I first heard of a dump cake from my friend Lisa Taylor (Newport Beach). Lisa has 4 large sons, so she cooks a ton. Anyway I needed a dessert for something and she said, "Why don't you try a dump cake? I sarcastically said, "that sounds appealing," Anyway I went for it despite the name, and I was a happy camper. Here is my version of this unbelievably easy and yummy dessert. You'll need:
4 large Granny Smith Apples
1 Box of Spice Mix (Betty Crocker makes it.)
A Stick of Butter
(Opt.) Vanilla Ice Cream
Preheat the oven to 350. You start with peeling the apples. Then you use a contraption that quarters the apple and separates the core from the apple. (You can peel and quarter an apple without this tool, but it sure makes life easier.) Finally you cut the apple into tiny pieces, so they will bake faster and be bite-sized.. At this point you cover the bottom of a baking dish with the apples.
After that you evenly "dump" the cake mix all over the apples. Then you melt the butter and pour it evenly on top. Finally you bake it at 350 for about about 50 min. or so until it is golden brown. (An equally yummy variation is to use another fruit like berries. In this case you would use the traditional yellow cake mix.)
I serve it hot with vanilla ice cream. This is optional, but I can't imagine this dessert without it.