Holy smokes, sugar fiends!
Gear up for dessert and brace yourself. Behold: Caramel Dump Cake, an irresistible mess of buttery cake, caramel, and nuts crunchy enough to make your knees weak. Oh, that’s not any cake, my friend; this is the perfection of a lazy baker’s dream. Least effort, maximum return of deliciousness. You will—trust me—scrape the pan before you know it!
What Are You Going to Need?
Consider this:
One lazy Sunday afternoon, an intense longing swept over me when I was lying on the couch, scrolling my phone. I wanted something sweet and now, it needed to happen. Just the thought of having to get up and fix a more elaborate dessert made me want to crawl under my cozy blanket, yet that’s when I remembered: a delightful dump cake, grandma’s good old trick.
Almost exactly one year in, with a few edits and a stroke of caramel laced genius, I hit upon this divine creation. The scent of buttery, good caramel that wafted through my kitchen was a gold mine. A single bite later, and there I was, back on those sultry afternoons at Grandma’s — but this time, undoubtedly leveled up. This cake is what I bring to potlucks, movie nights, and when absolutely nothing but an outrageously decadent cake will do.
Serving Suggestions
Fine, presentation: You absolutely can dive right in with a fork and no judgment from me, but to make this splash, try: Heat the slice, set a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top, sprinkle on extra nuts, finish it off with a light powdered sugar dusting.
Boom! Dessert nirvana achieved.
Nutritional Information: Well, I won’t mince words—pun intended. This is not exactly health food. The way I see it, life’s too short to get uptight about calories in dessert. Full stop: let’s just say it’s chock-full of joy and leave it at that.
FAQ
Absolutely! It’s even better the next day.
In the unlikely event you have leftovers, it’ll last about 3-4 days covered at room temperature.
You bet! Wrap it up tight and freeze for up to 3 months.
Storage
•Room Temperature: Best enjoyed freshly baked.
Cover and store for up to 1 day.
•Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container for up to
3-4 days.
•Freezing: Wrap portions in plastic wrap, place in a
freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
•Reheating: Microwave for 20-30 seconds or oven at
350°F for 10-15 minutes.
•For the best experience, serve freshly baked and warm.
Alright dessert lovers, let me hear it. Did you make this recipe? Did you totally do something completely different to your dessert? Share below in the comments your caramel dump cake adventures. Extra credit if you make us all drool with pics!
How to Make a Caramel Dump Cake?
Caramel Dump Cake That’ll Make You Swoon
Course: Dump Cakes8
servings10
minutes40
minutes350
kcalIngredients
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup caramel sauce
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional for
baking and/or serving)1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut (optional)
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbs powdered sugar (optional,
for serving)Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Steps
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a
9×13-inch baking pan. - In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix,
eggs, milk, and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth. - Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan,
spreading it evenly. - Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cake batter,
allowing it to sink slightly. - In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter,
chopped pecans, walnuts, and shredded coconut (if
using). - Sprinkle the butter mixture evenly over the top of the
cake batter and caramel. - Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until
golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. - Let cool briefly before serving warm or at room
temperature. - Optionally, dust with powdered sugar and serve
warm with fresh cherries and/or a scoop of vanilla ice
cream/
Conclusion
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen—the Caramel Dump Cake in its full glory. Easy, tasty—this is seriously all you have to do to be a hero at the any gathering. So what are you waiting for?
Just keep dumping so you can indulge!
And if that gooey caramel dessert had your taste buds seriously tingling, then check out my other simple dessert recipes. Oh, and remember to Pin for Later!
Can you put it all together put it covered in the fridge and bake it the next day
Hi Hazel! Great question, and yes, you can absolutely assemble the components of this caramel dump cake ahead of time and refrigerate it for baking the next day, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1. Prevent the cake mix from soaking up too much liquid: Since the caramel sauce and butter mixture could start to sink into the cake batter as it sits, I’d recommend holding off on adding the caramel drizzle and the butter topping until right before you bake. You can prepare the batter and pour it into the pan, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate. Store the caramel and butter mixture separately, and add them when you’re ready to bake.
2. Bring it to room temperature before baking: If you refrigerate the batter, let the pan sit out at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes while your oven preheats. This helps the cake bake evenly.
I’ve done this myself when prepping for a party, and it works wonderfully! Let me know if you give it a try or if you have more questions—I’d love to hear how it turns out for you! 😊
Thank you, Emma I decided just to wait till the next morning to make it. I followed your recipe to a tea. Sadly, it just did not turn out for me. It didn’t look anything like yours. Once it’s halfway cool, I tried it. It was very dry. I don’t know what I did wrong.😞
Hi Hazel,
I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected! Let’s figure this out together. A dry texture could be caused by a few things:
1. Baking Time/Temperature: If the cake baked too long or your oven runs hot, it could dry out. Check a few minutes early next time—look for a toothpick with moist crumbs, not completely dry.
2. Moisture Distribution: Was the caramel drizzled evenly? It helps keep the cake moist. Also, make sure the butter mixture fully covers the top to lock in moisture.
3. Liquid Measurements: Double-check the milk, butter, and caramel amounts—small differences can impact texture.
Since you followed the recipe closely, it might also be the brand of cake mix or oven quirks. I’d suggest trying again and maybe adding an extra splash of milk or caramel for moisture. Let me know if you do—I’m here to help! 😊