Easy Peach Cake

This is a classic Southern “dump cake” gone fancy. Citrus cake mix, peach pie filling, and a couple of eggs go into one bowl with a fork, no mixer required. The acid in the orange or lemon cake mix brightens the canned peaches and keeps the cake from tasting one-note sweet.

Use a fork instead of a spoon for mixing. The fork breaks the peach chunks just enough to distribute them through the batter without pulverizing them, leaving distinct fruit pockets in the finished cake. A spoon turns everything to mush.

Sour cream in the batter is the move that separates this from a basic dump cake. The fat tenderizes the crumb and the acid reacts with the leavening in the cake mix, giving the cake more lift and a softer bite.

Cool the cake completely before frosting. The cream cheese topping is essentially a no-bake pineapple cheesecake, and any residual warmth will melt the whipped topping into a runny puddle. Be patient.

The topping itself is the kind of thing potluck legends are built on. Cream cheese gives body, instant pudding mix sets it up, and crushed pineapple with its juice keeps it light and tropical against the rich peach base.

Pro Tips

• Use a 9 by 13-inch pan if you don’t have a 10 by 14. The cake will be slightly thicker but bakes through fine. Add 5 minutes to the bake time.
• Don’t drain the crushed pineapple. The juice helps the topping spread smoothly and adds tropical flavor.
• Let the topping firm up in the fridge at least 2 hours before slicing. It cuts cleaner cold.
• Keeps 4 days refrigerated, covered.

Variations

• Swap peach pie filling for cherry pie filling or apricot for a different fruit profile.
• Use a yellow cake mix instead of citrus and add 1 teaspoon almond extract to the batter.
• Stir ½ cup toasted coconut into the topping for a tropical twist.