Toffee Apple Spice Dump Cake From Scratch

This amazing toffee apple spice dump cake from scratch is baked with a layer of fresh apples and raisins in sugar and spice. Topped with an easy chewy and crisp salted caramel cake that takes like toffee popcorn. It's quick, eggless, and doesn't make a mess in the kitchen as it works like magic in the tray!

We're all allowed a little treat every now and then, and this is mine. My apple spice dump cake recipe.

I don't think words can describe just how delicious it is, but, I'll give it a go! If you like the taste of toffee popcorn, you'll love the salted caramel apple dump cake with warm spices throughout.

And little toffee puddles that have been bubbling away while it bakes. But with December just around the corner, I'll also talk you through how easy it is to also make a Christmas dump cake out of it.

What's Is A Dump Cake?

If you're not American, you may not have heard of a dump cake before. But here's what it is and the benefits to an easy dump cake:

• It's so easy that beginner bakers can make
• You literally just dump everything in a 20 x 30cm buttered baking dish
• It doesn't require mixing wet ingredients
• Less messy to make
• You can make it even easier by using a 432g box of dry yellow cake mix, such as Betty Crocker, but others flavours work too, like Devil's Food cake mix!
• And you can make your dump cake with apple pie filling
• Or even additional diced caramel pieces, (but this recipe lets the sugar caramelize for us)
• But, it's just as easy to make caramel apple dump cake with fresh apples
• The butter is either added on top in chunks, or melted butter is poured on top before baking
• Believed to have first been mentioned in America in 1980

How to Make Fresh Apple Dump Cake from Scratch

Admittedly, there's a couple more steps to make in my recipe as we're not using canned apples. But, I personally think this is cheaper if you have fresh homegrown apples.

You'll find a printable how to make dump cake recipe card at the bottom of this page. But all I do is:

• Preheat my oven
• Butter a 20 x 30cm, 2" deep baking tray
• Add my chopped apples and mix with sugar and spice
• In a separate bowl, mix the dry flour, baking powder and sea salt and sprinkle on top of the apples
• Randomly scatter dark brown muscovado sugar on top
• Then pour melted butter on top, tilting the dish in every angle to cover the flour completely (or you can scatter diced butter instead)
• Bake for 45 minutes until bubbling on the edges
• Leave to cool slightly before serving with custard or ice cream

How Can I Tell My Apple Spice Cake is Done?

After 45 minutes, you'll find the sugars have caramelise and it should be bubbling around the edges.

With this dump cake having a toffee apple texture, you'll find it will harden in places while it cools.

And the longer you bake toffee apple dump cake, the chewier it will be. Which is why we personally prefer eating it warm with custard as opposed to cold.

How to Reheat Apple Spice Dump Cake

With it making 12 portions, it's likely you'll need to reheat this salted caramel apple dump cake.

Reheating easy apple dump cake in oven

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees, fan. Cover the easy apple spice dump cake with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes to prevent it from drying out.

Some moisture will escape the tinfoil, so don't worry about it being soggy.

Microwave Dump Cake Leftovers

If we're want to eat our dump cake leftovers in a matter of minutes, I just serve in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Sometimes I microwave it with custard on top. Or, depending on my mood, I like to pour cold custard on top.

What Apples Can I Use?

You can make this dump cake with any apples, such as Bramley or eating apples. In fact, frozen and defrosted apples including the apple juice that seeps out during the thawing process also work perfectly.

Peeling your apples really isn't necessary. However, when coring and cutting into chunks, you can drizzle the juice of half a lemon on top to prevent oxidization.

This isn't vital as they'll all turn brown while they cook in the sugar. Also, it's debatable that the malic and tartaric acid it produces gives an artificially sweet taste.

What Other Fruit Can I Use to Make a Dump Cake?

Christmas Dump Cake

Use the same apple spice dump cake recipe, but add the zest of a lemon and orange along with some currants, raisins, sultanas, and mixed peel along with a tablespoon of black treacle. OR, make this really quick and easy mincemeat dump cake.

Peach Dump Cake

Use the same recipe, but swap apples for two tins of sliced peaches in syrup without draining. Alternatively, you could add cinnamon and ground ginger for spiced peaches as your base.

Cherry Cola Dump Cake

Drain and layer 2 x 225g jars of cocktail cherries in a buttered dish. Then stir in 1 cup of coca cola into my dried cake mix. Then dump it on top of the cherries before baking. Or, even 7up, like Sprite. Or, try a classic cherry chocolate dump cake in a slow cooker.

Alternatives to an Apple Dessert With Cake Mix

• Pineapple
• Rhubarb
• Chocolate dump cake using Betty Crocker's Devil's Food Cake Mix
• Pumpkin
• Mango
• Carrot cake
• Mixed berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries
• And much more!

Is this a Healthy Dump Cake?

This certainly isn't a low-calorie dump cake. But I have seen many that are much higher.

If you want to enjoy a:

Low Carb Dump Cake

Swap the flour for a mix of ground almonds or flour along with walnuts and coconut flour. Butter or coconut oil is still a good option for a Keto diet.

As for fruit, choose a berry as they have much less sugar in them.

Can You Make Apple Spice Dump Cake in a Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can make it a slow cooker dump cake! (Or Crock pot, of course). However, it will be much softer as opposed to crispy, if that's the texture you'd prefer.

Instead of layering a baking dish, butter and layer everything in a slow cooker. Then cover with the lid and bake on high for 2-3 hours in a large one or 3-4 hours in a small one to ensure the cake mix is firm at the top.

Why Is This Different to an Apple Cobbler With Cake Mix?

The main difference between an apple dump cake and an apple cobbler is the method of which the cake mix is mixed.

• For an apple cobbler, a wet cake mix is mixed together before spreading on top of the apples or other fruit you're using
• When making an apple dump cake, dry ingredients are dumped on top, followed by diced or melted butter, which then turns into a cake mixture in the oven

More Apple Puddings You Might Like

• Apple and raisin cake
• Healthy apple crumble
• Apple and mincemeat crumble
• Gluten Free apple and blackberry crumble
• Apple cinnamon cake with chocolate (an amazing coffee cake)
• Christmas slow cooker mincemeat
• Easy mincemeat cake recipe
• Slimming chocolate and apple frozen yogurt
• Easy butterfly buns recipe

How to Make Apple Dump Cake

📖 Recipe

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