Apple cranberry dump cake

This apple cranberry dump cake has a crisp vanilla cake topping with a delicious fruity layer below, flavoured with cinnamon.

But what gives a dump cake its name?

Well, quite simply, everything goes into the tray, one ingredient after the other. No mixing required!

It's sort of a cross between a cake and a fruit crumble, and despite the rather cavalier method, the results are fantastic.

This one is made with canned apple fruit filling and a scattering of dried cranberries, topped with vanilla cake mix, cinnamon and good lot of butter.

Here's the full recipe for my apple cranberry dump cake.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Pour the apple filling into a greased tray.

Sprinkle in the cranberries.

Sprinkle on the cinnamon.

Scatter on the cake mix on top. 

Scatter on the butter.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Spoon onto plates or into bowls.

This apple cranberry dump cake is delicious on its own, but also amazing with hot custard or a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect apple cranberry dump cake

Is apple cranberry dump cake easy to make?

As the name suggests, dump cake is made by quite simply dumping or layering all the ingredients into a tray. No mixing required!

This means it really is a super simple dessert to make that can easily be pulled together in a couple of minutes, ready to go in the oven.

This is a great recipe for the kids to try as there isn't much that can go wrong. As long as the ingredients are dumped in the right order, you'll have a great result.

As this recipe uses ready-made elements, it's a great store cupboard dessert that you can easily make at short notice, and can be tweaked to use up whatever tinned and dried fruits you have.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

All you need to make apple cranberry dump cake is weighing scales, measuring spoons, a medium roasting dish and a kitchen knife.

No clever kitchen gadgets are required - you won't even need a mixing bowl!

Where can I buy apple fruit filling?

You can by apple fruit filling in most supermarkets. It usually comes in a tin and can generally be found with the other tinned fruits near the baking section.

Of course, if you've got the time, you could also make your own, using five or six apples eating apples or 3 cooking apples.

Peel the skins if you like, or just leave them on, remove the cores and chop the apple into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces. Pop them into a saucepan with a tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of sugar (2 tablespoons if you are using cooking apples. Allow to stew for 10-15 minutes over a low heat until the apple has started to soften.

How can I tell if dried cranberries have gone off?

Dried cranberries can last up to a year if stored correctly. Make sure to practice good food hygiene and store your cranberries in a sealed container out of direct sunlight.

Simply use your senses to tell if cranberries have gone off. They may become hard or discolour, and they will lose flavour over time. If there are any rancid or fermenting smells, this is a sure sign that your cranberries have gone off.

Check for mould, too. It's unlikely to grow on dried fruit as there is less moisture but sometimes dried fruit can absorb moisture from the air or other elements in the cupboard, so it's always good to check.

Is apple cranberry dump cake suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, this recipe should be fine for a vegetarian as it contains no meat, poultry or fish.

It's always best to double-check the packet ingredients to be certain, especially as we are using a few ready-made elements which may vary depending on the manufacture.

Is apple cranberry dump cake suitable for vegans?

This recipe uses dairy butter and the cake mix may contain traces of egg, so this apple cranberry dump cake recipe is not suitable for vegans.

However, if you want to make a vegan version, you can. Choose a cake mix that is free from any dairy or egg products and use a plant-based butter or margarine.

Check the packet to make sure everything you're using is suitable for vegans. Some brands may just say suitable for vegetarians because they expect you to add eggs as per their instructions, but it may be that there are no actually animal products in the ingredients.

If you need to strictly avoid dairy or eggs for any reason, such as an allergy, it is important to only use products that are very clearly and definitively labelled as being totally free from those ingredients.

Is apple cranberry dump cake gluten-free?

Most boxed vanilla cake mixes are made with wheat flour, so by default, this recipe would not be gluten free.

However, if you want to make a gluten-free apple cranberry dump cake, you could simply use a gluten-free cake mix.

Don't forget to carefully check the labels on all the ingredients you use to ensure they're free from gluten.

Is apple cranberry dump cake healthy?

This dump cake does contain fruit, but it also has quite a bit of sugar in so should be considered a treat to enjoy on occasion rather than as an everyday meal.

