Easy Peach Dump Cake
A few days ago I posted a recipe for “Individual Mini Peach Pies” and promised I would soon post a recipe for “Peach Dump Cake” – which you can use any leftover fruit and juice/syrup (from the can) to make. Dump cake tastes kind of like a hybrid of cake, cobbler, and pudding. Texture wise, it’s like a very moist cake or like a soft fruit cobbler. You can use canned fruit, or if you have fresh fruit to use up – that’s fine too! This is an awesome dessert to serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. :)
Why is it called “dump cake“? (That’s a very delicious sounding name, isn’t it?) It’s called “dump cake” because you just “dump” all the ingredients into a pan and bake. Typically, most dump cake recipes will call for butter, dry cake mix, and a can of fruit in syrup or juice.
I make my version of “dump cake” a little bit differently than most people. Instead of using plain yellow cake mix, I use 3-2-1 cake mix (a combination of yellow cake mix + angel food cake mix). Because the angel food cake mix has egg white powder in it, I feel that it helps to provide a little more structure to the cake so that it doesn’t end up quite so soggy. I have a Ziploc bag of 3-2-1 cake mix that I keep on hand to make single servings of microwave yellow sponge cake – it will keep in the pantry for up to a year. (It’s called “3-2-1 cake mix” because you mix 3 T. of the mixture with 2 T. of water, and microwave for 1 minute to make a single serving sponge cake.)
If you are using canned fruit, make sure you save the juice or syrup from the can – you can use that juice as the “liquid” to make the cake batter. If you are using fresh fruit – no problem – just make the batter with water, or some other flavorful liquid like fruit juice or soda that has gone flat (like 7-up or sprite). You can make this with peaches, plums, cherries… almost any fruit you like! The recipe is so adaptable – it makes a great way to use up leftover ingredients.
Peach Dump Cake:
Use 1 box of angel food cake mix and yellow cake mix to make 3-2-1 cake mix
- 2 c. of 3-2-1 cake mix (see below)
- 1 1/2 c. liquid (syrup or juice from the can, or water)
- 1 large (29 oz.) can peach halves (or 4-5 ripe fresh peaches)
- 4 T. unsalted butter, sliced
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 box angel food cake mix
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the 3-2-1 cake mix, simply dump one box of yellow cake mix + 1 box (flour packet and egg white packet) angel food cake mix into a gallon sized Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and shake for about a minute to mix. You can store this cake mix for up to a year in a cool pantry – you will only need 2 c. of this mixture to make the peach dump cake. To make a single serving of sponge cake in the microwave, see my post on 3-2-1 cake for instructions.
2. If you are using canned peaches, simply open the can and reserve the juices/syrup for the batter. If you want to use fresh peaches, then boil a large pot of water. Blanch one whole fresh peach into the boiling water for about 30 seconds.
3. Immediately move the peach into a bowl of ice water for another 30 seconds.
4. The peach skin will slip right off if you rub it gently with a dry paper towel. Repeat with the remaining peaches, then slice in half and remove the pit.
5. Mix 2 c. of the 3-2-1 cake mix with 1 1/2 c. liquid. If you are using canned peaches, then use the reserved juice or syrup from the can as the liquid. If you are using fresh peaches, then you can use plain water for the liquid (or peach nectar if you have it).
6. Pour the batter into an 8″ X 8″ pyrex baking dish (you could also use a 9″ round cake pan). Top with the peach halves – it’s ok if they sink in.
7. Top the batter and peaches with thin slices of the butter.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm. (This cake is also great a la mode with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.)
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