Apple Dump Cake

By
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.
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Updated on 09/3/21
Apple Dump Cake Recipe

 The Spruce
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 1 9-by-13-inch cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
315 Calories
14g Fat
45g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 315
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 19%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 264mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 17%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 10mg 51%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 155mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This apple dump cake features fresh apples, nuts, and warming spices and is an easy fall dessert. It's a perfect last-minute treat for family dinners, potlucks, and gatherings and, while it looks like a cake, it tastes like a fresh-baked apple pie or cobbler.

Like all dump cakes, this recipe is designed to be super quick and simple. You'll need just a few common ingredients, many of which may already be in your kitchen. Rather than having mixing bowls to clean up, everything is "dumped" directly into the baking dish. With very few dishes and a few minutes of prep, it's easy to see why dump cakes are so popular.

The most time-consuming part of this apple dump cake recipe is prepping the apples, but an apple peeler will make quick work of the task. Be sure to peel and core them before cutting them into even pieces. In the meantime, lightly toast the nuts of your choice. Walnuts are the best pairing for apples, though pecans are great as well. You could even try this cake with hazelnuts or pistachios or a custom mix of nuts.

Once those two ingredients are ready, start dumping. The apples and nuts form the base, and the ground cinnamon and nutmeg spice up the cake nicely. To finish it off, top it with dry yellow cake mix and melted butter, then pop it in the oven. Within an hour, dessert will be ready.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

  • 5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

  • 1 cup nuts of choice, lightly toasted

  • 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1 1/4 cups apple cider, or apple juice

  • 1 (18-ounce) box yellow cake mix

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  2. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with melted butter.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  3. In the pan, mix the apples and nuts with 2 teaspoons of the ground cinnamon and the nutmeg and sugar.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
    The Spruce 

  4. Spread evenly in the pan and cover with apple cider.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the apple mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  6. Pour the melted butter over top.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  7. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  8. Serve and enjoy.

    Apple Dump Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

Tip

  • It doesn't taste quite as good, but to make it easier you may substitute two cans of pie filling for the apples, water, and sugar. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread the in pan and complete as above.

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