Apple Dump Cake with Pecans
This Apple Dump Cake with Pecans layers sweet apple pie filling with buttery cake mix and chopped pecans for an easy fall dessert with plenty of warm apple flavor and crunch. Serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream for the perfect cozy dessert.
The beauty of a dump cake is how little work it takes to put together. Everything is layered right in the baking dish with no mixing required, making this one of those easy desserts I love when I want something warm from the oven without a lot of prep.
If you love easy apple desserts, our Apple Dumplings made with Crescent Rolls and Apple Pie are two more cozy recipes to make during the season.
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Ingredients
This easy apple dump cake comes together with a handful of simple ingredients you can grab at your local grocery store.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Canned Apple Pie Filling: Three cans create a generous apple layer across the bottom of the baking dish without having to peel or cook fresh apples first.
- Cake Mix: I use butter pecan cake mix to add extra buttery, nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the apple filling and chopped pecans. Spice cake mix or French vanilla cake mix would also work well if you want to change things up.
- Salted Butter: Melted butter is drizzled as evenly as possible over the top of the dry cake mix, creating those buttery, golden brown pieces as it bakes.
- Pecans: They add a little crunch and nutty flavor to the top without overwhelming the apple filling.
You'll want to have a 9x13-inch baking dish, measuring cups and spoons, and a small microwave-safe bowl for melting the butter.
Variations
- Caramel Apple: Drizzle caramel sauce over the warm cake before serving for an easy caramel apple version.
- More Pecans: Add extra on top of the pie filling first, for a crunchier, more pronounced pecan flavor.
- Skip the Nuts: Leave the pecans off completely for a classic easy apple dump cake.
How to Make An Apple Dump Cake
This simple dessert is all about layering the ingredients directly in your dish with no mixing required.
Heat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
Add the cans of apple pie filling to baking dish, followed by an evenly layer of cake mix.
Pour melted butter as evenly as you can and then topped with your chopped pecans.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.
Allow it to sit for a few minutes to set slightly, then serve.
Hint: Don't stir the apple filling and dry cake mix together. They'll come together as the dump cake bakes.
Recipe Tips
- Drizzle the Butter Evenly: Try to cover as much of the cake mix as possible with the melted butter to avoid large patches of dry mix after baking. A few small dry spots are completely fine.
- Watch the Pecans: Check the cake toward the end of the bake time. If the pecans are nicely toasted before the rest is ready, loosely tent the baking dish with foil.
- Look for Bubbling: The apple mixture should be bubbling around the edges and the cake topping should be golden brown when it's ready.
- Let It Rest: Give the warm cake a few minutes to sit before serving so the apple filling can settle slightly.
For another fall dessert loaded with pecans, our Costco Pecan Pie has a gooey filling, flaky crust and plenty of pecans in every bite.
More Desserts
Storage Instructions
- Room Temperature: Once cooled, cover the baking dish and keep at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Once completely cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2-3 months. I recommend trying to use a container that will offer as little air as possible.
- Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave, or slowly reheat a larger portion in the oven until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
- Fall Drinks: Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Chai Latte, or Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Macchiato.
- More Cozy Desserts: Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk, Pecan Tarts, Apple Coffee Cake and Carrot Sheet Cake.
Apple Dump Cake Recipe FAQs
A dump cake is a simple dessert made by layering fruit filling, dry cake mix, and butter directly in a baking dish. There's no traditional cake batter or mixing required.
I wouldn't make that a straight substitution in this particular recipe. Canned apple pie filling already contains a thickened, sweetened sauce that provides moisture as the dump cake bakes. Fresh apples can be added in for extra texture.
Look for bubbling apple filling around the edges and a golden brown cake topping. You may still see a few small areas of dry cake mix on top, which is normal for a dump cake.
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Apple Dump Cake with Pecans
Equipment
- 9x13 Baking Dish
- Measuring Cup
Ingredients
- 3 19- ounce cans apple pie filling
- 1 375- gram box butter pecan cake mix (13 ounce)
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
- 1 stick butter salted and melted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Add the cans of apple pie filling to baking dish, followed by an evenly layer of cake mix.
- Pour melted butter as evenly as you can and then topped with your chopped pecans.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes to set slightly, then serve.
Notes
- Drizzle the Butter Evenly: Try to cover as much of the cake mix as possible with the melted butter to avoid large patches of dry mix after baking. A few small dry spots are completely fine.
- Watch the Pecans: Check the cake toward the end of the bake time. If the pecans are nicely toasted before the rest is ready, loosely tent the baking dish with foil.
- Look for Bubbling: The apple mixture should be bubbling around the edges and the cake topping should be golden brown when it's ready.
- Let It Rest: Give the warm cake a few minutes to sit before serving so the apple filling can settle slightly.
- Don't Mix: Don't stir the apple filling and dry cake mix together. They'll come together as the dump cake bakes.
- Room Temperature: Once cooled, cover the baking dish and keep at room temperature for up to 1 day.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Once completely cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2-3 months. I recommend trying to use a container that will offer as little air as possible.
- Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave or slowly reheat a larger portion in the oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
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