Name: Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 box (15 oz Butter Pecan cake mix); 2 cans (21 oz apple pie filling); 1 jar (14 oz caramel sauce); 1 tsp apple pie spice (or cinnamon); 1 cup butter; 1 cup pecan halves

Caramel Apple Dump Cake is a super easy apple dessert that is a lot like a caramel apple cobbler. The buttery cake mix topping and caramel sauce really take this dessert to another level.

You’re going to love how easy it is to make this Dump Cake.

And we’re solving one of the most common issues with dump cake – dry and powdery topping.

I’m sharing all the keys to success to making the best caramel apple dessert for family dinner.

caramel apple dump cake with butter pecan cake mix

Key to Success #1 – Caramel the Apple

The base layer for this Caramel Apple Dump cake is two cans of apple pie filling.

Pour the apple pie filling into the bottom of the greased casserole dish.

Be sure to spread it to cover the bottom of the dish.

Now, let’s talk about the caramel sauce.

When I say caramel sauce, I’m talking about a thick caramel sauce that you would put on ice cream, not a thin caramel syrup.

I used the Hershey’s caramel sauce that you find in the ice cream toppings section of the grocery store.

You can also make your own caramel sauce at home using only one can of sweetened condensed milk.

I make this caramel sauce quite often and it is delicious!

You won’t regret making it or using it in this recipe.

Drizzle the caramel over the apple pie filling in the baking dish.

If your caramel sauce is too thick to pour, microwave it (in a microwave-safe container) for about 30 seconds until it is pourable.

Key to Success #2 – Butter the Cake Mix

Many dump cake recipes call for you to cut the butter into tabs and place them on top of the dry cake mix, but that tends to leave a lot of the cake mix too dry and crumbly.

I prefer to incorporate the butter into the cake mix so that it moistens the cake mix evenly.

You’ll want to start with COLD butter and dry cake mix.

Place the dry cake mix into a medium-sized bowl then cut the two sticks of butter into pieces and add them to the bowl.

Use a pastry blender or a fork to break up the butter and combine it with the cake mix.

You can also use a food processor to combine the butter and cake mix.

Place the COLD butter into the food processor and add in the cake mix.

Pulse the food processor a few times until the mixture looks like coarse sand.

It does not have to be perfectly blended.

As long as most of the cake mix is combined with the butter, you should be good.

Sprinkle the cake mix mixture over the caramel layer in your baking dish then add the pecan halves on top.

Key to Success #3 – Pecans for Crunch

The pecans on top of this yummy dump cake are optional, but they add a great crunch.

We like it with the pecans, but you can leave them off if you don’t prefer them.

Bake your Caramel Apple Dump Cake uncovered for about 45-50 minutes until the topping is lightly browned and the cake is bubbly.

Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a little sweetened whipped cream.

Save this Caramel Apple Dump Cake Recipe to your favorite Apple Desserts board or your Easy Cake Recipes board.