This peach dump cake is sweet, buttery, and takes about 5 minutes to put together. Canned peaches, yellow cake mix, and butter — that’s it. Summer dessert doesn’t get easier than this.
I know dump cake sounds like the least glamorous dessert name in history. But I promise you, nobody is complaining once this comes out of the oven.
My mom used to make this when peaches were in season and I honestly thought it was some kind of complicated baking magic. It is not. It is three ingredients layered in a pan and baked for 45 minutes. The peaches bubble up through the cake mix as it bakes, and the butter soaks into everything from the top and creates this golden, slightly crispy, buttery crust that is absolutely impossible to stop eating.
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a dessert that gets more compliments than things I’ve spent hours making.
If you love simple fruit desserts, my easy peach crisp is another one worth bookmarking for peach season. But if you want the absolute fastest version with virtually zero dishes, this is it.
➡️ You should try this recipe next: Easy Peach Crisp Recipe with Oats Topping
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 3 ingredients — canned peaches, yellow cake mix, butter
- Less than 5 minutes of prep
- No mixing bowls needed
- Feeds a crowd from one 9×13 pan
- Tastes like a cross between peach cobbler and coffee cake
- Leftovers reheat beautifully the next morning
What You Need
Canned peaches make this a year-round recipe, not just a summer one. Two large cans of peach slices in juice or light syrup — don’t drain them, the liquid goes into the pan and helps the filling bubble up beautifully during baking. If you happen to have fresh ripe peaches in the summer, absolutely use them. Peel, slice, and toss with a couple tablespoons of sugar before using in place of canned.
Yellow cake mix is the magic shortcut. Sprinkled dry over the peaches, it absorbs the peach juices from below and the butter from above and bakes into a crumble-cake hybrid topping that has no business being as good as it is. Don’t mix it into anything — just sprinkle it straight from the box.
Butter goes on last, sliced thin and laid over the dry cake mix. As it melts in the oven it soaks into the cake mix and creates that golden, slightly crispy top. If there are dry spots of cake mix that the butter doesn’t reach, the cake won’t come out evenly golden. Cover as much of the surface as you can.
That’s the whole ingredient list. I wasn’t kidding.
How to Make Peach Dump Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
Open both cans of peaches and pour them directly into the baking dish — juice and all. Spread the peaches into an even layer. If the slices are large, you can roughly chop them, though it’s not necessary.
Sprinkle the entire box of dry yellow cake mix evenly over the peaches. Don’t stir it. Don’t mix it into the peaches. Just spread it in an even layer on top.
Slice ½ cup (1 stick) of cold butter into thin pats and lay them across the surface of the cake mix, covering as much of it as possible. The more coverage the better — those are the spots that go golden in the oven.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling up at the edges.
If there are still dry white patches of cake mix when it comes out, the butter didn’t quite reach those spots. Not a problem for flavor, just press them gently with a spoon and serve from other areas first.
Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. It’s genuinely better warm than hot.
💚 Upgrade your meals with high protein recipes the whole family will love — check out The High Protein Cookbook, packed with delicious protein-packed recipes to keep you full and energized!
Tips
Don’t drain the peaches. The juice is essential. It’s what makes the filling saucy and gives the cake mix something to absorb from the bottom while the butter works from the top. Drained peaches give you a dry, dense result.
Cover the cake mix with butter as evenly as you can. Thin slices laid close together give the best coverage. Any spot the butter doesn’t reach stays powdery and dry. Using slightly more butter — up to 1.5 sticks — guarantees better coverage if you want to be safe.
Don’t stir anything. The whole point of dump cake is the layers. Peaches on the bottom, dry cake mix on top, butter on top of that. Mixing it together defeats the purpose and gives you something entirely different.
Let it cool before serving. Ten minutes out of the oven lets the filling thicken slightly and the topping set up a bit. Scooped straight from the oven it falls apart and the filling runs. A short rest makes a big difference in how it holds on the plate.
Serve warm, not hot. The ideal serving temperature is warm — the ice cream melts just slightly into the cake and the peach filling is thick enough to scoop cleanly.
Variations
Add cinnamon. A teaspoon of cinnamon stirred into the dry cake mix before sprinkling it over the peaches adds warmth that makes the whole dessert taste more like fall. It’s a tiny change that makes a noticeable difference.
Use spice cake mix. Swap the yellow cake mix for spice cake mix for a warm, slightly spiced version that is absolutely incredible in the fall. The spice cake and peaches combination is genuinely one of my favorites.
