Easy Peach Dump Cake

Prepare the baking dish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish using butter or nonstick spray to prevent sticking. This ensures the finished cake lifts easily and the edges do not overbrown.

Build the peach base

1. Pour the peaches along with all of their syrup into the prepared baking dish. Add the vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt. Stir gently with a spoon until everything is evenly combined and fragrant. The mixture will look loose, which is expected and helps create a soft, tender base.

Add the cake layer

1. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the peaches, covering the entire surface. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon over the top. Do not mix. The dry layer should sit evenly on top so it can form a golden, crumbly texture during baking.

Pour the butter

1. Slowly drizzle the melted butter across the surface of the cake mix. Use a spoon or pour in thin streams to cover as much of the dry mix as possible. Some small dry patches are normal, but most of the surface should appear lightly moistened to ensure even browning.

Bake the cake

1. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The top will turn golden and slightly crisp, while the peach layer will bubble around the edges. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 10 minutes.

Cool and serve

1. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This helps the layers settle and makes scooping easier. The texture should be warm, soft underneath with a lightly crisp, buttery topping.