Peach Dump Cake Recipe (With Yellow Cake Mix!)

Easy peach dump cake with yellow cake mix and butter. Juicy peaches bake into a golden crisp topping, perfect with a scoop of ice cream.

Dump cakes have always been so easy, but one time in August last year, I had plenty of peaches from a friend but was short on flour and didn't want to go to the store for just that. So I grabbed a box of yellow cake mix instead, and honestly, my life has never been the same since trying this shortcut.

The cake mix bakes into a perfectly golden, crispy topping that’s every bit as good as homemade. The peaches get all bubbly and syrupy underneath while the butter melts into the cake mix, creating these pockets where some parts are crunchy and others are tender. It tastes like the most sophisticated cobbler but with a third of the effort of making it.

My husband is sometimes be skeptical if he sees me throwing all the ingredients into a pan, but he always ends up loving it. It's truly a "trust the process" moment. The peaches get so sweet and jammy as they bake, and that cornstarch creates this glossy sauce that pools around the edges. Now every August-September when our friend's peach tree is loaded, she brings me a full bag  of peaches and just asks for this in return.

I'm so happy I was out of flour on that day and decided to make use of yellow cake mix. It's become a favorite summer dessert, not just by my family, but by my friends as well. I mean, you can tell by the way I have my own peach supplier now, right?

Try my pecan peach crisp recipe if you want to make use of your peaches too!

Ingredients

The peaches make this dump cake so delicious, and I love using fresh ones when they're in season because they get so juicy and sweet as they bake. If it's not peach season, frozen peaches work just as well since they actually hold their shape better than canned ones. A little sugar and lemon juice help balance the sweetness and brightness, while cornstarch thickens everything into this syrupy base that bubbles up around the edges.

For the topping, yellow cake mix is what makes this recipe so incredibly easy and foolproof. It bakes into this crispy, golden crust over the fruit without me having to measure flour or worry about leavening agents. The butter is what really makes this dump cake crumbly. Using cold butter is key because it melts slowly, which gives the topping that signature texture where some parts are crispy and others are more tender.

See the recipe card for exact quantities.

Step-by-step Instructions

This peach dump cake is made even easier with the yellow cake mix, just dump everything in the baking dish and let the oven do all the work.

Preheat the Oven

Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick spray to keep the cake from sticking.

Cook the Peach Filling

In a medium saucepan, add the sliced peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir well and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and becomes syrupy, about 5 minutes. This will be the base of your dump cake.

Assemble the Cake

Pour the peach mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix directly over the peaches, making sure it covers the fruit in a uniform layer. Place the slices of cold butter across the surface of the cake mix so they melt evenly as the cake bakes.

Bake the Cake

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the peach filling is bubbling up around the edges.

Cool and Serve

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set slightly. Serve warm on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Storage

To store Peach Dump Cake, let it cool to room temperature before covering the dish tightly with plastic wrap or transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm individual servings in the microwave for about 30–45 seconds, or place the whole dish in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 10–15 minutes until heated through. This dessert doesn’t freeze well since the fruit and cake topping can turn mushy once thawed, so it’s best enjoyed fresh or within a few days.

Recipe