The weather has been a bit cooler for the last few days, so I’m in early fall mode.
And as a nod to my favorite season, I whipped up a caramel apple dump cake this weekend.
All I can say is – HURRY FALL, HURRY! This melt-in-your-mouth dessert has me craving all my fall favorites.
With tender apples, gooey caramel, and a buttery spice cake topping, it’s pure bliss from the first bite.
Why You’ll Love This Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Autumn in a Dish: Apple with caramel is one of my go-to fall combos. And when you add buttery cake to the mix, I’m hooked!
Crowd-Pleaser: This dump cake looks great, smells terrific, and tastes phenomenal. It’s also large enough to feed the whole family and then some!
Versatile Treat: Enjoy the cake warm, at room temperature, chilled, with ice cream or whipped cream, as a mid-morning treat, or as a late-night snack. It’s a very well-rounded treat.
Ingredients
- Apple Pie Filling: Get the brand you enjoy most and feel free to jazz it up with a few extra spices. I like Duncan Hines Simply Apple with an extra kick of pumpkin pie spice!
- Kraft Caramels: Don’t waste your time making homemade caramels. Grab a bag of chewy Kraft caramels instead! They’ll melt perfectly into a luscious, rich, buttery layer of sweetness, perfectly complementing the tart apples.
- Cake Mix: Sprinkle it over the top for a crumbly topping to contrast the soft apple filling. I like spiced cake to amp up the aroma, but yellow cake works just as well.
- Butter: It will melt into the cake mix to form a crispy golden crust. I like to grate it for better coverage.
How to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake
The 4-item ingredient list isn’t the only simple thing about this recipe.
You’ll also appreciate its easy-to-follow steps.
1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. ASSEMBLE. Spread apple pie filling evenly over the bottom of the dish. Top it with the caramels, then sprinkle the cake mix. Finally, add the butter over the top, covering the entire surface.
3. BAKE. Bake for approximately 45 minutes. or until golden and bubbly.
4. COOL. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. This gives the filling time to set up so it’s not watery. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Dump cakes are ridiculously easy to make, which is why they’re so popular.
As a result, I’ve included just a few tips, plus a few fun variations to try.
- Even distribution matters. Arrange all the layers as evenly as possible. This will ensure every bite has the same great taste.
- Grate the butter. Most recipes call for pats of butter layered over the cake mix. But grating it will give you better coverage, so there should be no dry spots.
- Melt the butter. Another way to avoid dry spots is to melt the butter and mix it with the cake mix. Sprinkle that over the top for a nice crunchy crust.
- Use homemade pie filling. Prefer homemade apple pie filling to the store-bought stuff? That’s fine! These caramelized apples would be amazing under a butter cake crust!
- Can’t find Kraft caramels? Try 1 cup of Kraft caramel baking bits, 1/2 cup caramel sauce, or caramel dip instead.
- Make it in a Crockpot. Layer the ingredients in a slow cooker as instructed and cook on HIGH for 2 hours (or on LOW for 4 hours).
- Other variations. Experiment with cake mixes, such as yellow, white, spiced, butter pecan, or vanilla. You can also mix 1-2 teaspoons of extra spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or apple pie spice, into the filling.
How to Serve
As I mentioned above, this cake is extremely versatile when it comes to serving options.
Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Warm, Straight from the Oven: Pull it out and let it cool for a few minutes to give the filling time to set. Then, dig in!
- Warm with Cool Toppings: Let it cool for a few minutes, then add salted caramel whipped cream or a big scoop of ice cream. You can even add an extra dusting of your favorite fall spice or a drizzle of caramel.
- With Crunchy Toppings: Try chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds. For a toasted flavor, sprinkle them over the cake about halfway through the baking process.
- At Room Temperature: Taking the cake to a potluck? It doesn’t have to be warm! It’ll taste just as good at room temperature.
- Chilled: Make it several hours ahead of time and pop it in the fridge to chill. It tastes best when warm but is still delicious when cold.
How to Store
Yes, you can store or even freeze caramel apple dump cake leftovers for later!
Here’s how:
To Store: Let the cake cool fully, then cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 5 days, though it tastes best in the first three.
To Freeze: Wrap the fully cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap. Then, wrap it again in a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To Reheat: Pop single servings in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds. Or reheat the leftovers all at once in the oven. Add a splash of water and reheat at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
More Dump Cakes You Have to Try
Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake
Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake
Sweet Potato Dump Cake
Oreo Dump Cake
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
8
servings10
minutes45
minutes620
kcalWith tender apples, gooey caramel, and a buttery cake topping, this 4-ingredient caramel apple dump cake is the perfect way to welcome fall.
Ingredients
2 (20 ounce) cans apple pie filling
1 1/2 cups Kraft caramels, unwrapped and halved
1 (15.25 ounce) box cake mix
1 cup butter, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spread the apple pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish. Scatter the halved caramels over the apple pie filling, ensuring even coverage.
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the caramel-topped apples, and then sprinkle the grated butter over the cake mix. Ensure the entire surface is covered between layers.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.
- Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of chunky caramels, you can use 1 cup of Kraft caramel baking bits or 1/2 cup of caramel sauce.
- To avoid dry spots, melt the butter and mix it with the dry cake mix. Sprinkle evenly over the pie filling and bake until golden.
- To make the cake in a Crockpot, layer the ingredients and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours.
What kind of cake mix? Yellow? white? Spice? flavored? not flavored?
It’s actually entirely up to you, David!
I like to make it with spice cake for the extra flavor. But white or yellow cake mix would work fine, too.
Made this recipe as directed and used caramel ice cream topping and I melted the butter and mixed with yellow cake mix. Added pecans too. This is a very rich dessert so a little goes a long way. I felt it was almost too sweet. If there is a way to use your own apples vs canned apples, it would be not as sweet as you can control the amount of sugar used on the fresh apples since the cake mix is sweet as well. Overall, my family loved it and I will make again and try with fresh apples.