When peaches are sweet and heavy on the counter, this easy baked dessert is the kind of homestyle treat that earns a permanent place in the family recipe box. Using dry red velvet cake mix as the shortcut topping gives you a cobbler-meets-dump-cake dessert with hardly any fuss, and the peaches turn soft and syrupy underneath while the buttery cake layer bakes into a rich, tender crust. It is the sort of practical, comforting dessert that feels right at home at a church supper, a Sunday dinner, or any summer evening when you want something special without a sink full of dishes.
This dessert is lovely served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped topping, and if you want to dress it up a little, a few fresh peach slices on the side make it look mighty pretty. For a real Midwestern supper table, pair it with coffee after dinner or serve it alongside grilled pork, barbecue chicken, or a simple ham meal when you need a sweet finish to the plate.
4-Ingredient Oven Baked Peach Red Velvet Dessert
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 box red velvet cake mix, dry and unbaked
2 cans sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease an oven-safe metal roasting pan.
2. Pour the sliced peaches with all their syrup into the roasting pan and spread them into an even layer.
3. Sprinkle the dry red velvet cake mix powder evenly over the peaches, covering the fruit as completely as you can.
4. Drizzle the melted butter all over the cake mix, then dust the cinnamon across the top as evenly as possible.
5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is set and lightly crisp in spots and the peaches are bubbling up around the edges.
6. Let the dessert rest for 10 minutes before spooning it into bowls and serving warm.
Variations & Tips
Use fresh peaches: If peach season is treating you well, you can swap the canned fruit for about 6 cups of peeled, sliced fresh peaches. Toss them with 1/2 cup sugar and a few spoonfuls of water so they make enough juice as they bake.
Add a little crunch: A handful of chopped pecans sprinkled over the butter before baking gives the top a nice little crisp bite and pairs beautifully with the peaches.
Watch for dry patches: If you notice any areas of dry cake mix partway through baking, drizzle on a little more melted butter to help those spots bake up tender instead of powdery.
Make it extra special: A small splash of vanilla mixed into the peaches or a pinch of nutmeg along with the cinnamon can give this simple dessert a deeper, old-fashioned flavor without adding much work at all.