This delicious and deeply indulgent Caramel Apple Dump Cake is the perfect fall treat filled with apples and a spice cake topping. Making this delicious cake, similar to a crisp or crumble, is quick and easy you just dump it all in and bake it.
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
This delicious cake is one of the easiest fall desserts to make and requires very little kitchen skills. With two layers, one a gooey caramel apple pie filling and the other a crispy buttery spice cake you’ll want to just eat this straight out of the dish.
What is a Dump Cake?
Dump cakes are just as their name states, it’s a layer gooey cake where all the ingredients are dumped into the baking dish and then baked. They’re super simple to prepare and make a perfect dessert for a crowd.
Ingredients in Caramel Apple Dump Cake
There are just a few ingredients in caramel apple dump cake making it a super simple cake to prepare.
- Spiced Cake Mix or Yellow Cake Mix: the key is to use a box cake mix for this recipe and just about any flavor will work. The Spice Cake Mix works best in my opinion with the apples.
- Spices: Apple Pie Spice, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg are all the spices you’ll need for this dish, which add a delicious fall flavor.
- Apple Pie Filling: you can make your own apple pie filling for this recipe, but the main point of this recipe is how easy it is to make. You just dump it all in the baking dish! This is why I prefer to use store-bought canned apple pie filling.
- Butter: cold sliced butter goes directly on top of the cake to mix with the cake batter for a crispy top.
- Caramel Sauce: mixing in some caramel sauce and drizzling it on the cake at the end increases the delicious caramel flavor.
How to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Mix: In a large bowl whisk the spice cake mix, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well combined.
- Dump: Pour the apple pie filling and caramel sauce into a lightly greased 9×9-inch baking dish, toss to combine, and spread evenly. Sprinkle the cake mix on top. Place butter slices evenly on top of the cake mix layer.
- Bake: Bake for 1 hour or until bubbly at 350ºF.
Make apple pie spice (if you don’t have any). Mix cake mix and spices in a bowl. Combine apple pie filling and caramel sauce in baking dish. Top with cake mixture. Layer squares of cold butter on top. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown.
Caramel Apple Dump Cake Toppings
This delicious dump cake is full of fall flavor, but if you’re looking to increase the flavor add some of these delicious toppings.
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Any type of nuts
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Chocolate Sauce
How to Make Apple Pie Spice
Below is a quick recipe for making apple pie spice if you don’t have any or can’t find it at the store. This will make slightly more than you need but you can use the leftovers to sprinkle on top of some homemade whipped cream or ice cream after to top the dump cake.
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon Allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
How to Store Dump Cake
The dump cake can be kept in the baking dish and covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat place in the oven at 325ºF and heat until warmed throughout, or cut a slice and place in the microwave.
FAQ’s for Making Dump Cake
Below are some common questions in regards to making caramel apple dump cake. If you have a different question please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Can I use any type of box cake?
Absolutely! The spice cake mix works well for fall apple dump cake recipes, but yellow cake, vanilla cake, or even a chocolate cake will all work well.
Can I use fresh apples?
Of course! This will add a couple of additional steps, but it will have more of a homemade taste. In order to use fresh apples, follow this apple pie filling recipe and cut it in half.
Can you freeze caramel apple dump cake?
Yes! In order to freeze this apple dump cake, I recommend preparing it in a freezer-safe aluminum baking pan. Let it cool completely after baking and tightly double wrap it in aluminum foil before placing it into the freezer. The cake will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce box Spice Cake Mix or yellow cake
- 1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice
- 1/4 cup Caramel Sauce divided
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 21 ounce cans Apple Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup Butter cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish or a 9×9 baking pan for a thicker cake (or even a 12-inch sized iron skillet).
- In a large bowl, whisk the spice cake mix, apple pie spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until well mixed. Set aside.
- Pour the apple pie filling and 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of the caramel sauce into the prepared baking dish and toss to combine. Spread the mixture out evenly. Sprinkle the cake mix on top of the pie filling layer making sure all the filling is covered.
- Slice the butter into about 16 squares and spread evenly over the top of the cake mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the topping begins to bubble and the top becomes a golden brown. Drizzle with the remaining 1/8 cup of caramel sauce. Let cool for 20 minutes before serving.
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