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close up of peach dump cake with yellow cake mix showing caramelized peach syrup and crumbly golden topping
Luna Hossain

Peach Dump Cake

An easy peach dump cake made with two cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup, one box of yellow cake mix, and cold butter — golden and coarse-crumbled on top, jammy and glossy on the bottom, ready in 55 minutes.
Calories: ~370 | Carbs: ~56g | Fat: ~16g | Protein: ~3g
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 scoops
Course: Easy Cakes
Cuisine: American
Calories: 370
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the Peach Layer:
  • - Two 15 oz 425g each / 850g total cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
  • For the Topping:
  • - One 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix such as Duncan Hines Classic Yellow
  • - ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, cold, sliced into ¼-inch pats
  • - ½ tsp 1g ground cinnamon
  • For Serving:
  • - Vanilla ice cream optional

Equipment

  • Kitchen scale
  • Oven
  • 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) ceramic or glass baking dish
  • Kitchen knife (for slicing butter)
  • Cutting board
  • Spoon or silicone spatula (for spreading peaches)
  • Measuring cups and spoons (optional — scale preferred)
  • Oven thermometer (optional — worth using if your oven runs hot or cold)

Method
 

  1. Place your 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) ceramic or glass baking dish on the counter, then preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and allow it to fully heat before placing the dish inside.
  2. Pour both 15 oz (425g each) cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup, completely undrained, into the baking dish and spread into an even layer using a spoon or spatula so the entire bottom is covered with no dry patches.
  3. Sprinkle the full 15.25 oz box of dry yellow cake mix evenly over the peach layer in a steady back-and-forth motion until the peaches are completely hidden and the surface looks flat and powdery with no fruit visible through the top.
  4. Place the cold ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter pats across the surface of the dry cake mix in rows spaced roughly 1 inch apart, covering as much of the surface as possible from edge to edge and corner to corner.
  5. Sprinkle ½ tsp (1g) ground cinnamon evenly over the butter pats and cake mix surface — you should still see the cake mix underneath.
  6. Bake on the center rack for 43–47 minutes until the topping is deep golden brown across the full surface and the peach syrup is visibly bubbling up around the edges and through any gaps between butter pats.
  7. Remove from the oven and rest uncovered on a heat-safe surface for 10 minutes to allow carryover cooking to thicken the peach filling before scooping.
  8. Scoop into bowls while warm and serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Notes

- Storage: Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes for best texture recovery.
- Freeze unbaked: Not recommended — the dry cake mix absorbs syrup moisture during freezing and will not bake up with a coarse, clumped topping. Instead, pre-slice butter into ¼-inch pats and refrigerate up to 3 days; assemble fresh and bake immediately for best results.
- Substitution: White, spice, or butter pecan cake mix can replace yellow cake mix. Avoid chocolate cake mix — the bitterness competes with the peach layer. Keep the quantity at one full 15.25 oz box regardless of variety.
- Make ahead: Bake up to one day ahead and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes before serving. Do not assemble unbaked in advance — the dry cake mix absorbs moisture from the syrup overnight and will not bake up correctly.
- Dish size: Recipe is calibrated for an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) dish. For a 9×13-inch dish, use three cans of peaches, one full box of cake mix, and ¾ cup (170g) butter. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–55 minutes.
- Tip: Slice butter into thin ¼-inch pats and space them closely across the full surface before baking — full butter coverage is what prevents powdery dry spots and drives the Maillard browning reaction across the topping.