Dublin took control in the second half at Kingspan Breffni Park to outgun Cavan and maintain their 100% record in NFL Division Two.
In wet conditions, Seanie Johnston slotted four early frees to see Cavan nip in front.
However, four points on the bounce from Mark Vaughan and newcomer Brendan McManamon had the Dubs back level at 0-05 apiece at half-time.
Very little separated the sides until Bernard Brogan netted in the 61st-minute after his brother Alan's shot had come back off the post.
Cavan will be kicking themselves that they never built on the platform of their early 0-05 to 0-01 lead.
The livewire Johnston was central to all that was good about the home side's attack, finishing with a six-point tally.
Unfortunately, his colleagues could contribute little, although Dermot McCabe was denied by a fabulous save from Stephen Cluxton when the Breffni men pressed for a response to Brogan's goal.
In rain-soaked conditions, winless Cavan started in business-like fashion with corner forward Johnston bisecting the posts with the a central free.
Michael Lyng doubled his side's tally and after early wides from McManamon, Bryan Cullen and Jason Sherlock, the Dubs opened their account in the ninth-minute through St Jude’s clubman McManamon.
Nonetheless, three successive frees from Johnston opened up a four-point gap between the sides, midway through the first half.
There was plenty of needle in this tie with Eamonn Fennell, Dermot Sheridan, who caught Vaughan with an elbow, and McManamon all yellow carded in the closing six minutes of the half.
Dublin's revival began in the 22nd-minute when Vaughan shot over an excellent point from play. McManamon did likewise after being teed up by Bernard Brogan and two late frees from Vaughan made it all-square for the break.
Into the second half, Martin Reilly missed an early chance before Johnston, who gave his marker David Henry a torrid time, rammed over his fifth point of the night.
But from the 40th-minute onwards, Cavan only managed to score one more point and again it was through Johnston.
Cavan's over-reliance on their number 15 was all too evident and once Dublin, who were given a stern talking-to at the interval by manager Paul Caffrey, found a bit of form, they pulled ahead.
The introductions of Ciaran Whelan and Conal Keaney at the midpoint of the second half proved timely with the former levelling the game in the 51st-minute.
Johnston briefly levelled but a second Keaney point, after a pass from Vaughan, and Brogan's goal effectively put the seal on the result.
After Cluxton's heroics on the edge of his square, a point from goal-scorer Brogan sent the Dubs into a decisive five-point lead and Cavan's challenge was over.