Is apple cranberry dump cake safe to eat while pregnant?

As long as all the ingredients are in good condition and the dump cake is prepared hygienically and safely this apple cranberry dump should fine to eat whilst pregnant.

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. You can review NHS advice here and you should consult with your medical professional regarding any concerns.

What goes well apple cranberry dump cake?

This apple cranberry dump cake sits somewhere between fruit crumble and fruity layers cake, so a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a yummy accompaniment.

You can also keep it classic with custard. If you're making a vegan version of the cake, why not try my vegan custard!

Can I make this recipe without cranberries?

Yes, you can leave out the cranberries if you don't have any or don't like them.

I love the little tart hit they bring to this dump cake, but they're not essential. Do try to use some dried fruit, if you can.

Raisins or dried figs go well with apple and cinnamon. Chop up any larger fruits like figs or apricots down to raisin size pieces so that they heat through and soften just as the cranberries would.

I haven’t got apple fruit filling can I use tinned fruit?

If you can't find apple filling and don't want to make it, you can of course use a different canned fruit instead. Peaches are a classic for dump cake or cobbler. Tinned cherries, pineapple or pears work also well. You could even do a mixture of any two.

Chop up any larger pieces of fruit and if there is a lot of syrup in the can then perhaps only use half of it otherwise your dump cake may become too wet.

Can I add extra fruit to this recipe?

There is already quite a bit of fruit in this apple cranberry dump cake, but you could add another can if you want a thicker layer.

Bear in mind that if you add more it might not fit in the roasting dish and may take longer to cook.

How should I store apple cranberry dump cake?

Once cooled, any leftovers from your apple cranberry dump cake should be transferred to the refrigerator within two hours of making.

You can keep the dump cake in the roasting dish if it's very well covered, otherwise transfer to a suitably sized sealed container.

Can I freeze apple cranberry dump cake?

Yes, you can freeze this recipe on the day of making - you shouldn't freeze it after that.

Allow to cool, then transfer to a sealed, freezer-safe container and place in the freezer within two hours of making. The cake topping might go a bit soggy but should be able to revive it in the oven.

To defrost, transfer to the refrigerator and leave to thaw gently overnight.

Once thawed, any leftovers can't be refrozen so you might want to divide your dump cake into smaller portions, then you can just get out what you need.

Any thawed portions need to be eaten within 24 hours.

How long does apple cranberry dump cake keep?

Properly stored, apple cranberry dump cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Can I leave apple cranberry dump cake out on the counter?

No, apple cranberry dump cake has wet fruit so needs to be kept in the fridge to reduce the risk of bacterial growth. It should not be left out on the side other than for serving and to cool before being put in the fridge.

Can I make apple cranberry dump cake ahead?

There are no elements to make ahead in this recipe as it's simply a dump and bake method. However, if you're in a hurry, you could bake it, cool it, cover it and store in the refrigerator ready to reheat the next day.

What is the best way to reheat apple and cranberry dump cake?

Apple and cranberry dump cake can be reheated in the oven or in the microwave.

To reheat in the oven, preheat to 200C (180C fan) and make sure the cake is in an oven safe dish. Heat in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the dump cake is piping hot right through to the centre. If your cake is already well cooked on top, you might want to cover it loosely with foil to prevent burning.

The microwave offers a speedier method, but the cake layer might go a bit soggy. Put your apple cranberry dump cake into a microwave safe bowl and loosely cover. Heat of full for 1-3 minutes (depending on how much cake you're heating), making sure the food is piping hot right through to the centre.

Can I make apple cranberry dump cake in a different quantity?

Yes, its super simple to amend the quantities for this recipe. You'll find on the recipe card below that the base recipe is set to make 8 servings. All you need to do is click on this number and a slider will appear so you can change the number of servings.

Remember if you are making more or less you'll need to use a different size oven dish, and the cooking time may also be affected.

Try not to overcrowd your oven. If you're making multiple cakes, bake two at a time.

Can I make apple cranberry dump cake in individual portions?

One of the joys of this recipe is that everything is simply layered into the same roasting tray. You can of course make this into individual portions if you want.

