Use cherry pie filling and a box of yellow cake mix to make cherry dump cake! It tastes just like homemade cherry cobbler but is way easier!

No mixing or additional bowls needed for this dump cake with cherries.

cherry dump cake in white pan on wood background

This Cherry Dump Cake Recipe will become a family favorite!

This cherry pie filling dump cake is a quick dessert that’s made with a boxed cake mix and a can of cherry pie filling.

Our easy dump cake recipe will become a family favorite. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream or even add crushed pineapple for a cherry pineapple dump cake.

It’s the perfect dessert to make because it only requires a handful of ingredients.

What is Dump Cake?

A dump cake is known for ease because you dump ingredients into the cake pan. Most dump cakes are made in a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Most dump cakes use either canned, frozen, or fresh fruit, fruit filling or canned pumpkin. 

Dump cakes are known for sprinkling a box of dry cake mix over the ingredients in the pan and then adding melted butter on top of the cake mix.

It’s magical what happens inside the oven. Even I was like “Is this going to work?” 

The result is a cobbler like dessert with fruit pieces and golden brown cake mixed together! It’s not the type of cake you cut into neat squares, just scoop it onto your plate and eat! You can eat it warm, at room temperature, or even cold… when it comes to this tasty dessert I’m not picky about the temperature!

scoop of cherry dump cake on wooden spatula

Cherry Cobbler with Cake Mix ingredients

  • cherry pie filling
  • yellow cake mix
  • unsalted butter
  • almond extract or vanilla extract

Variations on this recipe for Cherry Dump Cake

Switch up the box of cake mix. In place of the yellow cake mix, use a box of white cake mix, vanilla, butter pecan, lemon or french vanilla. For chocolate lovers, try chocolate fudge, devil’s food cake, or milk chocolate cake mix for a chocolate cherry dump cake!

Add pineapple. People love cherry pineapple dump cake! Use one 21 oz cherry pie filling can and 20 oz crushed pineapple, undrained. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Add some nuts. For an added crunch, sprinkle 1 cup of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) over the cake before putting it in the oven.

How to make a Dump Cake (Cherry)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cherry pie filling to the bottom of the pan. 
  2. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the cherries.
  3. Mix the almond extract with the melted butter. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the dry cake. 
  4. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden yellow.
how to make cherry dump cake collage

How Do You Know When a Dump Cake is Done Baking?

Unlike traditional cakes, the toothpick method won’t work for a cherry dump cake recipe.

The top of the dump cake should look golden in color and look and feel like a “crust”, but once you break the the crust, the cake will be moist because of the fruit. 

Rule of thumb: look for the top of the cake to be golden in color.

cherry dump cake in white pan on wood background

Cherry Cobbler with Cake Mix storage

To store leftovers, cover the pan with a lid, plastic wrap or scoop the leftovers into an airtight container.

To reheat the whole pan of dump cake, cover the dish with tin foil and warm at 350º F for 15 minutes or until warmed through.

To freeze, bake the cake in a freezer safe container. Allow it to cool completely then wrap the pan well in plastic then again in foil. Label and place in the freezer. To thaw place in the fridge overnight

Cherry Pie Filling Dump Cake pro tips

It’s okay if the melted butter doesn’t cover all of the cake mix!

This recipe turned out great using a box of gluten free yellow cake mix. 

Use a box of chocolate cake mix for a black forest dump cake.

If you bake this in a smaller pan, the baking time will need to be increased. 

cherry dump cake in white bowl with scoop of vanilla ice cream on top on wood background

More Easy Desserts

Cherry Dump Cake FAQs

Can Dump Cake Be Made Ahead of Time? 

Most people prefer a warm dump cake, since it does resemble a cobbler. So with that in mind, yes, you can make a dump cake with cherry pie filling ahead of time, but I would recommend not making it more than 1 day in advance. You can re-heat the entire pan in the oven. 

Cherry Dump Cake (Cherry Cobbler with Cake Mix)

4.11 from 148 ratings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 20 servings
Use cherry pie filling and a box of yellow cake mix to make cherry dump cake! It tastes just like homemade cherry cobbler but is way easier! No mixing or additional bowls needed for this dump cake with cherries.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans cherry pie filling, 21 oz each
  • 1 box yellow cake mix, 15.25 oz
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted (3/4 cup)
  • ½ tsp almond extract, or vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350º F.
  • Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add the cherry pie filling to the bottom of the pan. 
  • Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the cherries.
  • Mix the almond extract with the melted butter. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the dry cake. 
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden yellow.
  • Allow the cake to sit for 20 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to rest. Serve warm or cold with ice cream if desired.

Notes

This recipe turned out great using a box of gluten free yellow cake mix. Use a box of chocolate cake mix for a black forest dump cake.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Beth
Calories: 224kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 200mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 333IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 1mg
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