Peach Cobbler Energy, Skillet Dump Cake Ease

When the nights cool off and the garden starts giving me the last scrappy peaches, I make skillet peach dump cake. It eats like peach cobbler without the sink full of dishes.

An easy peach dessert you can pull off while the kettle hums and the dog tracks leaves inside. It lived with my summer dessert recipes all August and refuses to leave now that sweaters are back.

What A Dump Cake Actually Is

The name is the method. Fruit in the pan. Dry cake mix over the top. Melted butter everywhere. Cinnamon for backbone. No whisk. No extra bowl. No stirring. In the oven, the butter sinks into the mix and turns it into a golden, cobbler-style lid while the peaches bubble into a thick, glossy sauce.

Low input, high reward. My favorite kind of kitchen math.

Ingredients, Garden To Pantry

If the backyard tree cooperated, I slice what I have, sweeten if needed, and a little lemon wakes it up. When fresh runs out, I go pantry-practical. Canned peaches keep this recipe ready for any Tuesday.

Do not drain the syrup. That is your sauce. Frozen works once the farm stand closes. Thaw just enough and pour off any icy puddles so the topping stays crisp.

Yellow cake mix brings that buttery crumb you want. Butter builds the crunch. Cinnamon ties it together and makes the house smell like you meant to bake.

If I feel fancy, I add vanilla, a pinch of nutmeg or ginger, or a shy tablespoon of bourbon.

Gear That Earns Its Keep

I use a Cast iron skillet cake setup because cast iron gives you those caramel edges and a sturdy crust.

A 10 inch skillet makes thicker scoops. A 12 inch spreads it thinner and pushes the crunch. No skillet on hand, no problem. A 9 by 13 baking dish gets you close.

Oven at 350°F, middle rack, and rotate once if your oven has a hot corner.

How It Comes Together

Butter the pan. Peaches go in, syrup and all, or your fresh or frozen lineup seasoned right in the skillet. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly so you are not fighting craters later.

Pour the melted butter as evenly as patience allows and finish with cinnamon. Bake until the top is deep golden and the center bubbles through a few little vents.

Most ovens land between 40 and 50 minutes. Then wait. Ten to fifteen minutes of patience turns lava into nectar and gives you clean scoops.

Doneness Cues You Can Trust

Edges should read dark gold and lightly crackled. The middle should be actively bubbling, not hiding under pale flour. The surface should look set, not dusty.

If dry spots linger near the end, add a touch more butter and give it five extra minutes. If the edges bolt ahead, drop the heat to 325°F and keep going until the center wakes up.

Riffs That Fit Fall

Spice cake mix leans into sweater weather. Butter pecan loves peaches and brings a nutty bend. A handful of chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the dry mix before the butter adds subtle crunch without turning this into a project.

When peach season taps out, switch lanes. Apple pie filling, cherries, or a mixed berry stash from the freezer all run the same play.

Make Ahead, Store, Serve

If I am stretched thin, I assemble a few hours early with canned or thawed fruit and chill it. Bake from cold and add a few minutes.

Leftovers keep four days and reheat best in a 350°F oven until the top snaps again. Microwave if you must, but you trade away crunch.

It freezes up to three months. Thaw in the fridge and warm at 325°F until hot and lively.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream, or go breakfast mode with a cold wedge and tangy yogurt. No judgment.

Why It Belongs In Your Rotation

This is a Quick and simple dessert that still acts like real comfort. It checks the boxes for Comfort food recipes, reads like Southern peach recipes, and keeps the cast iron busy.

If you are after a reliable easy peach dessert that works for guests and tired Tuesdays, this skillet peach dump cake is the one I make, then make again.