Easy Apple Cranberry Dump Cake (No Butter or Eggs)
Four simple ingredients turn into a warm, super moist fall dessert. Apples, dried cranberries, spice cake mix and sparkling water bake together with no butter, oil or eggs needed. Just ten minutes of prep, then bake, scoop and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped apples, cut into small ½-inch pieces (about 3 medium)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1½ cups boxed spice cake mix, or vanilla, about ½ (14-ounce) package
- 1 cup cran-raspberry sparkling water*
- Optional garnish: whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Liberally mist a 9- x 13-inch casserole pan with oil spray.
- Add the apples and dried cranberries to the bottom of the pan and toss to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle 1½ cups of the dry cake mix over the top (save the rest for mug cakes!).
- Pour the 1 cup cran-raspberry sparkling water evenly over the top (NOTE: it is not the entire can—just one cup!) and mix really well, scraping the corners of the pan, until you have a thick batter with no flour streaks or dry pockets of cake mix.
- Bake for about 55 minutes, until the cake on top is firm, lightly browned, and crackly, with apple pieces scattered throughout. A fork should slide easily into the apples. If the top is browning before the apples soften, loosely tent the pan with foil.If baking in a metal pan, start checking around the 40-minute mark!
- Cool for at least 10 minutes to let it firm up slightly. The texture will be soft, gooey and spoonable, so scoop portions with a serving spoon into ramekins or small bowls. Top with optional whipped cream or ice cream and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, if desired.
Notes
• Apples need more time than berries to soften, so a small dice matters. Pieces larger than ½ inch may stay firm. Sweet, firm apples like Cosmic Crisp, Honeycrisp, or Gala work best, and since this is a cake, sweeter is better. Granny Smith works too but will taste tarter. Peeling is up to you; the skin softens as it bakes and provides extra fiber. I always leave the skin on!
• Spice cake mix gives this dump cake its cozy cinnamon and nutmeg flavor, with no extra ingredients. Vanilla cake mix works too, for a lighter, less spiced result.
• This recipe only needs 1 cup of sparkling water (about ⅔ of a can). Be mindful not to add the full can.
• Mix super well. Stir until the batter is thick with no clumps, flour streaks, or dry pockets of cake mix, especially in the corners of the pan, so the cake bakes up evenly.
• I like LaCroix Cran-Raspberry for this recipe, but any cranberry or berry-flavored sparkling water should work well.
• Glass or metal pan? I bake mine in a glass 9x13 casserole dish. I also tested it in a metal pan, and it was done about 15 minutes sooner, so if you’re using metal, start checking early!
• You can stash extra portions in the fridge for 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, let the dump cake cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, or microwave until soft. The texture may change slightly, but it will still be delicious.
• Leftover cake mix? You only use half the box here, so save the rest for mug cakes. Try my Double Pumpkin Microwave Mug Cake or 5-Minute Carrot Mug Cake, which each need just ¼ cup of cake mix.
• I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free cake mix, and I know not all brands work, so I cannot guarantee results if you try one.
Nutrition Information per serving
Calories: 220Carbohydrates: 51gProtein: 2gTotal Fat: 1.5g— Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g— Saturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 150mgFiber: 4gTotal Sugar: 35g— Natural Sugar: 24g— Added Sugar: 11g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.