When summer starts to lean into fall and Labor Day gathers everybody around the table one more time, a simple baked dessert like this feels right at home. This old-fashioned style dump dessert uses a box of dry angel food cake mix and just two more pantry staples to make a light, sweet cobbler-like treat with hardly any fuss at all. It is the kind of practical recipe country cooks have always loved: easy on the budget, quick to stir together, and dependable when you need something warm and homemade without heating up the kitchen for half the day.
Serve this dessert warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped topping, and if you want to dress it up for a holiday cookout, a handful of fresh berries on the side makes it look mighty pretty. It also goes nicely with hot coffee after supper, or alongside grilled burgers, baked beans, and fresh corn when the Labor Day table is full of both savory and sweet comforts.
3-Ingredient Oven Baked Labor Day Angel Food Dessert
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 box angel food cake mix, dry and unprepared
1 can (21 ounces) apple pie filling
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8x8-inch or similar small casserole dish.
2. Spread the apple pie filling evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish, then sprinkle the cinnamon over the top.
3. Sprinkle the dry angel food cake mix evenly over the fruit filling, covering it as uniformly as you can without stirring it in.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Variations & Tips
Peach version: Swap the apple pie filling for peach pie filling if you want a sunnier late-summer flavor. A pinch of nutmeg alongside the cinnamon is especially good with peaches.
Berry version: Try canned mixed berry or cherry pie filling for a prettier holiday pan. The bright fruit peeking through the pale golden topping makes a lovely end-of-summer dessert.
For the best texture: Be sure to use the angel food cake mix dry, straight from the box, and do not prepare it according to package directions. That dry mix on top is what gives this dessert its soft, airy crust.
Serving tip: This dessert is best served warm the day it is baked. If you have leftovers, cover the dish and refrigerate, then rewarm individual portions gently so the fruit loosens back up.