Apple Dump Cake

4 from 2 votes

The perfect easy dessert recipe for fall! This fresh Apple Dump Cake comes together in minutes -- no mixing bowls required!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple dump cake, easy apple dessert, fresh apple dump cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Cooling Time 20

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 332.1kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

5-6 cups peeled and sliced apples (I like a combination of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp; about 5-6 medium apples)
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 (15.25 ounce) box yellow or spice cake mix
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, melted
Optional: ½ cup chopped pecans
For serving: vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray (or, for a smaller, thicker cake, use an 11 x 7-inch dish).
In prepared dish or in a large Ziploc bag, toss together apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Spread in an even layer in the dish.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over top of the apples. Gently shake the pan to distribute evenly.
Pour melted butter over top, tilting pan to cover as much of the top with butter as possible.
Bake for 42-45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top and bubbly around the edges. If using the optional pecans, gently press them into the top of the cake during the final 10 minutes of baking. Allow cake to rest and cool for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Scoop into individual bowls or plates and top with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

I've shown a spice cake mix in this post, but you can also use a box of yellow cake mix instead.
The pecans add a nice crunch to the top of the cake, but you can omit them entirely if you prefer. You can also swap out the pecans and use walnuts or almonds instead.
I like to wait to add the pecans at the end of the baking time because I find that they burn and get too dark if you put them on top of the cake at the beginning.
How to make Apple Dump Cake in the Crock Pot: If you prefer to use a slow cooker to “bake” your cake, follow the same instructions but cook the cake on HIGH for 3 1/2 – 4 hours. Since the lid of a Crock Pot causes condensation to drop back down onto the cake, I recommend placing a few layers of paper towels just under the lid in order to absorb that additional liquid.
Does dump cake have to be refrigerated? If you have leftovers, you can refrigerate the extra dump cake for a few days or you can leave a baked dump cake on the counter at room temperature for about 1-2 days. Refrigerating the cake extends the life of the leftovers!
Can you freeze apple cake? Yes! To preserve the leftover cake for even longer, you can freeze the dump cake for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen dump cake in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the refrigerated dump cake in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until the cake reaches your desired temperature.
Make a Caramel Apple Dump Cake by mixing about 1/2 cup caramel sauce (from a jar, such as the kind you would serve over ice cream) into the apples before adding the cake mix on top. Alternatively, you could drizzle with caramel sauce on top just before serving.

Nutrition