This Caramel Apple Dump Cake is a quick and easy shortcut Fall dessert using 6 simple ingredients. Apple pie filling, cinnamon, nutmeg, cake mix, and butter are dumped in a pan, baked and the results are amazing!
Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe
- Quick: Dump cakes are our favorite way to make a dessert super fast.
- Simple: With just a few simple ingredients like yellow cake mix, apple pie filling, and butter that you can keep in your pantry, you can make this wonderful apple cobbler inspired dessert any time.
- Crowd Favorite: Everyone always raves over this easy dessert recipe and will never know how easy it is to make!
What is a Dump Cake?
A ‘dump cake’ is a cake using ingredients that are literally dumped in a baking dish together. There is no mixing required, and no extra dirty dishes or mixing bowls have to be cleaned. Usually, fruit or canned fruit is used as the base. Top with a boxed cake mix and a wet ingredient like melted butter. Don’t miss these other great dump cake recipes: Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake | Easy Peach Dump Cake | Pina Colada Dump Cake | Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake | Strawberry Dump Cake | Lemon Dump Cake | Pumpkin Dump Cake | Chocolate Dump Cake.
Ingredients Needed
All you need is 6-ingredients (the exact measurements and full recipe instructions are below in the easy to print recipe card).
- Apple pie filling – any canned apple pie filling brand will work or make our delicious homemade apple pie filling.
- Ground cinnamon – the extra cinnamon really makes the apple pie filling taste good!
- Ground nutmeg – some nutmeg adds a little hint of spice to the apples.
- Caramels – unwrap the caramels and cut each in half
- Yellow cake mix – do not prepare the cake mix; leave it dry.
- Butter – cut the butter into ¼ inch thick pats. It’s best to use salted butter. Do not use margarine.
How to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together apple pie filling, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly.
- Arrange the caramels over top of the apple filling.
- Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the caramels.
- Place the pats of butter evenly over the top of the cake mix.
- Bake the dump cake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.
Topping Ideas
- Vanilla ice cream
- Warm caramel sauce
- Ground cinnamon
- Whipped cream
- Chopped Nuts: pecans or walnuts
How to Store the Leftovers
Keep the leftover cake covered tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight food storage container. Keep the cake at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Variations
- Kick up the Spice – Additional spices can be added to the apple pie filling layer. A sprinkling of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, or allspice, are all wonderful spices to stir in to ramp up the the flavor.
- Cake Mix – Yellow cake mix is what we use in this recipe, however, white cake mix and spice cake mix are also great flavor options!
More Apple Cake Recipes You Will Love
- Cinnamon Apple Cake
- Apple Butter Cake
- Apple Cider Donut Cake
- Upside Down Apple Cake
- Layered Apple Spice Cake
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 (20 ounce cans) apple pie filling
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups Kraft caramels unwrapped and each cut in half
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 1 cup butter cut into ¼ inch thick pats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together apple pie filling, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out evenly.
- Arrange the caramels over top of the apple filling. Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the caramels.
- Place the pats of butter evenly over the top of the whole dessert.
- Bake the dump cake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the edges are bubbling.
- Cool slightly before serving.
Last Step:
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175 comments on “Caramel Apple Dump Cake”
I haven’t made it yet, but I am going to just as the recipe directs and may try with the spice cake as well.
I am making using the caramel bits. Will see hiw this turns out. As to caramel hardening after cake cools, I think you would just warm your serving up in microwave for a few seconds.
Don’t the caramels regarded when cake cools off?
Please advise what brand of carmels work best. Tried this recipe and loved it except the carmels I used seemed hard and some did not soften during baking. Definitely will bake again and share source . Thanks for any help you can provide!
I used an ice cream caramel sauce rather than caramels. I also add approx. 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, it pairs well with the apples and the extra sweetness of the caramels.
I made this using a spice cake mix and approx 1/4 jar Smuckers caramel sauce and it was delicious!
Thanks for the tip about the caramel sauce, that sounds like the way to go.
Wonderful thoughts on making it even easier and tastier!!
Look forward to making this for a carry in this weekend. Thank you!
Me too.
Could you use the vita caramels?
I have not made this yet — but would probably use a spice cake mix for more flavor. But probably good no matter what! I definitely like the idea of adding caramels to the mix!
I made this cake today it’s very good I would make it again
Thanks for the information after you made it
Hi, thanks for the recipe. It has a great taste. One note-I did have to make 24 hours ahead of serving, and my caramels did not completely melt out-they firmed back up on cooling completely. They wound up being chewy lumps throughout the cake. Next time I will make a caramel sauce and pour over the apples if I have to make ahead. Overall keeper!