Peach Dump Cake is one of those easy desserts that everyone should have in their back pocket. With just three simple ingredients and almost no prep, this classic dump cake recipe turns canned peaches and cake mix into a warm, buttery dessert that tastes homemade.
What makes this 3 ingredient peach dump cake such a family favorite is how easy and reliable it is. We’ve made this recipe more times than I can count for family dinners, potlucks, and summer get-togethers, and it never lasts long. The peaches bake into a sweet, syrupy layer while the cake mix and butter create a golden, buttery topping that is so good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you’re looking for more easy desserts like this one, try our Peach Cobbler, Cherry Dump Cake, Apple Crisp, or Peaches and Cream Cake. These are all simple recipes we keep in rotation and make again and again.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- So simple! Super easy dump-and-go dessert with three simple ingredients.
- Party perfect. Great for potlucks, BBQs, and busy nights.
- Peach syrup creates the sauce. The undrained peaches keep the bottom layer sweet and bubbly.
- Butter melts into the cake mix. Evenly spaced butter pieces help the topping bake up golden, not powdery.
Peach Dump Cake Ingredients
- Sliced Peaches in Heavy Syrup (1 (29-ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained): Creates the sweet, juicy base of the dessert and provides the moisture that helps the cake mix bake into a soft, cobbler-like topping. The syrup also helps the cake mix absorb flavor while baking. You can also use canned peaches in light syrup if you want it slightly less sweet.
- Yellow Cake Mix (1 box yellow cake mix, 15.25 ounce size): Forms the golden, buttery topping once baked with the melted butter and peach juices. Yellow cake mix adds a classic cake flavor, but white cake mix or butter cake mix can also work well.
- Butter (¾ cup butter, sliced into 24 cuts): Melts into the cake mix as it bakes, helping create a crisp, golden topping while adding rich flavor. We prefer using real unsalted butter for the best taste.
Using Fresh Peaches
Replace the canned peaches with fresh or frozen peaches. If using fresh peaches, be cautious about using overly ripe fruit. They might produce too much liquid, resulting in a runny dessert. Peel the skins off and slice them.
To replace the 29-ounce can of peaches with fresh peaches, do the following:
- Pour the peach mixture over the bottom of the dish and proceed with the recipe as instructed.
- Prepare 3½ – 4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches, 1¼ cups of white sugar, and a ¼ teaspoon of salt. (For an even thicker peach sauce, toss the peaches in a light layer of cornstarch.) Add the ingredients to a saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves and juices appear and begin to boil.
How to Make Peach Dump Cake
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread peaches, with the liquid into a greased 9×13 dish.
LAYER + BAKE. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the peaches. Cut the butter and place the butter slices evenly over the cake mix. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
ENJOY! Serve warm on its own or with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or a dollop of Whipped Cream. However you serve it, we think you’ll love it!
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Melt the butter: To save time, melt the butter in the microwave and then drizzle the melted butter on top of the cake mix before you bake it.
- Do not stir the layers: Dump cakes work best when the ingredients stay layered so the topping forms correctly.
- Use a glass or ceramic baking dish: These help the peaches cook evenly and prevent the bottom from over-baking.
- Make it in a crock pot: Dump the peaches and syrup in the bottom of a greased slow cooker. Melt your butter and mix it with your cake mix. Sprinkle over the peaches, making sure to break up any large pieces. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours.
- Make it a crisp: If you want more of a “peach crisp” dump cake, add quick or old-fashioned oats to the cake mix before baking.
- Fruit alternatives: Blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and apples would all be delicious. If using other canned fruit in syrup, the instructions will be the same, or you can follow the “using fresh peaches” instructions, but replace the 2 cups of peaches with 2 cups of the fruit of your choice.
Peach Dump Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (29-ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
- 1 box yellow cake mix, 15.25 ounce size
- ¾ cup butter, sliced into 24 cuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread peaches, with liquid, into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle cake mix evenly over peaches.
- Place butter evenly over the cake mix.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Spread the butter evenly: Cut the butter into small pieces and distribute it across the cake mix so the topping bakes evenly and doesn’t leave dry spots. To save time, melt the butter in the microwave and then drizzle the melted butter on top of the cake mix before you bake it.
- Do not stir the layers: Dump cakes work best when the ingredients stay layered so the topping forms correctly.
- Use a glass or ceramic baking dish: These help the peaches cook evenly and prevent the bottom from overbaking.
- Fruit alternatives: Blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, and apples would all be delicious. If using other canned fruit in syrup, the instructions will be the same, or you can follow the “using fresh peaches” instructions, but replace the 2 cups of peaches with 2 cups of the fruit of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
If you are lucky enough to have fresh peaches you can absolutely use them. Frozen peaches work too. To replace the 29-ounce can of peaches, you will need about 3½ -4 cups of sliced peaches along with some sugar and salt. (see above for directions)
Place leftover peach dump cake in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave if you prefer to enjoy it warm.
