So I got this Dutch oven last month and figured it’s time to test it out beyond soups. Saw folks online making desserts in theirs during camping trips and thought, “Why not try from my backyard?” Grabbed my trusty cast-iron beast and decided to start stupid simple with peach dump cake.
Gear & Ingredients Rundown
First, raided my pantry for:
- A stick of butter (almost slipped grabbing it!)
- Canned peaches swimming in syrup
- Boxed yellow cake mix – the cheapest kind
- Some cinnamon because why not
- Charcoal briquettes, obviously
The Messy Assembly
Okay, so here’s how it went down:
- Dumped the whole peach can into the Dutch oven – juice splashed everywhere, wiped my shirt on it
- Sprinkled the cake mix powder straight from the box over the peaches like I was feeding chickens
- Plopped butter slices over the top looking like a wonky puzzle
- Shook cinnamon like I was salt-bae’s clumsy cousin
Took 3 minutes tops. Felt almost criminal being this lazy.
Fire Management Fiasco
Now the charcoal part had me sweating. Counted out 8 briquettes under the oven and 14 on the lid like tutorial videos showed. Forgot my chimney starter though – ended up using lighter fluid which smelled suspiciously like gasoline. Waited for those coals to turn ashy gray while swatting mosquitoes.
The Waiting Game
Covered that baby and set my phone timer for 45 minutes. Peeked every 10 minutes like an anxious parent:
- First check: Butter melting nice, smelled like cookies
- 20 minutes in: Sugary bubbles erupting around the edges
- 35 minutes: Lid too hot to touch without my oven mitt
When the timer screamed, lifted the lid with my grill tongs and bam – golden crust with peach lava underneath.
Victory & Lessons
Scooped steaming chunks into bowls. Top was crisp, bottom was gooey peach heaven. Kid inhaled two bowls before declaring it “better than Grandma’s.” Takeaways:
- No measuring cups needed – dump recipes forgive chaos
- Charcoal placement matters more than ingredients
- Lighter fluid residue tastes nasty – use chimney starter next time
Already planning apple pie version next weekend. Dutch oven desserts? Stupid easy win.
