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Quick and easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake made with fresh apples, cake mix, and caramel sauce. This is a quick and easy recipe with just a few ingredients!
This easy Caramel Apple Dump Cake is one of my favorite shortcuts for a cozy fall dessert. Fresh apples are tossed with brown sugar and cinnamon, then layered with gooey caramel and topped with a box of yellow cake mix and melted butter. As it bakes, the apples become tender and caramel-y while the cake mix turns into a buttery, golden topping.
Unlike many apple dump cake recipes, this version starts with fresh apples instead of canned apple pie filling. It’s the perfect use for all of those fall apples! It takes just about 10 minutes to put together and is especially delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of caramel sauce (here’s my homemade caramel recipe if you’d like it!).
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Pin It NowWhy You’ll Love This Recipe
Fresh Apples: you get fresh, real apples in every bite!
Easy shortcut: a box of yellow cake mix creates the buttery topping without making cake batter from scratch.
10 minutes of prep!
Perfect for fall: caramel + apples + cinnamon = fall perfection!
Feeds a crowd: A 9×13 inch pan makes it easy to serve for holidays, potlucks, etc.
Warm apple cake with caramel and a scoop of ice cream? Yes please!
-Ashley
This dump cake couldn’t be easier to make! Layers of sweet apples, creamy caramel, savory cake, and butter “dumped” into a baking dish resulting in a warm and delicious dessert that you will crave all fall long.
How to Make Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Here is a brief overview of how this caramel apple dump cake with fresh apples comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Prepare your apples. Toss the thinly sliced apples with brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour apples into the prepared baking dish.
- Add the other cake ingredients. Drizzle caramel topping over the top of the apples. Evenly distribute the cake mix over the top of the apples. Then, pour melted butter on top, doing your best to cover all of the cake mix.
- Bake the cake. Bake until the cake is golden brown and the apples are tender. Allow the dump cake to cool slightly before serving with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Items you need for this recipe…
Here are a few products we use to make this recipe! The apple peeler and corer is totally optional but c’mon, how convenient is it to have a tool that does all of the work for you! :)
How to Make Caramel
Best Apples For Cake
The best apples for this cake are the ones that you love to eat and that hold up well when cooked, like Granny Smith, Gala or McIntosh apples. I used granny smith which is my go-to for baking because they are tart and hold up well to heat. You can also use a combination of apples, as long as you have 5-6 cups total.
It is important that you peel the apples for this recipe. While that may sound time-consuming, it will give you the best results. Using an apple peeler makes this SO easy and quick. I highly recommend getting one for all of your favorite apple recipes. I share my favorite apple peeler at the beginning of the post. You can always peel them the old fashioned way of course!
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t mix it. The only thing you will mix in this cake recipe is the apples with the sugars and spices. Once you start adding things to your baking dish, do not mix. This is key for any dump cake recipe.
- Add pecans: For a little extra crunch, sprinkle some pecans or walnuts on top of the cake caramel layer.
- Use apple pie filling: In a pinch, you could swap out the apples and spices for a can of apple pie filling. This would save time, but I do like the dump cake better with fresh apples.
Storing Apple Cake
Store any leftover apple dump cake in an airtight container for up to three days. To make it last a day or two longer, keep it in the refrigerator. Always use your best judgment when it comes to storing and eating leftovers.
Other Cake Recipes
- The Best Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling
- Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Spiced Applesauce Cake
If you try this caramel apple dump cake (or my Easy Pear Dump Cake) with fresh apples or any of my other recipes, please let me know by leaving a comment below!
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups apples peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup caramel sauce store-bought or homemade
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3/4 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
- In a large bowl, toss together thinly sliced apples, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour apples into the prepared baking dish.
- Drizzle caramel topping over the top of the apples.
- Evenly distribute cake mix over the top of the apples.
- Pour melted butter on top, doing your best to cover all of the cake mix.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown and the apples are tender, around 45-50 minutes.
- Allow the dump cake to cool slightly before serving with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
