Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

Everyone loves a homemade cake, but not necessarily the effort of making it. That’s where peach cobbler dump cake shines. It’s one of those 13×9-inch desserts that feeds a crowd without taking hours to create. Packed with fruit, scented with cinnamon sugar and topped with crisp almonds, this dump cake peach cobbler requires very minimal labor and a super short list of ingredients.

Like all dump cake recipes, the trick is in the technique. Rather than beating together eggs, butter, flour and sugar, as in classic cake recipes, dump cakes rely on a clever layering method. Simply dump canned fruit and syrup, then brown sugar, then cake mix and a final layer of butter into a 13×9-inch pan. The trick is not to stir! Pop the dump cake into the oven, and watch as the fruit bubbles up and the butter melts down. The separate layers merge into a homey, golden cobbler-like cake.

Ingredients for Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

• Canned peaches: This recipe calls for sliced peaches in extra-light syrup. The syrup itself is an essential liquid ingredient that makes this stir-free peach dump cake cobbler work.
• Brown sugar: Rich with molasses flavor, brown sugar draws out the sweetness of the peaches. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
• Cinnamon: A sprinkle of cinnamon adds classic cozy flavor to the cake. Use any type of cinnamon you have.
• Yellow cake mix: Use your favorite mix or try one of our Test Kitchen-approved cake mixes. The recipe calls for one standard-sized box of cake mix. If you buy a larger box, look to one of our recipes to use up cake mix.
• Almonds: Sliced almonds add a pleasant crunch to the soft peach cobbler dump recipe.
• Butter: The cold butter will slowly melt over the top of the cake, enriching the dough, adding moisture and encouraging the top to brown.

Directions

Step 1: Layer the fruit and cake mix

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour one can of peaches into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Drain the remaining can of peaches and add the fruit to the baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.

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Carefully pour the cake mix into the pan, distributing it evenly so there aren’t big piles of mix. Finally, sprinkle almonds across the pan.

Step 2: Add the butter layer and bake

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Cut the butter into very thin slices. Arrange the squares over the top, spacing evenly. Remember, don’t mix the batter!

Bake until the top of the peach dump cake cobbler is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.

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Recipe Variations

• Serve with ice cream: Fruit desserts are even more irresistible with ice cream. Try this cake with a scoop of vanilla, cinnamon or butter pecan.
• Switch up the nuts: Swap in pecans or walnuts for the almonds, or sprinkle on a cinnamon-sugar streusel topping instead.
• Use a different cake mix: Try a white or butter pecan cake mix.
• Play with flavors: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, Chinese five-spice powder or cardamom all taste divine with peaches. You could also include 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (add it along with the peaches and give them a quick mix to incorporate it).
• Make it allergy-friendly: You may use a gluten-free cake mix, omit the nuts and/or swap in vegan butter if you like.

How to Store Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

Keep leftover dump peach cobbler in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Enjoy it cold or reheat it in the microwave. You can also freeze dump cake peach cobbler for up to three months. Defrost it in the fridge overnight before eating or reheating.

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake Tips

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Can you use fresh peaches for peach cobbler dump cake?

We love fresh peach recipes because the flavor can’t be beat, and you can use fresh ripe peaches in this peach cobbler dump cake recipe, but you’ll need to replace the syrupy sweet liquid that comes with the canned peaches. Make your own simple syrup by mixing water and sugar, and combine it with the peaches to bring out their natural sweetness.

What is the biggest mistake to avoid when making a dump cake?

It’s pretty tough to mess up a dump cake that’s as easy as the name suggests. But don’t treat a dump cake like a regular cake—it shouldn’t be stirred or mixed.

Be sure to add the layers into the pan in the proper order so that the raw flour in the cake mix, liquid and fat ingredients will incorporate nicely. After all, it’s not safe to eat raw flour. Even once it’s baked, you don’t want a mouthful of it. Scattering the butter evenly over the top so there aren’t large dry patches of cake mix flour will help prevent this.