This gooey Chocolate Caramel Dump Cake is ridiculously easy to make and perfect for when you need something decadent! Just a few ingredients and one pan are pretty much all you need to get this rich and indulgent dump cake recipe ready to shovel into your face!
This post was originally published on January 24, 2020, and has now been updated with updated links, and more information and instructions!
Dump Cake Recipes are some of my favorite desserts to make and this one is next level.
If you need a dessert to serve at a party, or just need something to enjoy after dinner, this recipe is sure to be a favorite!
Fruit dump cakes are good. But this dump cake with caramel and chocolate is SO much better!
And it’s teen approved. I made the mistake of leaving this pan out on the counter and my son and his friends came home and demolished it.
Luckily, I got to have a nice big serving.
They’ve also requested that I make this again. And I totally will. Because it’s the perfect, easy dessert to make.
Especially when you don’t want to put in much effort.
Which for me, is hardly ever. Sorry, not sorry.
Jump to:
What Is Dump Cake?
I’ll be honest. People are sometimes really loose with the term “dump cake.” But I am on a mission to keep dump cakes as easy as possible.
A dump cake is where you layer a few ingredients in a baking dish, top it with dry cake mix, add some moisture (in melted butter, soda or condensed milk) and bake it. (See my classic Cherry Dump Cake recipe as an example)
The finished product is more like a cobbler than a baked cake. And they are truly scrumptious.
Dump Cakes are really great for parties because they can be made ahead of time.
They’re also good for potlucks and parties you attend away from home because they don’t really look that nice.
This means you won’t have to worry about it jostling in transit.
They’re not pretty. But they sure are delicious. Especially this Caramel Chocolate Dump Cake.
This easy decadent dessert is sure to be your new favorite! Make this Chocolate Caramel Dump Cake now!
Ingredients
You’ll need a box of chocolate cake mix (I like this one), instant chocolate pudding mix (this is my favorite brand), butter, milk, chocolate chips, and some caramel candies.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. And grab your favorite 9 x 13 baking dish. If you’re planning to take this dessert somewhere else, I love to use a disposable pan that I don’t have to worry about bringing home.
Melt ½ cup butter and put it into the baking dish.
Sprinkle dry cake mix over the butter.
Sprinkle dry pudding mix over the cake mix.
Top with milk.
With a fork or spoon, try to spread out the milk and so that the dry mix and pudding are a little bit moistened.
Top with chocolate chips.
Top with sliced butter in areas that look like it might be a little dry.
Add caramels to the dump cake.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes.
Tips
If there are spots with what looks like dry cake mix after baking, you can spritz it with a little bit of water to moisten it. But even if you skip this step, everything will taste amazing!
You can serve this as is or top it with whipped cream or a little vanilla ice cream.
The caramel will harden up as it cools and is stored in the fridge. You can eat the leftovers but I would reheat single portions as you need them rather than the whole batch at once (unless you’ll only be reheating it the one time).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! That’s what I love about dump cakes. You can pretty much do whatever you want. The texture may change a bit but when you’re scooping it into a bowl anyway, it really doesn’t matter.
Here I used caramel candies, but you can also use caramel ice cream topping or a homemade caramel sauce.
YES! Dump Cake can sit out. It’s not a fussy dessert which is awesome. If you’re serving it at a party, you can make it ahead and leave it out until time to serve.
A few more easy recipes you might also enjoy!
- Slow Cooker Cherry Dump Cake (Crockpot Dump Cake)
- Blueberry Peach Dump Cake with Oats
- Pineapple Angel Food Dump Cake
- Cherry Dump Cake with Pineapple
- Strawberry Pineapple Dump Cake Dessert
- Mandarin Dump Cake with Coconut
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Chocolate Caramel Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix
- 3.9 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup butter divided half melted, half sliced
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
- 11 ounces caramel candies unwrapped
Instructions
- Melt ½ cup butter and put it into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix over the butter.
- Sprinkle dry pudding mix over the cake mix.
- Top with milk.
- With a fork or spoon, try to spread out the milk and so that the dry mix and pudding are a little bit moistened.
- Top with chocolate chips.
- Top with sliced butter in areas that look like it might be a little dry.
- Add caramels to the dump cake.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes.
Shana Bainto says
It would be super helpful if you said what size of baking dish.
Sharon Garofalow says
Sorry about that! It’s a 9 x 13.
Paulette says
Does this really have over 300 grams of carbs?
Cynthia says
I was so excired to try this, after doing several fruit dump cakes this year.
But this came out not cakey enough, the cake and pudding part still powdery in parts. And I double checked the recipe- had layered everything the right way.
Oh well! Still tasted Ok, but not what I was expecting- any ideas what to do to make it perfect- with no powdery mix in parts?
Sharon Garofalow says
Hi Cynthia! I know what you mean. Chocolate Dump Cakes are tricky. I try to use a fork and mix the milk with the powders but it’s still not foolproof. In an effort to try to keep them as “dump” like as possible, I think you’re right, they aren’t cakey. There’s nothing to make them rise. I’ll keep working on it because I noticed that if you do things in a different order, it gets a little gummy. In the meantime, I’ll let you in on my little trick. If a dump cake comes out of the oven and the butter didn’t get everywhere I think it should, I use a small spray bottle and mist those spots very lightly with water. It helps them to blend in with the rest of the crust! I’ll also add a note to the post so people know what to expect. Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Wanda says
This recipe looks delicious! When I make dump cakes, I will use a pastry blender or hand mixer to cut one stick of softened butter into the dry cake mix. Combine until its pea sized, dry and crumbly then spread in the pan. It’s an extra step, but it’s very simple and eliminates dry spots to my liking! I’m excited to give this one a try soon! Thank you and happy Easter
Sharon Garofalow says
That’s a great tip! Thank you for sharing it!