Easy Apple Cinnamon Dump Cake
This Easy Apple Cinnamon Dump Cake is the ultimate fuss-free fall dessert. Tender, spiced apples bubble beneath a golden, buttery cake crust with almost zero effort required. It works beautifully with canned apple pie filling or fresh apples, making it one of the most flexible and crowd-pleasing desserts in your recipe collection.
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking dish
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Spatula
- Knife and cutting board (if using fresh apples)
Ingredients
- 2 cans (21 oz each) apple pie filling or 4 to 5 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix dry, do not prepare
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, sliced into thin pats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar only needed if using fresh apples
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract stirred into apple layer
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or a little softened butter.
- Prepare the apple layer. If using canned apple pie filling, pour both cans into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. If using fresh apples, toss the sliced apples with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, then spread them in an even layer across the bottom of the dish.
- Sprinkle the ground cinnamon evenly over the apple layer. If you used canned filling and already seasoned it, you can reduce this to a light dusting to taste.
- Open the box of dry yellow cake mix and pour it evenly over the apple layer. Do not stir. Use a spatula to gently spread it into an even layer covering all of the fruit underneath.
- Lay the thin pats of butter across the entire surface of the dry cake mix, overlapping slightly if needed. Try to cover as much surface area as possible so the topping bakes up golden and crispy with no dry powdery patches.
- If using chopped pecans or walnuts, scatter them over the butter layer now for added crunch and a nutty finish.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges. If using fresh apples, check at the 50-minute mark to make sure they are fully tender. If the top is browning too fast, loosely tent with foil for the final 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to thicken slightly and the topping to set. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
For full butter coverage, you can melt the butter and pour it evenly over the cake mix layer instead of using pats. Do not stir the layers at any point. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the oven at 325 degrees for best texture.