Make it with other fruit. Canned cherry pie filling in place of peaches gives you a cherry dump cake that’s equally good. Canned pineapple chunks work beautifully. Blueberry pie filling is another great option. The method is identical. Speaking of blueberries, if you have fresh ones this summer my homemade blackberry jam is worth making alongside whatever fruit you have on hand.
Add cream cheese. Drop small spoonfuls of softened cream cheese over the peaches before adding the cake mix. It creates little pockets of tangy creaminess throughout the filling that people lose their minds over.
Make it in the slow cooker. Layer everything the same way in a greased slow cooker insert. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours until the top is set and the filling is bubbly. You won’t get the same crispy golden top but the filling is incredible and it’s a great option for potlucks where you want to keep it warm.
Top with pecans. A handful of roughly chopped pecans scattered over the butter before baking adds crunch and a slightly nutty flavor that works really well with the sweet peach filling.
Substitutions
Canned peaches can be swapped for fresh peaches when they’re in season. Peel and slice about 6 to 8 medium peaches and toss with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice before adding to the pan. Add about ¼ cup of water to make up for the missing canned juice.
Yellow cake mix can be swapped for white cake mix, butter cake mix, or spice cake mix. Each one gives a slightly different flavor but the method is identical.
Butter can be replaced with coconut oil in the same quantity if you’re dairy-free. The top won’t be quite as golden but it still works. Vegan butter also works well as a direct swap.
Storage
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, microwave individual portions for 30 to 60 seconds until warm. The oven works better for larger portions — cover with foil and warm at 325°F for 15 minutes. It reheats really well and some people (myself included) eat it cold straight from the fridge the next morning and it’s great that way too.
This freezes well for up to 2 months. Freeze in individual portions in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh peaches instead of canned?
Yes. Peel and slice 6 to 8 medium ripe peaches and toss with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan to replace the liquid from the canned version. Fresh peaches in peak summer are incredible here. My blueberry peach feta salad is also worth making at the same time if you’re buying a big batch of peaches.
Does the cake mix need to be prepared first?
No — it goes in dry, straight from the box. This is the whole magic of dump cake. The moisture from the peaches below and the butter melting from above hydrate the cake mix during baking without any mixing required.
Why does my dump cake have dry spots on top?
The butter didn’t quite cover those areas. Make sure to slice the butter thin and lay the pats close together across the entire surface of the cake mix. You can also use up to 1.5 sticks of butter for better coverage. If you notice dry spots partway through baking, add a few more pats of butter on top and return to the oven.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Bake it the day before, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat covered with foil at 325°F for about 20 minutes before serving. It’s just as good reheated as it is fresh from the oven.
What’s the best way to serve peach dump cake?
Warm, with vanilla ice cream — that’s the classic and it’s the right answer. Whipped cream works well too. For a morning-after situation, it’s great on its own at room temperature, a bit like a coffee cake. If you want a full summer dessert spread, serve it alongside some fresh fruit — the berry watermelon fruit salad on the side is a really nice combination.
Can I halve the recipe?
Yes. Use one can of peaches and half a box of cake mix in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with half a stick of butter. Reduce the baking time slightly — start checking at 35 minutes.
Peach Dump Cake Easy 3 Ingredient Summer Dessert
Description
This peach dump cake is sweet, buttery, and takes about 5 minutes to put together. Canned peaches, yellow cake mix, and butter — that's it. Summer dessert doesn't get easier than this.
Ingredients
Optional:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Pour both cans of peaches with all the juice into the baking dish. Spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the peaches. Do not stir.
- Lay thin pats of cold butter across the entire surface of the cake mix, covering as much as possible.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling up at the edges.
- Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 12
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 290kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 10g16%
- Saturated Fat 6g30%
- Cholesterol 25mg9%
- Sodium 320mg14%
- Total Carbohydrate 48g16%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 28g
- Protein 2g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Do not drain the peaches — the juice is what makes the filling saucy and helps the cake mix bake through from the bottom.
Lay the butter pats as close together as possible to cover the full surface of the cake mix — any uncovered spots will stay dry and powdery.
Don't stir the layers together — the whole dessert depends on the peaches staying on the bottom and the cake mix staying on top.
❤️ Your Support Means a Lot I'm a new food blogger, and every rating and comment helps me grow and reach more readers. If you enjoyed browsing this recipe, I'd truly appreciate a quick rating below and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Thank you for supporting my journey and being part of Jessica Healthy Recipes! ❤️
