Peach Blueberry Dutch Oven Cake
This dutch oven dump cake combines sweet summer fruits with vanilla cake mix. It’s one of the easiest ways possible to cook dessert while camping.
Making a cake while camping may seem practically impossible, but if you have a cast iron dutch oven, you can whip up this homemade peach blueberry dump cake on your next camping trip.
Simply layer the ingredients into your dutch oven, no stirring or mixing required, and cook it over campfire coals.
The peaches and blueberries cook down to form a hot, gooey layer of delicious fruit topped with moist cake that can only be improved with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
more dutch oven dump cake recipes
How to Cook a Dump Cake over the Campfire
Cakes and brownies cook best in a dutch oven because the cast iron retains the heat and acts as an oven, something an aluminum pan covered with tin foil just can’t do.
If you don’t have a dutch oven in your camping kitchen box, I would highly suggest investing in one. It’s the one camping tool I can’t imagine living without!
Cook it in a Dutch Oven Over Charcoal Briquets
Cooking over charcoal briquets allows you to control the heat better than cooking over campfire embers.
I usually light charcoal and place it in the fire pit next to the fire to cook this dutch oven dessert on. So you can still have a campfire going while your dessert cooks more evenly over the coals.
Number of Coals Needed
A general rule of thumb when baking in a dutch oven is to use double the amount of coals on the top as the bottom. For my 12″ dutch oven, I used approximately 10 coals on bottom and 20 coals on top and cooked for about 30-45 minutes.
You can also use the campfire coals from a fire that has died down to cook dutch oven cakes. Just be sure you have enough to also place on top of the dutch oven.
Ingredient Notes
- Peaches and Blueberries: Fresh or frozen fruit both work in this dump cake. If using frozen fruit, make sure to allow them to defrost before using in this recipe. (Usually, they defrost enough just by sitting in the cooler for a day or two.)
- Sugar: A little bit of sugar gives some sweetness to the fruit, especially the blueberries. You can choose to omit, which will result in a fruit layer that is more tangy.
- Cake Mix: White cake mix or yellow cake mix both work in this recipe.
- Sprite: Sprite helps the cake to cook evenly throughout.
- Butter: The little pads of butter on top help the cake to fully cook through in all the spots so there aren’t any dry pockets.
a note from Jenny
I especially love making this dump cake when peaches and blueberries are in season, because fresh fruits make this cake that much better.
However, for ease, I almost always just pack frozen fruits for my camping dump cakes. Zero prep and so easy to pack!
Looking for other camping dessert ideas? Try out this these dutch oven camping desserts.
How to make Peach Blueberry Dump Cake
In this section you’ll find a step by step tutorial of how to make this recipe with photos. The full recipe with exact measurements, steps and a printable card can be found at the bottom of the post.
Scroll through the images to see the steps –>
1. Prepare Dutch Oven
Line your dutch oven with parchment paper (or dutch oven parchment paper liners). The parchment paper makes clean up a breeze, but you can also use cooking spray or butter to coat the inside of the dutch oven.
2. Add peaches and blueberries
Dump fresh or thawed peaches and blueberries into the bottom of the dutch oven. Sprinkle the sugar evenly across the top.
3. Cover with cake mix
Dump the cake mix on top, spreading across the top evenly.
4. Top with liquid and butter
Pour Sprite evenly over the top of the dry cake mix.
Then, thinly slice the butter and arrange those evenly across the top of the ingredients.
5. Cook over charcoal briquets
Place the dutch oven on top of 10 pieces of charcoal (evenly spaced apart or in a ring) with 20 pieces of charcoal on top of the dutch oven lid (again, evenly spaced apart or in a ring around the outside).
Charcoal numbers are based on a 12″ dutch oven. If you have a smaller dutch oven, lower the number of coals, but keep the 2:1 ratio of coals on top to coals on bottom the same.
Cook for approximately 30-45 minutes. Cooking times are approximate and will depend on air temperature and well as wind conditions.
6. Enjoy!
Whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream are both amazing on this dutch oven dump cake!
Peach Blueberry Dutch Oven Dump Cake
Equipment
- 1 cast iron dutch oven
- 1 parchment paper dutch oven liner
Ingredients
- 3 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 box white cake mix
- 6 oz Sprite
- 4 tbsp butter, salted
Instructions
- Line dutch oven with parchment paper or grease the inside with butter.
- If using fresh peaches, peel and slice them. If using frozen peaches or blueberries, let them defrost before using in the dump cake.
- Pour cake mix evenly across the top.
- Pour Sprite over the top of the cake mix, as evenly as possible (do not stir). Then, place thin slices of butter across the top of the ingredients.
- Cover and place dutch oven over 10 pieces of charcoal. Add approximately 20 pieces of charcoal to the top.
- Cook for approximately 30-45 minutes (cook time will vary) and remove from heat once the cake is cooked through.
- Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!
Nutrition
I love using this camping dessert recipe to feed my entire family, or as a dessert for a scout camping troop. Everyone is always amazed at how good a dump cake can taste when it’s made over the fire!