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Four ingredients, no mixing bowl, and a result that tastes like you spent all afternoon on a cherry cobbler. Cherry pie filling goes in the pan first, dry cake mix on top, melted butter over that, and the oven does the rest. It looks too simple to work, but the payoff is a golden, buttery top over bubbling cherries every time – take it from Judy below!
What a great, easy, delicious recipe! I hope my sister’s never find this in Pinterest lol. They think I’m a master baker 🤣
-Judy Nowawski
Why This Cherry Dump Cake Recipe Works
I’ve tested this recipe with different cake mixes, pan sizes, and butter methods to solve one specific problem dump cakes are known for, dry patches of unmoistened cake mix on top. The fix came down to two things: fluffing the dry cake mix with a fork before adding the butter so there are no clumps, and making sure the butter reaches every corner instead of pooling in the middle. I walk through both of those steps below so you’re not left guessing at why some bites turn out powdery.
This recipe runs on hundreds of thousands of home bakers making it and telling me what worked and what didn’t. One of my favorite comments came from a reader who joked her sisters would think she was a master baker if they never found this recipe online. That’s the whole appeal, minimal effort, maximum payoff, and I’ve kept refining it so the result lives up to that every time.
What is Dump Cake?
A dump cake is one of the easiest desserts you can make—simply dump the ingredients into a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake! Most versions use canned, frozen, or fresh fruit, fruit filling, or even canned pumpkin as the base.
The signature technique? Sprinkling dry cake mix over the fruit, then topping it with melted butter—no mixing required! It may seem too simple to work (I had my doubts too!), but once baked, it transforms into a warm, cobbler-like dessert with sweet, bubbling fruit and a golden, buttery topping.
Unlike traditional cakes, dump cakes aren’t meant to be sliced into perfect squares—just scoop, serve, and enjoy! Whether warm, room temperature, or even cold, this dessert is delicious at any stage.
Easy Cherry Dump Cake Ingredients
- Cherry pie filling – The sweet and tart base that gives this dessert its signature flavor.
- Yellow cake mix – The secret to a golden, buttery topping.
- Unsalted butter – For a rich, crispy, and flavorful crust.
- Almond extract (optional) – A little goes a long way in enhancing the cherry flavor.
Love cherries? Make Cherry Pie Bars!
Cherry Dump Cake Variations
- Swap the Cake Mix: Instead of yellow cake mix, try white, vanilla, butter pecan, lemon, or French vanilla for a different flavor twist. For a chocolatey take, use chocolate fudge, devil’s food, or milk chocolate cake mix to make a rich chocolate cherry dump cake!
- Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake: Combine one 21 oz can of cherry pie filling with one 20 oz can of crushed pineapple (undrained) for a sweet-tart flavor boost. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
- Add Crunch: Sprinkle 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts over the cake mix before baking for a delicious nutty texture.
How to Make Cherry Dump Cake
- 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.
How Do You Know When a Dump Cake is Done Baking?
Since dump cakes don’t bake like traditional cakes, the toothpick test won’t work. Instead, check for a golden-brown crust on top—this indicates it’s ready! While the surface should be crisp, the inside will remain moist due to the fruit. As a rule of thumb, once the top is golden and set, your dump cake is perfectly baked.
Cherry Pie Filling Dump Cake Pro Tips
- Don’t worry if some dry cake mix is visible—it will still bake up beautifully!
- Fluff the cake mix before adding butter. Once you’ve sprinkled the dry cake mix over the cherries, run a fork lightly over the top to break up any clumps and spread it into an even layer. This helps the melted butter reach more of the mix instead of pooling in spots, which is the main cause of dry, powdery patches.
- Why almond extract in a cherry recipe? Almond extract doesn’t actually taste like almonds, it enhances cherry flavor since the two share a similar natural compound. If you don’t have any on hand, vanilla extract works as a straightforward swap, or you can leave it out entirely.
- Gluten-free friendly! This recipe works great with a gluten-free yellow cake mix.
- For a Black Forest twist, swap in chocolate cake mix for a rich chocolate-cherry flavor.
- Adjusting the pan size. This recipe is built for a 9×13 pan. For a smaller batch, use an 8-inch square pan with half the ingredients and start checking for doneness closer to 35 minutes. To serve a bigger crowd, double the recipe and split it across two 9×13 pans rather than one deep dish, so the topping bakes evenly instead of staying gummy in the center.
Serving this Cherry Dump Cake
This dessert is best served warm. Once it’s done baking, allow it to cool for 15 minutes before scooping into bowls and serving. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave for a short time or warm the entire cake in the oven at a low temperature.
