This gooey peach dump cake is a sweet, comforting summer dessert that’s simple to make from scratch using fresh, canned, or frozen peaches and a homemade cake mix. It yields a soft, moist cake with bubbling, juicy fruit and a lightly crisp top—delicious served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
An Easy Peach Dump Cake Recipe
This recipe is made entirely from scratch but remains one of the easiest cakes to prepare. Fresh peaches give the best flavor, though canned or frozen fruit also work well. The dessert is perfect topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for contrast between warm, gooey peaches and cold, creamy ice cream.
Besides peaches, you only need common baking staples and a few warm spices to build the cake mix that will be sprinkled over the fruit before baking.
What Is a Dump Cake?
A dump cake gets its name from the straightforward method: layers are “dumped” into a single baking dish. Typically there’s a fruit layer, a dry cake mix layer, and melted butter poured on top. Many recipes use a boxed cake mix, but this version uses a simple homemade cake mix for better flavor and cost savings.
Recipe Ingredients
- Peaches: 2 pounds fresh peach slices (about 6 large peaches), or canned or frozen peaches.
- Sugar: 1 1/4 cups, divided (¼ cup for the peaches, 1 cup for the cake mix).
- All-purpose flour: 1 1/4 cups.
- Baking powder: 2 teaspoons.
- Baking soda: 1/2 teaspoon.
- Ground cinnamon: 1/2 teaspoon.
- Ground nutmeg: 1/4 teaspoon.
- Salt: 1/4 teaspoon.
- Unsalted butter: 3/4 cup, melted.
- Vanilla ice cream: optional, for serving.
How to Make a Peach Dump Cake
- Preheat: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter and dust lightly with flour.
- Prepare peaches: Arrange peach slices in a single layer in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the sugar and set aside to macerate briefly.
- Make the cake mix: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Assemble: Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the peaches. Gently shake or tilt the baking dish so the dry mix settles and contacts the fruit—this helps prevent dry pockets.
- Add butter: Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top so it soaks into the dry mix and creates a tender, golden crust while baking.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 35–45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Check at about 25 minutes—if you see dry flour on top, press it down into the fruit and continue baking.
- Rest and serve: Remove from the oven and let the cake rest 10–15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Fresh is best: Fresh peaches give the most vibrant flavor, though canned or frozen fruit will still yield a delicious result.
- Eliminate air pockets: Shake or tilt the pan after sprinkling the dry mix so the flour contacts the fruit beneath and bakes into the filling.
- Golden top: Wait for a golden-brown top to get a pleasant contrast between a crisp surface and gooey filling.
Variation Ideas
You can easily adapt this base recipe with other summer fruits or additions:
- Blueberries: Add fresh or frozen blueberries for bright pops of flavor.
- Blackberries: Mix blackberries with peaches for a sweet-tart combination.
- Strawberries: Sliced strawberries pair beautifully with peach slices for a colorful dessert.
- Toasted nuts: Sprinkle chopped, toasted pecans or almonds over the top after baking for crunch.
Serving Suggestions
- Vanilla ice cream: A scoop of cold vanilla ice cream is classic and delicious with warm peach dump cake.
- Whipped cream: Lightly sweetened whipped cream is a lighter alternative to ice cream.
- Milk: A cold glass of milk pairs well with this sweet, comforting dessert—kids especially enjoy it this way.
How to Store Leftovers
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. For longer storage, freeze portions for up to six months.
- Reheat single servings in the microwave or warm larger portions in a 350°F (175°C) oven until heated through.
Easy Cake Recipes
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Peach Dump Cake From Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh peach slices (about 6 large peaches), or canned/frozen peaches
- 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided (¼ cup for peaches, 1 cup for mix)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Vanilla ice cream, optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter and dust lightly with flour.
- Arrange peach slices in a single layer and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.
- Whisk together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the peaches and shake or tilt the dish so the mix settles into the fruit.
- Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered 35–45 minutes until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbly. If dry flour appears on top, press it down into the fruit and continue baking.
- Remove from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Two pounds of peaches is roughly six large peaches, but the number varies by size.
- If using frozen fruit, there’s no need to thaw before assembling.
- Check the cake around 25 minutes to press any dry flour into the fruit to prevent dry spots.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Calories: 312 kcal | Carbohydrates: 46 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 14 g | Sugar: 33 g
Nutrition info is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Values may vary according to ingredients and tools used.