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Ultra close-up macro of warm bubbling caramel apple dump cake in cast iron skillet with toasted pecans, golden cake crust, and melting vanilla ice cream

Warm Caramel Apple Dump Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

A warm, bubbling autumn dessert featuring tender spiced Honeycrisp apples blanketed in rich salted caramel sauce, golden buttery yellow cake crust, and crunchy toasted pecans. Ready in just 10 minutes of hands-on prep!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert, Holiday Baking, Skillet Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern Fall Comfort
Calories: 385
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

Spiced Caramel Apple Layer
  • 6 cups fresh Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced ¼-inch thick (approx. 5-6 apples)
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Ceylon cinnamon preferred
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg freshly grated
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup thick salted caramel sauce divided (¾ cup for baking, ¼ cup for serving)
Golden Cake & Pecan Streusel Crust
  • 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix or spice cake mix dry mix, unbaked
  • 1 cup chopped pecans lightly toasted
  • ¾ cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter melted evenly or thinly sliced into pats
  • ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt for finishing garnish
For Serving
  • 1 pint vanilla bean ice cream for serving warm

Method
 

Skillet & Apple Prep
  1. Preheat & Grease Skillet: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 12-inch seasoned cast-iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
  2. Toss & Layer Spiced Apples: In a large mixing bowl, toss sliced apples with brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract until evenly coated. Spread the spiced apple slices evenly across the bottom of the prepared skillet.
  3. Drizzle Caramel: Drizzle ¾ cup of thick salted caramel sauce evenly across the spiced apples.
Dump Cake & Pecan Assembly
  1. Dump Cake Mix & Pecans: Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix evenly over the apple-caramel layer. Smooth gently with a spatula to edges without packing down. Scatter chopped pecans evenly over the cake mix.
  2. Pour Melted Butter: Slowly and evenly pour melted butter over the entire surface, ensuring maximum coverage across dry cake mix pockets.
Bake to Golden Perfection
  1. Bake Until Bubbling: Bake uncovered at 350°F (175°C) for 42 to 45 minutes until the topping is deep golden-brown, the edges bubble vigorously with thick caramel, and apples are tender.
  2. Rest & Serve Warm: Let cool for 10 minutes to allow the caramel to settle. Drizzle remaining salted caramel sauce, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve warm with generous scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 310mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 3.5gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 4.2mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 1.2mg

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