Get A Taste Of Fall With This Delicious Campfire Apple Dump Cake

As the summer heat passes and the crisp, cool air of autumn comes around, it makes sense to start planning a visit to some of the best fall camping destinations in America. But, in our opinion, a camping trip surrounded by cool air and red leaves is incomplete without a hearty meal and delicious dessert. That said, what if you are sick of the basic S'mores and hot dogs? In this situation, many people turn to TikTok to get some good ideas for easy camping desserts. However, on social media, it can be hard to really tell if a dessert is going to taste good and turn out like expected (we have been disappointed by viral camping desserts before). Luckily, we have found the perfect fall-flavored warm and cozy camping dessert: the caramel apple dump cake.

While the name doesn't necessarily sound delicious, we can assure you that the caramel apple dump cake is the perfect camping dessert — especially because it requires only a few ingredients and is easy to make. In fact, "dump cakes" are used to describe cobbler-style desserts where you just dump all the ingredients (including dry cake mix) into a pot and let it all cook together without having to worry about premixing anything. This makes dump cakes a great choice for camping when you may not have access to running water to clean mixing bowls.

This delicious recipe serves about eight to ten campers and comes to us from KOA. The first step in making your caramel apple dump cake is to decide how you are going to cook it. This dessert can be made in any pan that is able to withstand high heat; however, the best option is typically something made from cast iron – like a Dutch oven or skillet — put inside a grill. 

Once you have chosen your pan, go ahead and add in ¼ cup of butter and around six peeled, cored, and chopped Granny Smith apples. Then, place your pot on the grill, stirring occasionally until butter is melted. Next, add in one teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ cup of caramel sauce (like the kind you use on ice cream), and a pinch of flaky sea salt. 

Now you are ready for the "dump" part of the process and can go ahead and pour an entire box of spice cake mix evenly over the top of the chopped apples. Next, add around one cup of pecans and drizzle ¾ cup of melted butter on top. Now, you are ready to cook and can go ahead and put your caramel apple dump cake on the grill over indirect flames. Make sure to close the grill and then cook this fall-flavored masterpiece for about 30 to 35 minutes. When done, feel free to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some more caramel drizzle on top.