Crock Pot Dump Cake: Caramel Apple Pecan

Ooey gooey, thick and fluffy crock pot dump cake? Yes, please. This five ingredient cake is so sweet, so simple and so very good. Golden caramel, sweet apples, and warm spices snuggled up under an ultra moist and buttery pound cake. It’s a beautiful cross between a cake and a crumble. It’s so satisfyingly rich, you won’t even consider a second dinner plate before diving into this dessert.

Crock Pot Caramel Apple Pecan Dump Cake Inspired By A Classic

Did Thanksgiving sneak up on anyone else this year? It definitely snuck up on me.

I swore I was going to make that delicious Apple Butter Pecan Icebox Cake. I mean, I created it specifically for Thanksgiving night. Well, I completely forgot the holiday was so close, and with no time to make it, I had to improvise.

Luckily, not long ago I was flipping through a cook book and came across a strawberry dump cake that I knew I wanted to try. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, because it was still fresh in my mind when I had to come up with a dessert the day before Thanksgiving. I didn’t want just any old dump cake, though. I wanted something a little more dense and I really didn’t want to buy another stick of butter. Pound cake mix saved the day.

Also, I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but apples have highjacked Little Bite of Happy this year, and it all started with our first time apple picking. I can’t promise this will be the last apple something or other. What I can promise is that it is one dessert you’ll want to try. It’s a set and forget kind of recipe. You don’t technically have to mix anything, though I did add some spices and decided to mix in the caramel and crushed pecans along with them, which took all of ten seconds.

So really, you just add in your spiced apple pie filling, caramel, and chopped pecans. Then dump your cake mix on top, sprinkle on some whole pecans and drizzle with a bit more caramel. I set this dump cake to low, and let it sit for four hours before serving. I didn’t turn off the slow cooker until we started cleaning the kitchen a couple of hours later. The sauce got even thicker and the cake held up wonderfully.

See what I mean? Set and forget, no fuss about it. You can take it one step further and get the ingredients delivered. Shop the list here.

I would like to note that this dessert is probably one of the sweetest things I’ve ever made. I was planning on serving it with ice-cream, or whipped cream, but once I taste tested it, there was no way it needed anything else. The flavor is there, but it is such a sugar rush. A little goes a long way. I’ll probably reduce the caramel sauce from four to two ounces the next time I make it. If you’re a fan of the sweetest things then, this cake was made for you.

Now that I’ve confessed just how sweet it is, and if you’re still with me let’s go over some quick questions.

Can you bake Crock Pot Caramel Apple Pecan Dump Cake instead?

This is normally a great cake to bake in the oven, but most recipes call for a lighter cake mix topped with sliced butter. I don’t know how well pound cake would work when it comes to baking it this way, so I’d stick to using white or yellow cake mix. Then, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. If you give my version a try using the oven, I’d love to know how it worked out.

Can you make this cake with fresh apples?

You can absolutely use fresh apples. You might just want to cook them down first to create a nice and thick pie filling. If you add fresh sliced apples, they won’t cook down very much in the crockpot, but I’d imagine the texture of crisp apples would still be delicious.

Can you freeze it?

I’ve never frozen dump cakes because they really don’t last around here, but I’ve done plenty of research since making this recipe. I’ve yet to find a reason why it wouldn’t freeze well, and from what I learned from my time working in a bakery, is if you can bake it, you can freeze it. Just make sure it is in an airtight container.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. I’d love to know if you made any changes, and how it turned out.