Looking for an easy dessert that practically makes itself? This caramel butterscotch crockpot cake is a dump-style slow cooker dessert that delivers ooey-gooey, buttery perfection with minimal effort. Perfect for potlucks, holidays, or whenever you need a crowd-pleasing sweet treat without heating up your oven!
Why This Caramel Butterscotch Cake is a Game-Changer
I stared at my crockpot for two weeks straight, wondering what magical dessert I could create next. After conquering my Crockpot Hot Fudge Cake and various cobblers, I was on a roll! I wanted something ooey-gooey, buttery, and downright irresistible. Then, while cleaning my pantry, I discovered a bag of butterscotch chips and a box of caramel cake mix—and this butterscotch dump cake was born.
This butterscotch caramel cake recipe is perfect for busy moms, holiday entertaining, or anyone who wants a delicious dessert without the fuss. The best part? Your slow cooker does all the work while you handle everything else on your to-do list.
What Makes This Crockpot Cake Special
This isn’t your typical cake recipe. It’s a dump-style crockpot cake that requires no mixer, no eggs, and minimal cleanup. The slow cooker creates a gooey, pudding-like bottom layer with a fluffy cake top that’s absolutely divine when served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Why you’ll love this butterscotch dump cake:
- No-fuss preparation – Just dump, stir, and let your crockpot work its magic
- Perfect for crowds – Makes 6-8 servings and travels well to potlucks
- Holiday-ready – This makes an excellent Christmas cake for slow cooker entertaining
- Customizable – Add apples, pecans, or toffee bits to make it your own
- Beginner-friendly – If you can open a box and melt butter, you can make this
Ingredients for This Butterscotch Caramel Cake
This simple crockpot cake recipe uses pantry staples:
- 16.5 oz box Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix (or yellow cake mix)
- 1 stick + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup milk (whole milk works best, but any milk works)
- 1 cup butterscotch chips (or chocolate chips for variation)
- 1¾ cups boiling water (this creates the gooey layer)
- Caramel sauce for drizzling
Ingredient Notes: The boiling water might seem odd, but trust the process! As this crockpot cake cooks, the water creates that signature gooey, pudding-like bottom that makes dump cakes so addictive. The butterscotch chips melt into pockets of sweet perfection throughout the cake.
How to Make Caramel Butterscotch Crockpot Cake
Step 1: Prep Your Slow Cooker Preheat your crockpot on low for 10-15 minutes. I use a 6-quart slow cooker for best results. Spray generously with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Make the Bottom Cake Layer Reserve 1 cup of cake mix and set aside. Melt one stick of butter and combine with remaining cake mix and ½ cup milk. Stir until smooth and thick, then spread evenly across the bottom of your crockpot.
Step 3: Add the Butterscotch Layer Sprinkle butterscotch chips over the cake batter. Optional: drizzle ¼ cup caramel sauce here for extra caramel butterscotch flavor.
Step 4: Create the Magic Top Layer In a separate bowl, combine the reserved 1 cup cake mix, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1¾ cups boiling water. Stir well, then pour over everything in the crockpot. Don’t stir!
Step 5: Slow Cook to Perfection Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, or until the center is set. If needed, switch to high for the last 30 minutes. The cake is done when the middle is mostly set but still slightly gooey.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and extra caramel sauce drizzled on top!
Pro Tips for Perfect Butterscotch Dump Cake
- Serve immediately – This cake is best enjoyed warm, right out of the crockpot
- Don’t skip the boiling water – This is what creates the gooey, pudding-like bottom layer that makes this butterscotch caramel cake so special
- Use a 6-quart crockpot – Smaller sizes may cook too quickly; larger ones may take longer
- Check at 2 hours – Every slow cooker cooks differently. The center should be mostly set but still slightly jiggly
- Line with parchment – For easy serving, line your crockpot with parchment paper before adding the batter
Creative Variations for This Crockpot Cake
This butterscotch dump cake is incredibly versatile! Try these variations:
- Apple Butterscotch Cake: Add 1 cup diced apples to the bottom layer
- Turtle Crockpot Cake: Use chocolate chips and pecans, drizzle with caramel
- Salted Caramel Version: Use salted butter and salted caramel sauce
- Pumpkin Butterscotch: Add ½ cup pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice to the batter
- Toffee Butterscotch: Mix in crushed Heath bars or toffee bits
Serving Suggestions
This caramel butterscotch cake is incredible on its own, but even better with:
- Vanilla bean ice cream
- Fresh whipped cream
- Extra caramel sauce (always!)
