Rustic Apple Dump Cake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Cold diced apples soaked briefly in lemon water to stop browning. Sugars and warming spices tossed directly onto fruit for deep flavor. Packaged yellow cake mix dusted evenly over apples, allowing for crisp top. Butter scattered in pats across dry mix then drizzled with melted butter to create uneven rich browning. Baked at moderate heat until golden and bubbling. Serves a crowd with straightforward prep and bold contrast of sweet spices and buttery crunch.
Prep:
30 min
Cook:
55 min
Total:
Servings:
12 servings
#American
#dessert
#easy bake
#apple
#cinnamon
#fall
#comfort food
Grab apples, cinnamon, sugar. Cube, toss quickly in lemon water so no brown slime creeps in. Tried warm water once — disaster. Keep ’em cold, crisp. Sugar slicks apple pieces, cinnamon sparkles over top. Cake mix dusted like snow. Butter drops scattered like little treasure. Melted butter drizzled melting those crumbs before oven. Sounds simple, but timing and textures matter. Bubbles tell you what’s happening inside, golden brown top is invitation. Smell tells secrets. Crisp to soft. The way edges caramelize? Magic. Tried making it with flour and my own sugar pudding base — nope, box mix nails crumb top. Doesn’t need fuss. Touch and sight, not just clock. Sit tight five after bake, if hands burn it’s too hot still. A far cry from fancy.In a pinch, granny smith or gala work; cooking apples give different sweetness balance. I’ve swapped apple pie spice for a sprinkle smoked paprika once — unexpected but fun twist with warm roast pork dinner. Keep basics, build from kitchen mood and what’s fresh. Sweet, simple, rustic cake you want to dive into while still warm, runny edges, crunch top, haze cinnamon in air.
Ingredients
- 6 cups peeled, cored, diced apples
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15 1/4 ounces)
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pats
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
About the ingredients
Apples firm and tart best. Granny smith or honeycrisp good balance, but any firm apple works. Avoid mealy or overly ripe or cake turns mushy. Lemon juice stops apple browning, don’t skip it or get brown spots. Sugar split between granulated and brown brings depth — brown for molasses notes. Apple pie spice blends cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; if no blend, use cinnamon plus pinch nutmeg. Cake mix is your shortcut crumb layer; reinvents as crust and mop for apple juices. Butter pats cold to stop butter from fully melting too soon, creates layered texture. Melted butter drizzled later helps saturate mix, giving crisp, uneven surface. Unsalted butter preferred to control salt levels. Some use melted coconut oil for dairy-free version, but watch flavor shift. Spray pan thoroughly — apples burn on edges sometimes if not well-greased. Substituting with gluten-free cake mix changes texture; expect more crumbly top.
Method
- Preheat oven at 345 degrees for gentler bake; better caramelization over 350.
- Spray a 9x13 pan thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray or lightly butter the corners to prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, pour cold water then add lemon juice — prevents apple oxidation, keeps color bright.
- Peel, core, dice apples then dunk immediately into lemon water to stop browning.
- Drain apples completely in a colander; squeeze gently if needed to remove excess water but not mush.
- Return apples to the bowl dry, toss with granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice.
- Toss until apple pieces are evenly coated, sugar begins to dissolve slightly against fruit juices.
- Spread spiced apples evenly into buttered pan, pressing down lightly for compact base.
- Evenly scatter dry yellow cake mix over fruit, no clumps; shake pan gently side to side to level.
- Distribute small pats of cold butter evenly across dry cake mix; cold butter crucial for layer separation.
- Drizzle melted butter inbetween pats — extra buttery pockets, create crunchy golden top.
- Bake uncovered for about 50-55 minutes, until edges bubble vigorously and top is golden brown then slightly crispy.
- Look for bubbling juices visible on sides, and center slightly jiggles but mostly set; aroma will shift to toasty with hints of cinnamon.
- Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes so juices thicken but still warm when scooped.
- Serve warm, straight from pan; rustic edges hold surprises of sugar caramel and tender spiced apples.
Cooking tips
Start oven early; don’t rush cooling later or juices won’t thicken properly. Lemon water soak stops browning but don’t leave apples soaking too long or they’ll leach flavor. Drain apples well to avoid soggy cake; a little moisture is fine but no puddles. Toss sugars and spices with damp apples to coat evenly; uneven coating means weird clumps or bland bites. Distribute cake mix evenly across apples — patting down ruins crumb texture. Butter pats must be cold, so butter chunks melt slowly between dry mix creating layers. Drizzling melted butter is a later finish — balances moisture, crunch. Bake uncovered; steam escape develops crust, trapped steam ruins texture. Midway baking, smell changes from raw mix and tart apple to warm caramel and spice aroma. Look for bubbling juices on sides and golden brown top, not only time. Pull early if top deeply browned but juices hardly bubbling, cover loosely with foil to finish bake. Rest after baking essential — hot pan yields runny liquid spills. Serve warm; chill cakes lose charm and dry fast. Leftovers reheat well, but crisp top softens.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cold water soak with lemon juice is not just preference; it stops apples oxidizing fast. Timing is key avoid long soak or flavor gets watery. Drain well but avoid crushing or mush; texture matters here.
- 💡 Butter pats must be cold, scatter evenly on dry cake mix. Cold butter melts slower, creates layers instead of greasing the entire top right away. That’s why texture varies — crunchy bits mix with tender crumbs.
- 💡 Cake mix spread needs gentle shaking side to side. No patting down or clumps. If layers compress, you lose crumb texture and crisp edges. Let gravity level it while apples compact base tightly pressed.
- 💡 Watch oven temperature closely; 345 degrees for gentle caramel rather than 350. Too hot and edges burn before center cooks. Look for bubbling juices on sides, golden top, slight jiggle in center is done enough.
- 💡 For dairy-free swap, melted coconut oil works instead of butter but expect flavor shift and some texture differences. Butter preferred but coconut oil saves day when needed. Gluten-free cake mix? More crumbly, less moist.
Common questions
Why soak apples in lemon water?
Stops oxidation browning early. Helps keep color bright. Must keep soak short or flavor leaks into water. Good drainage after helps avoid sogginess.
Can I use other spices?
Apple pie spice easy fallback with cinnamon nutmeg cloves. Smoked paprika tried once for savory twist. Cinnamon alone works too. Adjust amounts based on preference and fresh spices.
Cake topping soggy?
Likely butter melted too fast or cake mix packed tight. Keep butter cold, scatter not clumped; no patting down cake mix. Bake uncovered to escape steam, crisp top forms better this way.
How to store leftovers?
Cool fully first. Fridge up to four days covered but crust softens. Reheat in oven to restore crisp top or microwave if rushed—crumb more delicate then. Freeze possible but texture changes.