Enhance your cherry dump cake by serving it with ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, or a fruit garnish. These additions will elevate the dessert and make it a fantastic choice for any party.
How to Store Easy Cherry Dump Cake
To store leftovers, cover the pan with a lid, plastic wrap or scoop the leftovers into an airtight container.
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
Do I have to refrigerate cherry dump cake?
If you plan to eat the dump cake within a day of preparing it, refrigeration is not necessary. Just cover it with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature. However, if you want to keep it for longer than 24 hours, cover it and place in the refrigerate.
How long does cherry dump cake stay fresh in the refrigerator?
When properly stored in the refrigerator and tightly covered with plastic wrap, cherry dump cake can stay fresh for approximately 4-5 days.
FAQs for Cherry Dump Cake
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.
To ensure successful results, it is important to follow the directions exactly as listed. Using a smaller pan or deviating from the recommended baking temperature can negatively impact the outcome. It is crucial not to mix the dump cake; simply dump all the ingredients in as instructed and refrain from stirring.
When the fruit filling is properly set, it should have a gooey and thick consistency, but it should not be runny.
A dump cake is an American dessert that resembles a cobbler but features a cake-like topping. Its name comes from the method of preparation, as the ingredients (usually canned fruit or pie filling, followed by a boxed cake mix) are “dumped” into a cake pan without mixing.
During the baking process of a dump cake, the butter melts, and the juices from the fruit filling are released, which then moisten the dry cake mix. As a result, the cake mix forms a crumbly and slightly crisp texture on the surface, while the interior remains soft and gooey.
A powdery dump cake usually means the dry cake mix wasn’t fully moistened by the butter or liquid ingredients. To fix this, ensure the butter is evenly distributed, press the cake mix gently into the liquid layer, and bake until the top is golden and bubbling.
More Easy Desserts
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Easy Cherry Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cans cherry pie filling, 21 oz each
- 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ tsp almond extract, or vanilla extract
Video
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.2 cans cherry pie filling
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the cherries. Run a fork lightly over the top to break up any clumps and spread it into an even layer, this helps the butter reach more of the mix instead of pooling in spots.15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
- Mix the almond extract with the melted butter. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the dry cake.3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 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
I make this with a can of Cherry Pie Filling and a can of Crushed Pineapple, that I do not drain. My family loves it!
Can I use salted butter, instead of unsalted butter?
Yes, that’s perfectly okay!
I haven’t tasted this yet. It came out of the oven looking okay. But when I poured the melted butter over the top it didn’t absorb at all. Just sort of laid there.
Do you think it will be alright?
Was it supposed to be like that?
Hi Phyllis! Yep the melted butter will absorb and melt once in the oven. I will say it’s not the prettiest looking dump cake, but it tastes delicious!
Do you mean you poured the butter over it after it cooked? It was supposed to be added before going into the oven.
I’ve been making this for years, as a treat–(we usually eat more heallthy desserts, but….there’s always that special occasion!) I put the pineapple, undrained, on top of the cherry layer–I feel the liquid helps amalgamate the cake mix, which get layered on next, then coconut oil, for health and vegan reasons, and a cup of shredded coconut and another of nuts–today, I mixed 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, and 1/2 cup almond slivers, or stix–however you choose to call them. I love the idea Vcook gave of using homemade ingredients–would so appreciate hearing the amounts you used!
I don’t ever drain the crushed pineapple. Just literally dump the pineapple in, then the fruit, then the cake mix, then tbe butter on top. 45 minutes later I have a dream!!!
I’ve made this delicious dump cake before, but added cherry pie filling and a can of crushed pineapple, did not drain, and with white cake mix rather than yellow, and it was phenomenal! I just put my 2nd one in the oven and I followed the recipe perfectly, no additions or tweaks this time, and 20 mins to go and I must say, my house smells AQESOME! 😛 I can’t wait to see how it comes out, my mouth is watering! Thanks for sharing this great, super easy treat! It’s seriously SO GOOD!
I had two cups of frozen shredded zucchini hanging around in the freezer. I thawed it, squeezed out as much moisture as possible, and mixed it into the cherry filling before putting it in the pan. No one noticed that vegetable addition! Good way to use up zucchini and get a little nutrition into this super rich dish.
Can you use a white cake mix?
Yes you can substitute any flavor cake mix.
This is our go to dessert recipe for when company comes over or last minute guests. I keep all ingredients at all times. Any pie filling works wonderful, and your home will smell amazing while this is baking. This comes out delicious every single time.
What brand of gluten free cake mix do you recommend?
I love King Arthur’s!