Cherry Dump Cake
Cherry Dump Cake is an easy dessert recipe that is a lot like cobbler. Cherry pie filling, almond extract (optional), cake mix, and butter is all you need. Just dump the ingredients into a pan and bake! It doesn’t get any easier than that!
Cherry Dump Cake
Summer and cobbler go hand-in-hand. It’s also a great alternative to pie for the holidays. It’s cheap and easy to make, but feels special, AND feeds a crowd.
This Cherry Dump Cake is the EASIEST version of cobbler you can make. In fact it’s one of the EASIEST desserts EVER. And it’s just as delicious as it is easy.
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With cherry pie filling flavored with almond extract on the bottom, and a sweet and crunchy butter-y cake on top, what’s not to love?
Of course, if you’d rather make your cake from scratch, use fresh cherries, or make half as much, you’ll want this 8×8 cherry cobbler recipe.
Why is it called dump cake?
The reason why dump cakes are so loved, is because you literally dump ingredients into a dish and then bake it.
It’s not the most appetizing name, but with very minimal prep and cleanup, dump cakes are a dessert win!
Everyone loves a warm dump cake with sweet fruit and crunchy cake. And the flavors are as infinite as pie fillings and cake flavors. We also really like this Caramel Apple Dump Cake.
Dump cakes are best served warm with vanilla ice cream on top. Don’t forget it! (Like I did for these pictures. Whoops!)
Ingredients
This recipe for cherry dump cake has four ingredients:
- Cherry Pie Filling — two cans are needed for this recipe.
- Almond Extract — optional, but highly recommended. It enhances the fruit flavor without adding extra sweetness.
- Cake Mix — I used Duncan Hines yellow cake mix.
- Butter — unsalted or salted, depending on your salt tolerance.
How to make Cherry Dump Cake
- First, add almond extract to the cherry pie filling (I put some in each can and gave it a little stir), then spread the filling over the bottom of a lightly greased 13×9-inch pan.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the fruit.
- Layer thin slices of butter over the cake mix.
(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)
Baking and Serving
BAKE at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes or until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling in the center.
Serve cherry dump cake warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Whipped cream would also be delicious. Enjoy!
To Store
Cover the pan with foil or transfer the dessert to an airtight container. You can store this cherry dump cake at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Scoop leftovers individually into a microwave safe bowl and nuke until heated through.
Substitutions and Tips
FRESH CHERRIES – Use 5 cups of fresh, pitted cherries tossed with 2/3 cup (+) granulated sugar and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. You may still add the almond extract to this mixture as well.
CAKE MIX – Use chocolate cake mix for a black forest dump cake.
CANNED FRUIT – Use one can of crushed pineapple (juices and all) with one can of cherry pie filling for a slightly tart cherry dump cake with pineapple. It’s a great fruit combination, and less sweet than full-on cherry.
ADDITIONS – For added crunch, you can sprinkle chopped pecans or sliced almonds on top of or under the cake mix before baking. Make it your own!
BUTTER – For the butter, it’s best to slice it very thin. You want it to melt over the whole top of the cake so you don’t have any dry spots. This also makes it nice and crunchy. You can always use more butter if you’re worried about it. Or melt the butter, combine it with a 1/4 cup of milk (to make it go a little further), and drizzle it slowly over the cake mix. NOTE: Adding milk will make the cake more fluffy instead of crisp.
SLOW COOKER – This cherry dessert can be made in the crockpot! Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
More Cherry Desserts
If you love cherry desserts, check out these other recipes:
- Cherry Pie Bars with shortbread crust
- Easy Cherry Cobbler
- Cherry Crumb Pie
- Cherry Braid
- Chocolate Chip Cherry Bars
Cherry Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 42 oz (1190 g) cherry pie filling, (two 21-oz cans)
- ½ tsp almond extract, optional
- 15.25 oz (432 g) box yellow cake mix
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, (12 Tbsp) sliced thin
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Add almond extract to the cherry pie filling (I put it in the can and gave it a little stir), then spread the cherry pie filling over the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the fruit.
- Layer thin slices of butter over the cake mix.
- Bake at 350˚F for 50-60 minutes or until the top is browned and the filling is bubbling in the center. Serve cherry dump cake warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired. Whipped cream would also be delicious. Enjoy!
Notes
- To Store: Cover the pan with foil or transfer the dessert to an airtight container. You can store this cherry dump cake at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
- Scoop leftovers individually into a microwave safe bowl and nuke until heated through.
Nutrition
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