The Easiest Cherry Dump Cake Recipe (3 Ingredients, No Mixing!)

The Easiest Cherry Dump Cake Recipe (3 Ingredients, No Mixing!)

Some days you want to be a domestic superstar. You want to bake a magnificent, multi-layered cake from scratch, fill your home with the warm, comforting scent of vanilla, and graciously accept the oohs and aahs of your adoring fans. And then there are other days. The days when you want all of that—the warm, bubbly dessert, the praise, the glory—but you also want to… not. You want to skip the measuring, the mixing, the creaming of butter, and the mountain of dirty bowls.

For those days, I present to you the undisputed champion of low-effort, high-reward desserts: the dump cake. And today, we’re making the legendary, the iconic, the almost scandalously easy cherry dump cake. It’s less of a recipe and more of a glorious assembly project, and it’s about to become your new secret weapon.

Why This Recipe Is a Work of Lazy Genius

So, what makes this bizarrely named concoction so ridiculously awesome? Why should you immediately add a box of cake mix and a can of pie filling to your shopping list?

First, let’s address the name. It’s called a “dump cake” because that is the literal, unabridged instruction manual. You dump the ingredients into a pan. That’s it. There is no mixing bowl required. This isn’t just easy; it’s a revolutionary act of defiance against complicated baking. If you can operate a can opener, you possess all the skills necessary to create this masterpiece.

Second, the result is a textural marvel that defies all logic. It’s not quite a cake. It’s not quite a cobbler. It’s a magical hybrid of warm, gooey, jammy cherry filling on the bottom and a rich, buttery, chewy-and-crispy cake topping. It’s the kind of dessert that demands to be eaten warm, preferably with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into it.

Finally, this is the ultimate potluck or last-minute dessert hero. It requires three pantry-staple ingredients, takes about 90 seconds to assemble, and feeds a crowd. You will look like a brilliant baker who slaved away in the kitchen, and only you need to know the shockingly lazy truth.

The (Gloriously Short) Ingredients List

Prepare yourself for the shortest, most beautiful ingredients list you have ever seen for a “cake.”

• Cherry Pie Filling: 1 large can (about 21 ounces).
• Yellow Cake Mix: 1 standard box (about 15.25 ounces). Do not prepare the cake mix according to the box directions. You need the dry mix itself.
• Unsalted Butter: ½ cup (1 stick), melted. (We’ll also discuss the sliced butter method, for the purists).

Popular & Highly Recommended Add-in:

• Crushed Pineapple: 1 large can (20 ounces), undrained. The classic cherry dump cake often includes a layer of pineapple for a sweet-tart flavor explosion. It’s not mandatory, but it’s amazing.

The “Baker’s” Toolkit

Your list of required equipment is as wonderfully lazy as the recipe itself.

• A 9×13 inch Baking Dish: This is the standard size and works perfectly.
• A Can Opener: The most technical piece of equipment you’ll need.
• A Spatula: For spreading the fruit layer. You could probably just use a spoon or shake the pan, but let’s maintain some dignity.
• A Small Bowl: If you’re using the melted butter method, you’ll need something to melt it in.

Step-by-Step: The Art of the Dump

Are you ready for the most strenuous 90 seconds of your life? Deep breaths. You can do this.

Step 1: The First Dump Preheat your oven to 350∘F (175∘C). Now, for the hard part. Open your can of cherry pie filling and dump it into the bottom of your 9×13 inch baking dish. Use your spatula to spread it into a reasonably even layer. If you’re using the optional pineapple, dump that in first and spread it out, then dump the cherries on top.

Step 2: The Second Dump Open your box of yellow cake mix. Now, brace yourself. Dump the DRY cake mix directly on top of the fruit layer. Use your spatula or clean hands to spread it out evenly, making sure to cover all the fruit. DO NOT MIX IT IN. I repeat, do not stir. You are simply creating a sandy, dry layer on top of the wet fruit.

Step 3: The Butter Situation You have two choices here, both of which lead to deliciousness.

• Method 1 (My Favorite): The Melt and Drizzle. Melt your stick of butter in the microwave. Slowly and evenly drizzle the melted butter over the entire surface of the dry cake mix. Try to cover as much of it as you can.
• Method 2 (The Classic): The Slice and Place. Slice a very cold stick of butter into thin, even pats. Arrange the butter pats in a single layer over the top of the dry cake mix, covering as much surface area as possible.

Step 4: The Bake Carefully place your creation into the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the fruit filling is hot and bubbly around the edges and the topping is a beautiful golden brown with a crispy, cobbled look.

