Fresh Peach Dump Cake

By: Heather Grebler, P.H.Ec. of themessylittlekitchen.com/

When I was looking through existing recipes online, what I found surprising, and also disappointing, is that not only are most dump cakes using cake mixes (which just do not taste the same to me!), but they also insisted on using canned peaches in syrup. Hold on! Canned peaches can never, not ever, capture the flavour I would expect from a peach. In fact, I am so adamant about this that peaches are one the few pieces of fruit that I will only purchase when they are in-season in Ontario from our amazing Niagara region. Absolutely nothing beats the taste. I hope you enjoy this fresh peach cake with your seasonal produce as much a my family did!

Yield: 2 quart glass baking dish
Preparation Time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

​Cake Batter:

• 3/4 cup (180 mL) flour (unsifted)
• 1 1/4 tsp. (7 mL)  baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. (2 mL) salt
• 2 tbsp. (30 mL) vegetable shortening
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) canola oil
• 6 tbsp. (90 mL) white sugar
• 1/4 tsp. (2 mL) vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp. (90 mL) milk

Peach Base:

• 4.5 cups (1.125 L) of peeled, sliced peaches (approximately 7 fully ripe medium size peaches)
• 2 tbsp. (30 mL) brown sugar 
• 1 tbsp. (15 mL) vanilla (optional, but recommended)
• 2 tbsp. (30 mL) cornstarch

Directions:

1. Grease a 2 quart glass casserole dish.
2. Blanch, peel and slice the peaches and mix with the assigned amount of sugar, cornstarch and vanilla. Place the mixture and level it in the glass baking dish.
3. Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) together in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Cream shortening, canola oil and white sugar together until smooth. 
5. Add in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla and beat well.
6. Add flour mixture and milk, alternating, into the egg mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture as you alternately add in the milk and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and the cake batter is smooth. 
7. Pour cake batter over the fruit in the baking pan and smooth out as much as possible.
8. Bake the Fruit Dump Cake at 350F for 55-65 minutes until cooked through the cake batter in the centre.
9. Let cool for 15-20 minutes, or until serving time and enjoy. Tastes great warm or cooled! 

Kids in the Kitchen:  The best part of this cake is that it uses seasonal fruit. Have your kids help harvest the fruits (if possible), giving them a truly "field to fork" experience. Kids also could help you to peel the peaches while an adult cuts the (as peaches are quite slippery to slice). The cake batter can easily be made in a stand mixer, where even the youngest chef can add ingredients into the mixer, and help to push the buttons for creaming and blending the cake batter.