Peach Dump Cake (plus a variation)

Let me tell you about Summer. No, she does NOT have a sister named Winter, Spring, or Fall, so don't ask...she doesn't think it's funny, and, as her right-hand woman, neither do I. Summer and I met in college--Azusa Pacific University (go, Cougars!). We weren't roommates, but we were brought together by a mutual friend. It was one of those "Oh-my-gosh-I-think-this-is-my-long-lost-sister" moments; we immediately clicked and were, from our freshman year, totally inseparable. She's one of those friends that you can go weeks without talking to and then pick right up where you left off. We used to get together every Wednesday night and cook and bake for her mom and sister. We make a pretty great team: I do the majority of the cooking while she does all the baking. Today, almost 10 years later, we still get together and laugh till the cows come home. One last-minute invitation on a Thursday afternoon convinced Summer and her boyfriend, Zak, to swing by our place the next night. I grabbed a pizza and salad from Costco and she brought over this dessert. We, of course, laughed till we cried while the boys sat on the couch marveling at some new techy gadget...weirdos. We enjoyed this peach cake right out of the oven and found that not one of the flavors was too over-powering than another. I have provided a variation of this recipe below. Enjoy!

Peach Dump Cake
Source: Summer, originally called Peach Crunch Cake at Bakerella

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, we didn't use them)
your favorite vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer ingredients in a 9x13 dish, in the order written above starting with the peaches. Bake for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla/vanilla bean ice cream.



Variation from my grandma: Cherry Dump Cake
1 large can of Comstock cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut into squares

Preheat oven to 350. Layer ingredients in an 8x11 glass baking dish, starting with the cherries, then the cake, then the butter. Bake until the cake is golden, probably 30-40 minutes. Serve with whip cream or vanilla ice cream.