One way to do this would be to use a muffin tray or a set of ovenproof ramekins. Evenly divide all your ingredients between them, using the same layering technique as if you were making a large dump cake.

Remember that using different tins will affect the cooking time so keep a close eye on your bake.

Can I make this recipe in a different tin/tray?

Yes, you can use any oven safe dish. The one I used was about 20cm x 30cm (8 x 12 inches) so try and use one with similar dimensions or the layers may either turn out too thick or thin. You can use a round or oval dish if you like.

Can I make this recipe in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

As the name suggests, dump cakes are simply made by figuratively dumping everything into the roasting tray. A little finesse is required to make the layers even but no mixing is required so you don't need to get out the stand mixer for this recipe.

Why did my apple cranberry dump cake stick to the tray?

You need to make sure to grease all the way up the sides of the oven dish you are using to stop the cake layer sticking. You can use a little bit of butter on some clean kitchen roll or spray oil, if you find that easier.

How can I make sure my apple cranberry dump cake is perfectly cooked?

You'll know when your apple cranberry dump cake is cooked when the cake layer on top is crisp and a lovely pale golden brown. You'll probably see some of the apple start to bubble up around the edges too.

Why did my apple cranberry dump cake turn out dry and burned?

If your apple cranberry dump cake turned out dry, this could down to be a number of things.

First, it could be that some of your ingredients quantities were off. Look again to see if you can figure out what went wrong.

Next, if the roasting tray you used was too large, it could be that the ingredients were spread very thinly and dried out during the recommended baking time. If you think this might happen, take your cake out of the oven earlier than directed.

If you used the right size tray, it could be that your cake was in the oven longer than directed. It's always a good idea to set a timer when you put things in the oven, it's amazing how quickly time can fly when you're whizzing around the kitchen doing other things.

Alternatively, it may be that your oven was too hot. The dials on some ovens are not an accurate representation of the temperature inside, so if you find your bakes are often burning, try setting the temperature 10-20 degrees lower next time.

Why did my apple cranberry dump cake turn out wet and undercooked?

There is quite a bit of moisture in the fruit layer, so the bottom of the cake mix where it the touches the fruit can turn out quite moist while the top layer with the butter turns out crisp. Then you get a more sponge like layer in the middle.

Make sure to bake your dump cake for long enough. If it doesn't look ready when the time is up, return it to the oven for an extra 5 minutes.

Also make sure your oven is hot enough. I always preheat the oven whenever I'm baking so that I can be sure I'm cooking at a constant temperature from start to finish.

Why did my apple cranberry dump cake taste bland/too sweet/not vanilla enough?

If you've followed all the steps in the recipe this apple cranberry dump cake shouldn't taste bland.

If you're sure you didn't miss out any ingredients then the only variation is in the brands you use. Some canned apple fillings have lots of added sugar, some don't. Some are quite wet or jelly-like while others are mostly fruit pieces.

Likewise, box cakes can vary widely, with some tasting much sweeter or more flavoured that others.

Experiment with your favourite tinned fruit and box cakes to find the best combination for you.

How can I add/change the flavours in this dish?

You can easily adapt this recipe by using different fruits. If you're using tinned fruit like pears or peaches, chop them into smaller pieces. You will probably only need to put in about half the syrup from the tin otherwise your dump cake might turn out quite wet.

The dried fruit you use can also be changed. Apricots or figs, dates or raisins - whatever is in the cupboard, really! Chop larger fruit so that it can cook through.

You can also use a different flavoured cake mix if you like. How about a chocolate cake mix with a cherry and raisin fruit base?

What is the origin of this recipe?

A dump cake is a relatively recent invention but it's similar to a cobbler or fruit crumble. Cobblers have been around since at least the 19th century, while crumbles made their name in the UK during World War II.

Each has a layer of stewed fruit topped with a mix of flour, sugar, butter and sometimes oats.

On dump cake and cobblers, the topping forms a sort of lid, whereas on crumbles the ingredients are balanced to create a looser, crumbly top.

Where does this recipe’s name come from?

While "dump cake" might not immediately appealing, it simply refers to the minimum effort required to make this cake i.e. you simply dump all of the ingredients into a tray and bake!

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