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- A sprinkle of sea salt
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. It should still be slightly gooey in the center for that signature dump cake texture.
Crockpots don’t provide consistent enough heat to safely cook eggs throughout. Plus, the egg-free recipe creates that perfect soft, gooey texture that makes this butterscotch caramel cake so addictive.
While I haven’t tested it personally, some readers have had success. Use the slow cooker setting on your Instant Pot and follow the same timing. Check your manufacturer’s instructions for baking in your specific model.
Yellow cake mix works perfectly! The butterscotch chips and caramel sauce provide plenty of caramel flavor. You can also use butter pecan or vanilla cake mix.
This is actually normal for dump cakes! They should have a pudding-like, gooey bottom layer. If the top layer isn’t setting, your slow cooker may run cool—try turning it to high for 30 minutes. The center should be mostly set but still slightly jiggly.
Absolutely! This makes a fantastic Christmas cake in the slow cooker because it frees up your oven for other dishes. Make it ahead and keep it on the “warm” setting for easy serving. The caramel butterscotch flavors are perfect for holiday gatherings.
This recipe is designed for a 6-quart slow cooker and shouldn’t be doubled in the same pot. Instead, make two separate batches in two crockpots, or use a very large slow cooker and increase cooking time by 30-60 minutes.
Most dump cakes use fruit filling, but this butterscotch caramel cake uses a unique two-layer technique with butterscotch chips that melt throughout. The boiling water creates a magical gooey bottom that’s different from traditional fruit-based dump cakes.
Similar Slow Cooker Desserts You’ll Love
If you’re loving this easy crockpot cake, try these other slow cooker desserts:
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Caramel Buttersctoch Crockpot Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
What could be better than baking a cake in a Crockpot? This Caramel Butterscotch Crockpot Cake is sweet, gooey, fluffy, and perfect to feed a crowd without all the hassle.
Ingredients
- 16.5 oz. box Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix
- 1 stick + 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 c. butterscotch chips
- 1 3/4 c. boiling water
- caramel sauce, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat your crockpot by placing it on low for 10-15 minutes before making the cake (I used a 6-quart crockpot). Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix, set aside, and melt the stick of butter. Take the remaining cake mix and place it into a large bowl.
- Pour in the melted stick of butter and the 1/2 cup of milk and stir until most of the lumps are out, and the batter is thick and smooth. Pour that part of the cake batter into the crockpot. Use a spoon and spread evenly across the bottom of the crockpot.
- Sprinkle the butterscotch chips on top of the bottom layer of the cake. Optional: if you want to drizzle about 1/4 cup of caramel here, you can also do that. Now, take the 1 cup of the reserved cake mix and place it into a separate medium shallow bowl. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave. Pour in the melted butter and the boiling water together in a medium bowl and stir until well mixed.
- Pour the mixture over the cake in the crock pot, cover it with the lid, and allow it to cook for 2 hours or until it has set in the middle. If it takes longer than 2 hours, you can turn it up on high for about 30 minutes or until the middle part is set and turn it back down on warm (You do not have to. You can just let it bake until it’s done on low).
- Serve with vanilla ice cream and drizzle additional caramel sauce on top and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
1 3/4 c water and no eggs? This has been in my slow cooker for 3 hours and won’t set
It should still be somewhat gooey not completely caked through.
This looks delicious!
What store do you buy the Caramel Cake mix? I can’t find it anywhere.
Is there a substitute that you tried that is equal to the original recipe?
Thanks.
Denise
Maybe it was a seasonal item. You can use a yellow cake mix instead.
I would have use this recipe but it’s very frustrating that there is no measurement for what you call one stick of butter. I am in Canada and the butters come in different sizes. I would’ve totally used this recipe If it wasn’t for that. Because now I don’t know how much butter goes in this recipe.
Hello Kir,
Thank you for educating me on the metric system that you are dealing with. One stick of butter is 8 tablespoons of butter/ 1/2 cup of butter. Does that help?
It had great flavor and was perfect with vanilla ice cream but I don’t recommend making a cake in a crock pot. I was skeptical and probably should have gone with my gut. I cooked for three hours and it was still pretty liquidity..it was very tasty but don’t expect a cake consistency you won’t get it.