This Caramel Apple Dump Cake may just be the perfect fall dessert. Dump cakes are quick and easy no fail desserts made with cake mix. They are great when you are busy but want a fresh baked sweet to serve.
I would suggest this to anyone making a holiday dinner, but feeling leery of baking a pie. This caramel apple dump cake recipe is just 4 ingredients... easy peasy and I will walk you right through it. Just boxed cake mix, apple pie filling, caramel sauce, and melted butter. You've got this!
Caramel Apple Dump Cake : Easy Fall Dessert
This is a classic "true" dump cake. The results are similar to a cobbler. You really do just dump the four ingredients in and bake to make this easy caramel apple dump cake recipe.
As long as you distribute the ingredients somewhat evenly, the recipe is basically fool proof. Even slightly over or under baked this caramel apple dump cake will still be tasty and soon to be a family favorite.
If you have extra box cake mixes on-hand bake some cake mix cookies too. They aren't just good for cake recipes.
Caramel Layer
I added a layer of caramel into this apple dump cake recipe, since I think it elevates the final dessert quite a bit. The caramel makes the cake team even better with ice cream in my opinion as well. Then just top the caramel apple dump cake with whipped cream or ice cream to serve.
Try homemade caramel sauce in your caramel apple dump cake. Gooey delicious caramel is so easy to make from condensed milk in the slow cooker.
Apples
I used canned apples for this recipe, but you could simply make a batch of fresh apple filling if you have a batch of fresh apples on hand and want to make your own pie filling.
Bonus: A jar of these home canned apple pie filling make a fabulous edible gift.
With the filling covered all you need to make the caramel apple dump cake recipe is butter and a box of cake mix!
How to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Here is a visual guide to help with making the apple dump cake with caramel. Full printable recipe card can be found below.
The recipe yields 10 servings.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Bake Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients Needed to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake:
- box yellow cake mix (try another cake flavor like white cake mix or spice cake mix instead if you prefer)
- 1-2 cans apple pie filling (use 2 cans of apple pie filling if you want a thicker bottom, 1 if you are more of a crust fan)
- ¾ cup caramel topping (½ of 12 ounce jar)
- 2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
- cooking spray
- teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, add to the apples or cake mix)
You will also need a casserole dish, preferable 8 x 11 inches.
Preparing
Let's make the caramel apple dump cake now. Here are the simple steps.
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prep your baking dish with cooking spray.
Dump in apple filling and distribute across the bottom of casserole dish. If you prefer, you can use your own Homemade Canned Apple Pie Filling.
Spread caramel sauce over the pie filling evenly. Find the sauce with the ice cream toppings at the grocer.
Dump the dry cake mix in and spread evenly around in the pan.
Melt butter in microwave or on stove top. Drizzle butter on top of the cake mix layer. Try to evenly cover as much of the surface of the cake mix as you can with the butter, without being too fussy.
Bake for 40-50 minutes. Edges will be golden brown, butter will be absorbed and if you test spots in the middle they will be like soft dough, not floury raw cake mix.
Remove from oven. Cut the dump cake and serve while it is still warm. While the cake is also delicious at room temperature or even slightly chilled. It is best freshly baked.
Serving Caramel Apple Dump Cake
After you bake, serve warm. Top each slice of this caramel apple dessert with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy! Butter pecan or maple walnut are also yummy ice cream choices for this cobbler style dessert. A little more caramel drizzled on top is fun too.
Variations on the Recipe
Want to mix it up a bit, here are a few variations you can make to the original recipe for the caramel apple dump cake.
- Add pecans. Chopped pecans can be tossed on top of the caramel layer. Chopped or full pecans sprinkled over the top of the melted butter is also a great way to add these nuts to the cake recipe.
- You could use caramel bits or chips rather than sauce. Just mix with the apple pie filling and pour the apple mixture in the pan as a single layer.
Slow Cooker Caramel Apple Dump Cake
You can also make this dessert in the crock pot.
Coat the interior of the crock pot with cooking spray then layer in the ingredients as in the recipe. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. (I recommend using 2 cans of apples for slow cooker)
Q & A
Treat leftover apple dump cake much as you would an apple pie. It can be left out for up to two days. Make sure it is covered once it has been cut.
If you will need to store it longer keep it in the refrigerator. It will be good there for 5 days if you put it aways as soon as it is cooled.
I personally don't see the point of freezing something so easy to make, but if you wish to do so it will be good up top 3 months in the freezer.
Yes, any flavor of box cake mix will work in caramel apple dump cake. It does not need to be yellow cake mix.
Just stick to mixes that will go well in a caramel apple dessert. (yellow, white, butter, spice or vanilla cake mix are all great choices)
Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 21 oz can apple pie filling
- 6 oz caramel sauce ½ most jars
- 1 box yellow cake mix swap for spice cake mix if you prefer
- 1 cup melted unsalted butter 2 sticks of butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat an 8 x 11 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Dump the canned apples into the baking dish and spread out.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the apples, spread out with a spoon if there are clumps of caramel bits.
- Next, dump the dry cake mix over the layers of apple filling and caramel. Spread the mix out to cover the wet ingredients.
- Pour the melted butter over the cake mix layer, Distribute as evenly as you can, but don't fuss over it. The point of this recipe is it keep it super easy.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown at edges.
- Serve warm. Top the cake with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like. Pretty much anything that would be good with apple pie works well with this dessert.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Dump Cake Recipes
If you like this easy recipe for dump cake, you may enjoy these other dump cakes too. These cake recipes are all a great way to end any family meal.
- Pineapple Dump Cake
- Strawberry Dump Cake
- Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Peach Dump Cake
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake with Fudge Layer
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- Cranberry Dump Cake
Courtney says
This apple dump cake cooked up so nicely! I served it with fresh vanilla bean ice cream. Made some spiced coffee our guests. Total hit, thanks!
Claire says
This was just delicious.
I served it with cream and extra caramel and I am afraid we finished the lot after dinner on Sunday!
fiona lee says
I had my 12 year old make this. It came out so good and he is so proud of himself.
Everleigh's Noni says
Do you think this cake will work with sugar-free Apple pie filling and caramel sauce? I'm a diabetic and this looks so easy and has my mouth watering! Thanks in advance!
Robin Gagnon says
I haven't tried it personally, but I don't foresee that causing any problems in the recipe. Please let me know how it works out.
GAYE says
UPDATE: after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, it tasted wonderful. Much better than when it was hot or warm. The cake was more cakey and the excessive sweetness had disappeared. It is now very good and i recommend the recipe.
Shandy says
I added walnuts on top with the butter when I made this and it was fabulous. My cousin wanted to get the crust recipe. I didn't want to tell her it was just a box of cake mix, so I didn't. LoL
Rhonda Jean says
I make this recipe with 2 cans of apple pie filling. We like it deeper dish with lots of apples in my house. Everything else I do the same. It is one of those recipes we make over and over, especially in the fall.
Trina says
This easy cake with apples os now one of my favorite desserts.
M Mercier says
I made this for a meal at church. Let’s just say that it was a hit!! I used a butter pecan cake mix, caramel apple pie filling and added pecans to the top. It was sooo good!!