What do you get when you mix apple pie filling, cinnamon, butter, and a yellow cake mix? The best darn Baked Apple Dump Cake dessert recipe EVER! This easy-to-make dessert has a cobbler-like feel and is perfect for fall outings or potlucks. You’ll be surprised at how good it tastes – don’t just take my word for it, try the recipe yourself.
If you love easy-to-make recipes that use common ingredients that you might have in your pantry, this recipe is exactly what you need in your life this summer. We used two cans of different canned apple pie filling, and the results were fantastic! Enjoy this dump cake warm, out of the oven with some fresh whipped topping, caramel drizzle, or vanilla ice cream for the BEST kind of easy treat!
Before starting this recipe, you’ll want to verify that you have the following ingredients:
- Canned Apple Pie Filling – TWO 20-ounce sized cans. We used two different brands because that is what we had on-hand.
- 18.25-ounce Golden Yellow Cake Mix – This is the top layer of the dump cake.
- Butter – You will need 12 tablespoons or 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter frozen for at least one hour for best results.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds a classic flavor to the cake.
Equipment and Supplies Needed
We used the following equipment and supplies to make this recipe. Items that are optional or can be substituted will be noted.
- 11 x 13 pan – to bake your dump cake in.
- Nonstick spray – to spray the inside of your baking pan.
- Knife & cutting board – for slicing your butter pats.
- Wooden spoon – to mix your ingredients.
- Can opener – to open any cans that might not have a tab.
- Oven – Adjusted to the center rack position to bake your dump cake in.
How to Get the Perfect Dump Cake
Ever make a dump cake that came out powdery and less than appealing? The reason being is because while this is called a dump cake, you really do need to do a little more than just dump it for best results.
After you add the cake mix over the apple base layer, you will want to take your wooden spoon and gently pat the juices into the cake mix. This will help it absorb the initial liquid so it prevents a dry top layer.
Another way to get the perfect dump cake is to evenly distribute the butter pads. Some recipes call for melted butter over the top of a dump cake, but this tends to be problematic because many areas will be left without butter and will be “powdery” even after baking for one hour.
A great tip for the butter step is to freeze your butter for at least 1 hour before carefully slicing it into thin pats. Additionally, you can also grate your butter while frozen. This will allow you to evenly sprinkle the butter over the entire dump cake. By spreading the butter over the cake mixture, your cake will bake up evenly to a golden-brown, bubbly texture and will not be powdery or dry.
Serving Suggestions
This apple dump cake would be delicious with the following variations or serving suggestions.
- Whipped Cream
- Ice Cream
- Candied Walnuts
- Pecans
- Caramel Sauce
You can also make this with homemade apple pie filling.
Storage
If you want to store your apple dump cake simply follow the below instructions for best taste! While this recipe is best eaten the same day, warm out of the oven, you can enjoy it warmed.
- Place any leftover apple dump cake in an airtight container with a lid once cooled. This will keep out any unwanted odors from ruining the flavor of the cake. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 day max for best taste and consistency. In my opinion, this is best tasting when it it crunchy on top and has a cobbler-like texture, and taste.
If you want to prepare this in the morning before work for baking in the evening follow ALL the recipe instructions except for the baking step. Cover the cake tightly and store for up to 12 hours before baking. Bake at the normal temperature and time.
More Apple Baked Recipes
- Crescent Apple Rolls with Cinnamon Sugar
- Apple Crisp Recipe
- German Apple Pancake
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
Recipe
Follow the recipe below to make Apple Dump Cake! This recipe makes 8 SERVINGS, but you can adjust the recipe card for other serving sizes.
Easy Baked Apple Dump Cake
Equipment
- 11 x 13 baker
- Wooden Spoon
- can opener
- Oven (adjusted to center rack)
Ingredients
- 40 ounces apple pie filling 2 cans of apple pie filling
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 18.5 ounces yellow or golden cake mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 11 x 9 baker with nonstick spray.
- Dump both cans of apples into the greased pan and spread them. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over apples.
- Sprinkle on cake mix over apples, and gently pat into the apple mixture.
- Add sliced butter pats to the top of the cake evenly.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. The top of the cake will be firm, bubbly, and golden brown. Serve warm and enjoy!
I have been making this for many years, my favorite way to make it is with a spice cake mix. It adds a lot of flavor and is so good.
Sorry! You’re correct! I was rushing against my better judgement. It is the 11 x 13 baker, and you sprinkle the cinnamon over the apple layer. Thank you so much!
I see a couple of errors in your recipe.. what size pan? 11 x 13 baking pan or 11 x 9? Calls for 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, but your instructions don’t tell what to do with it? I’m confused.