Yes, allow the dump cake to cool before wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw before reheating it in the oven.
More Like This
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Apple Dump Cake
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This recipe was originally published April 2018.
So glad I found you!!!!
When I read your intro, “…I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby…”, I knew you’re my kind of girl.
I’ve only just begun looking at your dessert recipes (they’re outstanding!) & look forward to everything else.
Thank you for sharing with ‘us’.
~ anne
Oh this just made my heart so happy! Thanks for your kind words and I hope that you keep finding recipes you enjoy!
My husband loves this recipe,I am making it again today 😊.
Yay! I love husband-approved recipes. So glad you found one he enjoys! 🙂
Deelecio just plain delicious
Thank you!!
Quick, easy and delicious. The second time i made it I used peaches in 100% fruit juice, added 1 Tbsp. Of molasses and 1/4C brown sugar. This added a little depth to the taste and cut the sweetness by about half.
Sounds tasty! Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear you enjoyed the cake.
Can I use frozen or fresh peaches? How would I prepare them to mimic the canned with the juice? Thanks!
You can. For our Peach Cobbler recipe we offer this option for using fresh peaches — it should work for the Dump Cake as well: You can substitue the canned peaches with a boiled fresh peach mixture. Take 4 cups of freshly sliced peaches, 2 cups of sugar, and 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour in the 9X13 pan.
You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you use the fresh peaches! 🙂
I follow a tip from Paula Dean, 2 cups fresh fruit, 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar (I normally drop this to 3/4 cup), bring it a boil and then use like canned. I turns out great!
So good to know! This is so helpful. Thanks so much for sharing your tip with us!
I always use fresh peaches for peach cobbler I just mix one cup water with one cup sugar. Put layer of peaches on bottom and pour sugar mix over then follow the rest of the recipe.
I’ve made this with apple before and decided to try peaches today. I used 4 medium sized firm peaches, sliced appropriately. I made my own syrup with 12oz water and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Added enough to cover the peach layer. 1 box of white cake mix and topped with roughly 4 tbs of Irish cream butter. Into the oven at 350°. Finished with decent flavor but the cake mix didn’t moisten enough. Might have needed a bit more syrup added.
Sounds yummy!!!
So delicious!!!! SO easy to make and cannot wait to try other flavors! My other half could not stop eating it! Thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad to hear you both loved the cake. I’m all about yummy and easy recipes, so I’m happy it was a hit!
I LOVE ❤️ trying new recipes!! My family are carnivores 😀.
The Peach Dump Cake HUGE SUCCESS!! 😋 I did use a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, 1 tablespoon Vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar. Served warm over ice cream. Plan to use lefts over canned peaches for short cakes tomorrow!! 😀
I am Vegan! Any vegan recipes?
Yay!! So glad you loved the recipe! And that’s a great idea for the leftovers.
I have a few vegan recipes — our Date Balls are a yummy snack: https://lilluna.com/date-balls/ , our Greek Chicken Wraps have a vegan option (omit the chicken and feta cheese and use a vegan dressing: https://lilluna.com/greek-chicken-wrap/, and our Garlic Sesame Noodles can be made vegan if you omit the oyster sauce: https://lilluna.com/garlic-sesame-noodles/. Hope that gives you a few new recipes to try!
Can you use fresh peaches instead and if so what would I need to add to the recipe?
I have only used canned peaches for this recipe, but fresh peaches should work too. Here’s what we suggest for using fresh peaches in our cobbler recipe:
“The only change you’ll make to the recipe is substituting the canned peaches with a boiled fresh peach mixture. Take 2 cups of freshly sliced peaches, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice, and bring to a boil over high heat.”
That is enough for either an 8X8 or 9X9 pan, so you will probably to double the amount for a 9X13 like in this dump cake recipe. (4 cups fresh peaches). Then the rest of the recipe would be the same. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out with the fresh peaches!!
Can you use white cake mix instead?
Sure! I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would still work fine, just a slightly different flavor/color.
You can actually use any cake mix you want. I have used spice cake mix. It tastes great. Just use your favorite cake mix and see how it turns out.
Made this recipe for a last minute Mother’s Day picnic… Served it with vanilla ice cream…It was a big hit!… Everyone wanted the recipe…Will definitely make it again…Thank you!
You’re welcome!! I’m so glad it was a hit and everyone enjoyed!
I was very disappointed In the results. It was not sweet enough and the cake mixture underneath was not cooked. What could have caused it? I baked for 40 minutes also. I have a brand new stove so I know it’s not that.
I’m sorry to hear your cake didn’t turn out the way you were hoping. I have never had the underneath not cook when layering the peaches first, then the cake mix, then the butter. The recipe says 40-45 minutes bake time, but every oven is different so it may need slightly longer. As far as sweetness goes, you could always add a bit of sugar or other sweetener to sweeten it up a bit. 🙂
I’ve cooked this for a few years now in my bbq pit for catering , and its come out great
How fun to make this in your bbq pit! Thanks for sharing!