Step 5: The Agonizing Wait Let the dump cake cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. It will be volcanically hot. This cooling period also allows the gooey topping to set up a bit. Serve warm, preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Calories & Nutritional Info (Let’s Not Kid Ourselves)

This is a dessert made from pie filling, cake mix, and butter. It is a glorious, unapologetic treat.

• Estimated Calories: Around 350-450 kcal per serving (assuming 12 servings).
• A Dessert for the Soul: It’s high in sugar and carbs, and that’s precisely what makes it a perfect, comforting dessert.
• Fruit!: Hey, there’s fruit in it! That’s practically a health food, right? 😉

Common Dump Cake Disasters to Avoid

It’s almost impossible to mess this up, but humanity has an amazing capacity for creative failure. Here’s how to avoid it.

1. The Sin of Mixing. I know every fiber of your being, conditioned by years of following recipes, is screaming at you to mix the cake mix with the fruit. DO NOT DO IT. The magic of a dump cake is that the liquid from the fruit and the fat from the butter bake up into the dry cake mix, creating that unique, cobbler-like topping. If you mix it, you’ll just have a weird, dense, gummy cake.
2. The Dreaded Dry Pockets. The only real enemy of a perfect dump cake is finding a spoonful of dry, powdery, un-buttered cake mix on top. To avoid this, make sure you get as much butter coverage as possible, whether you’re drizzling or slicing. A few small dry spots are okay, but you want the vast majority of the surface to be buttered.
3. An Uneven Fruit Fiasco. Don’t just dump your fruit in a pile in the middle. Take the extra 10 seconds to spread the fruit layer evenly across the bottom of the pan. This ensures that every scoop has the perfect fruit-to-topping ratio.

Variations & Customizations (The Dump-a-Verse)

The “dump” philosophy can be applied to almost any combination of fruit and cake mix. The possibilities are endless.

1. The Classic Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake: This is arguably the most famous version. Before the cherry pie filling, dump and spread one 20-ounce can of undrained crushed pineapple. The sweet-tart pineapple cuts through the richness and is a match made in heaven with the cherries.
2. Double Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake: For the chocoholics. Use your cherry pie filling, but top it with a Devil’s Food or chocolate fudge cake mix. Sprinkle a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips over the dry cake mix before you add the butter. It’s incredibly decadent.
3. Autumnal Apple or Peach Dump Cake: Swap the cherry pie filling for two cans of apple pie filling or peach pie filling. Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon over the fruit before you add the dry cake mix. A spice cake mix also works beautifully here.

Your Burning Dump Cake Questions, Answered

Let’s clear up the mystique of this gloriously simple dessert.

So, what exactly is a dump cake?

A dump cake is a type of super-easy cobbler where the ingredients are “dumped” into a cake pan without being mixed. It typically consists of a fruit layer (often canned), a dry cake mix layer, and a butter layer on top.

Do I have to use cherry pie filling?

Not at all! You can use almost any canned pie filling—apple, peach, blueberry, strawberry—or even fresh or frozen fruit. If using fresh fruit, you might want to add a little extra sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Which is better: melted butter or sliced butter?

This is a topic of great debate in the dump cake community. Melted butter is easier to get even coverage, but some find it can make the topping a bit denser. Sliced cold butter is the traditional method and can result in a lighter, crispier topping with more textural variation, but it’s harder to cover the whole surface. Honestly, both are delicious. Try them both and see which team you’re on.

Can I make a dump cake in a slow cooker?

Yes! It’s a fantastic “set it and forget it” dessert. Grease your slow cooker, dump in the ingredients in the same order, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 2 hours, until the top is set and the fruit is bubbly.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can enjoy it cold, or reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm.

Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?

Absolutely! Yellow cake mix is classic, but white, butter pecan, or spice cake mix would be incredible, especially with different fruits. Get creative!

Why are there dry, powdery spots on my dump cake topping?

You didn’t get enough butter on those spots. The butter is what transforms the dry mix into a delicious topping. Next time, try to be more thorough with your butter drizzle or use slightly more overlapping slices to ensure full coverage.

Final Thoughts

You’ve done it. You have officially mastered the art of non-baking. You have achieved maximum dessert glory with the absolute minimum possible effort. You have stared into the face of a complicated world and said, “No. Today, I will simply dump.”

So go on, grab the biggest spoon you can find (and a tub of vanilla ice cream, because you’re not a monster) and claim your delicious, lazy, well-deserved victory. You’ve earned it.