Description
Caramel apple dump cake delivers pure autumn comfort with minimal effort. Sweet apples and rich caramel meld perfectly, creating a rustic dessert you’ll crave long after the last delicious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup caramel sauce
Topping Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Optional Garnish:
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Layer the freshly chopped apples evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish, creating a uniform fruit foundation.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce generously over the apple layer, ensuring complete and consistent coverage.
- Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix directly over the caramel-coated apples, creating an even, powdery blanket.
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl, whisking until smooth and well-integrated.
- Pour the butter mixture methodically over the cake mix, allowing it to seep into the dry ingredients and create a crumbly texture.
- If desired, scatter chopped pecans across the top for added crunch and nutty flavor.
- Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown and the edges become crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes to allow the caramel to set and flavors to meld.
- Serve warm, optionally topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent finishing touch.
Notes
- Prevent cake mix clumping by evenly sprinkling the dry ingredients, ensuring a smooth, consistent layer across the apples.
- Enhance moisture by using ripe, slightly soft apples that will release natural juices during baking, creating a rich, gooey texture.
- Adjust sweetness levels by selecting tart apple varieties like Granny Smith if you prefer less sugar, or sweeter Honeycrisp for more caramel-like intensity.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting regular yellow cake mix with a gluten-free alternative and checking that caramel sauce contains no wheat-based additives.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg