Peach Dump Cake With Fresh Peaches

Name: Peach Dump Cake with Fresh Peaches
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds fresh ripe peaches (pitted and sliced); 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; 2/3 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup almond flour; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or light brown sugar); 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil; 3 tablespoons honey

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This Peach Dump Cake is made from scratch, with fresh peaches and a quick, homemade cake mix. Simply layer everything up in a baking dish and drizzle with coconut oil before baking for that signature caramelized topping over a soft, juicy fruit filling.

Fresh peaches are irresistible when they’re in season. They are juicy, sweet, and packed with flavor. Perfect for baking into simple desserts like this dump cake.

Using fresh peaches instead of canned peach pie mix really highlights the flavor of the fruit and produces a dump cake that’s still got some texture and isn’t too sweet. I also mix up a simple, homemade cake mix (not your traditional cake mix) which includes a touch of almond flour for a moist topping that crisps up around the edges.

Whether it’s served up on its own, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of thick yogurt, it’s a crowd-pleasing dessert that’s beginner-friendly and satisfying.

Recipe Overview

Skill Level

Beginner

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

A Few Key Ingredients

Below are the key ingredients you’ll need to make Peach Dump Cake. The full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down the post.

Fresh peaches: Use ripe peaches for the best flavor. If peaches aren’t in season you can use frozen peaches (no need to defrost, just increase the bake time by 5-10 minutes) or canned peaches (use ones that are canned in fruit juice and drain them first). For Reference, here’s how to cut fresh peaches.

Homemade cake mix: A simple mix of flours, sugars and leavening agents is stirred together. It’s super quick to make and means you don’t need any boxed cake mix for this recipe!

Coconut oil and honey: Melted coconut oil and honey are drizzled over the top of the cake before baking. This moistens the cake mix and helps it become crisp and golden when baked.

Dump Cake from Scratch

Most dump cake recipes rely on pre-made pie fillings and boxed cake mix to form their fruity base and crisp topping. This tends to result in dump cakes that are too sweet with extra additives that aren’t necessary. This recipe for dump cake however is made from scratch, using fresh peaches for the best flavor and a quick, homemade cake mix for the top.

Quick tip!

Don’t stir the layers of fresh peaches and cake mix together. The key to dump cakes is in leaving the components in layers so you get a soft, fruity base and crisp, cakey topping.

How to Make Peach Dump Cake

Before you start: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step 1. In a bowl, gently toss the peaches with honey, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.

Step 2. Spread evenly in a large baking dish. You want the layer to be thinner rather than stacking too many. This will help caramelize and form a crispy top.

process shot of prepare peach in a dish and topping with cake mix flour.

Step 3. Next, you can use the same bowl to whisk together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Step 4. Evenly sprinkle this dry mixture over the peaches, keeping it loose for texture.

Step 5. Whisk melted coconut oil and honey together. Using a spoon, drizzle evenly over the dry layer.

process shot to add the honey butter over the fresh peaches in a dish.

Step 6. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden and slightly crisp and the edges are bubbling.

Step 7. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving, as the top will crisp up while cooling down.

peach dump cake in a round white bowl with a spoon in it.

Can I Make Peach Dump Cake Ahead of Time?

Yes! Peach dump cake is a great make-ahead dessert. You can bake it a day in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat it in a 300°F oven until warmed through or microwave individual portions for about 30 seconds. While it’s delicious cold, many people prefer it served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Notes

Peeled peaches: If you prefer to remove the skin from the peaches first, you can do this by scoring an X in the bottom of each, covering with boiling water for 1 minute, then draining and transferring to an ice bath for 1 minute. You should be able to easily slip the skins off them before pitting and slicing.
Use ripe peaches for the best flavor if making this recipe with fresh fruit.
Spread the peaches evenly in the baking dish so every serving has plenty of fruit.
Pour the melted butter as evenly as possible over the cake mix to ensure a crisp topping.
Bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit filling is bubbling.
Let the cake cool briefly before serving so the filling has time to thicken.

Variations to Try

One of the best things about peach dump cake is how easy it is to customize. Here are a few delicious ways to switch things up:

Add ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg to give the classic peach cobbler flavors.
Peach Blueberry Dump Cake: Mix 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries with the peaches before baking.
Peach Raspberry Dump Cake: Add fresh raspberries for a sweet and slightly tart twist.
Peach Pecan Dump Cake: Sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans over the cake mix before baking for extra crunch.

Storing & Reheating

Storage: Store leftovers in their baking dish (covered) or transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheating: Reheat in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.

Questions I Get Asked a Lot

Can I use canned peaches?

Yes! Look for peaches which have been canned in fruit juice (or light syrup) as they’ll be less sweet than those canned in heavy syrup which can make the cake too cloying. Make sure you drain them well before using in the recipe.

Do I mix the fruit and cake layers?

No! The key to dump cake is leaving the fruit layer separate from the cake mix topping. This allows the topping to crisp up on top, forming the cakey top to the dump cake.

Why does my dump cake have dry spots?

This happens if you don’t evenly drizzle the coconut oil/honey mixture over the topping.

Should I let it cool before eating?

It’s a good idea to let the cake cool down for 15 minutes before serving so that the topping can set up and become crisp.

Can I make it vegan?

Yes! You can swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar to make the recipe vegan.