Crowd-pleasing every single time – whether it’s Thanksgiving, Sunday dinner, or just because, everyone really enjoys this cake.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need for this apple dump cake with a few notes about each.

• Box of yellow cake mix – any kind will do!
• Cinnamon and nutmeg – cinnamon and nutmeg give the cake warmth and spice making it extra cozy.
• Sugar – A little sugar is sprinkled on the apples to enhance their sweetness.
• Apples – I like to use a blend of tart and sweet apples. Granny Smith and Gala are great options.
• Pecans – I love the crunch and look they give the cake.
• Melted butter – the butter soaks into the dry cake mix as it bakes, creating a golden, crispy, buttery topping that gives the dump cake its signature texture.

Three Simple Steps to Making Apple Dump Cake

Are you ready to make the easiest cake ever? Let’s go!

1. Cut and mix the apples – Simply cut the apple into chunks and add them to a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Toss them with the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.
2. Dump the ingredients – Evenly scatter the dry cake mix over the apples then top evenly with pecan halves. Lastly, drizzle melted butter all over the top.
3. Bake – Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Ways to serve it

• With vanilla or cinnamon ice cream
• With whipped cream
• With a drizzle of warm caramel
• Straight out of the dish after it cools (no judgment. been there, done that.)

Variations & Substitutions

One of the best parts of a dump cake is how flexible it is. You can mix and match different fruits, nuts and cake mixes to achieve an entirely different flavor profile. Simply follow the recipe instructions, but switch out the flavors. Here are some ideas for your next dump cake!

• Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake: Use fresh or frozen blueberries, white cake mix and slivered almonds.
• Chocolate Raspberry/Strawberry Dump Cake: Use raspberries and chocolate cake mix for a Black Forest style dessert. Top with toasted pistachios and whipped cream.
• Cinnamon Peach Dump Cake: Use peaches, yellow cake mix or spiced cake mix, cinnamon and pecans or walnuts.
• Apple + Pear Dump Cake: Add pears to the apple dump cake for a flavor twist.
• Triple Berry Dump Cake: Use a variety of berries, white cake mix, lemon juice and slivered almonds.

Jess’ Final Thoughts

This cake screams Thanksgiving dessert. It’s warm, comforting and EASY. My mom was visiting and she tried it and she couldn’t stop eating it. Vin and I felt the same which is why we brought it to my sisters, otherwise the entire cake would be in my belly…I have issues.

It’s chewy, soft and crunchy. The pecans on top are a MUST.

That’s all I got…there’s not much more to say about this one. It’s simple, delicious and easy. Just how we like it during the holiday months, right?!

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Yield: Serves 10

Apple Dump Cake

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This Apple Dump Cake is easy, delicious and serves a ton of people. It's the perfect dessert recipe when you're in a pinch.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 5 apples, peeled and cut into one inch pieces (I used a mixture of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (salted is fine, too)
• 1 box yellow cake mix (I used Pillsbury)
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9×13 pan with some of the melted better.
3. Add diced apples to the greased pan then sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, granulated sugar and vanilla. Toss apples with your hands to evenly coat them.
4. Next evenly pour cake mix on top of apples. Dust with more cinnamon and add chopped pecans.
5. Finally, pour melted butter all over the top and bake for 45-50 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting. Eat as is or serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes

I suggest making the cake the day of as it can get soggy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 448Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 14gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5gSugar: 16gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated. Use as an approximation only.

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