apple dump cake

Easy apple dump cake features spiced apple pie filling layered with yellow cake mix and topped with candied pecans for a perfect crunchy topping! Ready for the oven in less than 15 minutes, you get all those warming spices and autumn apple goodness without the fuss of a pie!

Sweet, spiced apples paired with a buttery, golden, cobbler-like topping–all layered together in just one pan! Apple dump cake is the simplicity you’ve been yearning for all fall season. The flavors of an apple pie with almost none of the effort, this cozy treat will check all your boxes for Thanksgiving, family gatherings, or any Thursday night!

You probably have all the pantry staples for an apple dump cake already, so it’s no wonder you’ll be making it all the time! But, if you want to branch out, I have all your other apple dessert bases covered. My easy French apple tart, mini cream cheese apple crisps, and this caramel apple crumb cake all stay in heavy rotation at my house well through the holidays.

Professional Tips

• Don’t mix the cake mix into the filling. I know it goes against everything we know about baking. To get the perfect layers, you won’t want to mix the dump cake. 
• I use a variety of apples in my dump cake filling. Yes, you can 100% use store-bought filling, but if making homemade, use different apple varieties! This will offer diverse flavors and textures, which I talk about more in my apple pie filling recipe. I lean towards pink lady, gala, fuji, braeburn, and granny smith apples because they stay crisp when baked instead of turning mushy.
• A cake tester won’t work for testing when the dump cake is done. How can you tell when a dump cake is cooked? You want to test the cake by color, ensuring it is completely golden brown, and by touch, the top should give some resistance when pressed.

Ingredients

• Apple pie filling: This recipe calls for 2 cans of apple pie filling. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could make a double batch of my apple pie filling from scratch! If you have a preferred filling recipe from your favorite apple cobbler or apple crumble, that could likely work as well. 
• Apple pie spice: I love using my apple pie spice mix for my apple dump cakes, but I’ve also put the individual spice measurements for cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in the recipe card below.
• Yellow Cake Mix: I use Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix, but you can use your go-to dry cake mix brand. 
• Pecans: Just like in pecan sticky buns pecans add a wonderful crunch. You can substitute them with another nut of your choosing. 
• Cinnamon & Granulated Sugar: The cinnamon and sugar combine to spice the pecans perfectly for the crumble topping. 
• Unsalted Butter: The butter is the primary binder, bringing the whole dump cake together.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on Dump Cake Recipes

• Swap the cake mix or pie filling. Try making it with a white, spice cake mix, or chocolate cake mix. Get extra chocolate cake mix and make a heart-shaped chocolate strawberry cake next! You could even get a little wild and make a peach dump cake, cherry dump cake, or blueberry dump cake using the fillings from my peach cobbler, cherry pie, and blueberry galette respectively!
• Add some mix-ins. Sprinkle chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips on top of the cake mix before the butter. You know from my apple cinnamon roll bread pudding that cinnamon really takes apples to another level!
• Make a mini version. You could make tiny apple dump cakes using a muffin pan, just like I do with my mini apple pies! Be careful with your bake time, since they will be done sooner.

How to Make Apple Dump Cake

Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F conventional (no fan). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

Step 2: Pour apple pie filling into the baking dish and top with apple pie spice. It’s not necessary, but you can stir to combine. Gently shake it to settle into one even layer. 

Make sure you sprayed the baking dish before adding the apple mixture. Otherwise, it will stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 3: Cut open the cake mix bag. Shake the cake mix evenly over the top of the whole apple pie filling.

Don’t stress too much about making it perfect. Just try to cover the apple mixture. 

Step 4: Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top of the cake mix. Lightly touch with your hand to even out the cake mix. I mostly just try to get any big mounds down to the same level.

Step 5: Sprinkle the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon over the top of the pecans. 

Step 6: Lay the sliced butter in a single layer over the top of the cake. There will be gaps, but try to get even coverage so no patch of cake mix is left unbuttered! 

If slicing the butter cold, use a bench scraper, not a knife. 

Step 7: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes if using a metal pan or until the sides and top are a nice golden brown and the center gives a little resistance when lightly pressed. 

It should give like a light sponge cake. You’ll also notice that the filling will be bubbling!

Step 8: Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. You won’t want to miss my other favorite fall recipes, especially these cozy baking recipes. Or keep making autumn dump cakes, and try out this pumpkin dump cake from our sister site!