Dump cakes became popular when cake mixes were introduced and are considered a classic American dessert. They usually contain fruit (traditionally pie filling), dry cake mix, and butter. As you can guess by their name, the ingredients are dumped into the pan without any mixing, which means getting this 3-ingredient apple cake into the oven can be done with little to no effort at all.
The consistency of dump cakes is more like a fruit cobbler or fruit crisp than they are cake-like. Other ingredients such as nuts and spices can be added for endless variations and to make it your own. They are heavenly served warm with ice cream or whipped cream on top.
Because of its simplicity to get it to the oven, it’s a terrific end to any weeknight meal or whenever you are in the mood for a sweet treat! It also feeds a crowd, so it’s a great one to bring to a potluck. If someone you love is feeling ill, this comforting recipe will bring them a lot of cheer while being quick and easy for you to throw together. This homey, casual dessert with fresh apples is great to serve anytime of the year.
Look at how easy it is to make our apple dump cake with cake mix! These simple steps will give you general guidance to put it together, but refer to the recipe for all the specifics, so your easy apple dump cake will turn out perfectly:
Use cooking spray to spray the bottoms and sides of your 13x9 pan, so none of the tasty morsels of this dessert will stick to it.
We like to peel our apples before chopping them, as the peels can turn brown and be tough to eat when baked. But that doesn’t mean you have to! Skip the peeling if you like and chop the apples into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle them evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Open the bag of dry cake mix and sprinkle it evenly over the apples (and the bare spots between and around the apples in the pan), so there is one even layer without large clumps of cake mix.
Drizzle butter over the cake mix, moistening as much as the cake mix as you can without any mixing. This will ensure the baked dump cake turns out moist and buttery delicious.
Bake the dump cake until it’s golden brown. Cool it until it’s warm (about 30 minutes), spoon it onto plates or into bowls, using a large serving spoon. Top it with ice cream or whipped cream and serve.
Our 3-ingredient apple dump cake recipe is out of this world, when served warm and topped with ice cream or whipped cream. The dairy notes of both ice cream and whipped cream really make the fresh apple flavor shine through. Our favorite choice for ice cream is vanilla, but butter pecan or birthday cake ice cream would also be tasty choices.
If you want to go for broke, ice cream toppings like caramel or salted caramel or a sprinkling of chopped nuts would be a fabulous addition to this dessert…on top of the ice cream, of course.
When is the best time to enjoy dump cake? Whenever it’s offered! We love it on a crisp fall evening, after a bowl full of chili. Or keep the oven on to make it after serving an easy sheet pan dinner, for a memorable meal without a lot of effort.
| Food Component / Nutrient | Amount | % , Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | 12g | 19% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 38% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3&½g | % Value Not Available |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Omega-3 | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 240mg | 10% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 36g | 12% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | 6% |
| Soluble Fiber | 0g | % Value Not Available |
| Insoluble Fiber | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Sugars | 20g | % Value Not Available |
| Protein | 1g | % Value Not Available |
| Vitamin D | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Calcium | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Iron | Value Not Available | 4% |
| Potassium | 70mg | 2% |
| Vitamin A | Value Not Available | 8% |
| Vitamin C | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Vitamin E | Value Not Available | 2% |
| Thiamin | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Riboflavin | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Niacin | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin B6 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Folic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Vitamin B12 | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Phosphorus | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Magnesium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Zinc | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Manganese | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Selenium | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Copper | Value Not Available | 0% |
| Beta-Carotene | Value Not Available | % Value Not Available |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | ||
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