Also known as a blueberry cobbler with cake mix, this fruit dessert is easy to make, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser. It has a buttery cake topping and a fresh blueberry filling made from scratch. It is a great no-fuss dessert for potlucks, barbecues, family gatherings, or busy weeknights.
As a baker who makes everything from scratch, I shy away from boxed mixes. But this cake, or dessert really as it's made in a casserole dish, is worth letting go of my purism.
And though a traditional dump cake is made with canned pie filling, I still like to make it from scratch for this recipe.
But why make a homemade filling when you can open a can?
I'm glad you asked!
- It's super easy and quick.
- It's easily customizable to your palate: you can adjust the sweetness and acid levels and make it exactly the way you want it. You can also vary the type of blueberries you use, which is great for seasonal berries.
- Make-ahead: you can make it up to 2 days before and have it in the refrigerator.
- Cheaper: homemade dump cakes can be more affordable than buying a pre-made dessert at the store. You can often find seasonal blueberries on sale.
This recipe pairs blueberries and lemon, which never fails to amaze me how fantastic they go together. That said, I have to credit the chocolate cherry dump cake, which also features one of my favorite flavor combinations.
Ingredient list
Making it homemade is super easy and tastes better, and is the one I show you. But both ways are explained in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Topping
- Dry cake mix: the type you find in the supermarket or grocery store, whatever brand you want. I like yellow cake mix, but white cake works well too. And for this recipe, you can use lemon cake mix.
Lemon zest. It's optional, and you can add a teaspoon to the cake mix to up the overall lemon flavor of the dessert. - Unsalted butter: it's used melted for the topping.
Filling
- Blueberries: fresh fruit is always my first choice, but this filling can be made with frozen blueberries, an excellent alternative for winter months.
- Sugar: I use white or brown sugar, depending on what I have. The latter adds a nice caramel undertone.
- Cornstarch: it's used to thicken the filling and create that wonderful syrupy juice.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed.
The flavor will depend on the specific type of fruit (or filling) and cake mix used. A dump cake typically has a sweet and fruity taste, with a texture that's similar to a cobbler or crisp. But some don't have fruit and can be a chocolate or lemon-flavored dump cake.
Yes, you can use a gluten-free cake mix in a dump cake. You may also want to check the labels of any other ingredients you use in the recipe to make sure they are gluten-free.
Yes, you can make dump cakes ahead. Simply prepare the dessert as directed and refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. You may want to warm the cake in the oven or microwave before serving to bring it back to room temperature.
Steps to make a blueberry dump cake
As the name implies, this is a dump-and-bake recipe.
For the topping: the yellow cake is combined with the melted butter in a medium bowl and mixed with a spoon until crumbly.
For the filling, dump the contents of the pie filling cans or stir the ingredients together if making it from scratch in the pan you're using (or in a separate mixing bowl). The topping is then sprinkled on top.
Top Tip
The dump cake topping can brown outside before its interior is fully baked. So check by lifting the crumbly top layer (I use a fork) here and there and making sure it's dry and baked.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Topping: after making many dump cakes, I tried several ways of mixing the cake mix with butter, and my favorite is by far the one explained here using melted butter. You can also do it like in the original dump cake recipe. If using vanilla cake, you can add some lemon zest to the cake mix before adding the melted butter for extra flavor.
- Ratio: I found that a lower ratio of topping to filling is ideal because the former crisps up and tastes fantastic without being over-buttery. But, as with most desserts, find your own ideal proportions of filling, topping, and sweetness.
- Storing: treat it like a crumble or crisp, keeping leftovers in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for a month or more. Let it thaw at room temperature and warm it in the oven before eating.
- Type of dish to use: since you'll be serving it from the pan, here are our favorite dishes for family-style desserts.
- Variation: use orange zest and juice instead of lemon zest and water.
Related recipes you might like:
One last thing
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Fresh Blueberry Cobbler with Cake Mix
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Ingredients
For the blueberry filling:
- 1.5 pounds about 5 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
- 2-4 tablespoons 25-50g sugar, white or brown
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
For the topping:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups yellow cake mix
- ½ teaspoon of lemon zest, optional (about ½ medium lemon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Have ready a 9-inch round oven dish (ceramic or glass). Or use an 8x11 rectangular baking dish.
For the blueberry layer:
- Mix blueberries with sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest (if using) in the baking dish or use a separate bowl.
- Stir the cornstarch with the water in a small bowl or cup until completely dissolved.
- Drizzle into the blueberry mixture and stir to integrate.
For the topping:
- Mix the cake mix with the lemon zest if using.
- Add the melted butter until it is crumbly. It might be floury in parts, and that is fine.
- Top the blueberries with this crumble, smoothing it out slightly. It will not cover them completely, and that is fine. Don't stir or mix it with the berries.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden and dry and the filling bubbles around the edges, checking close to the end of the baking time by lifting here and there and making sure the topping is fully baked. If necessary, bake it longer.
- Let cool until warm enough to eat.
- Serve it plain, with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Gill Morris says
The RECIPE was fabulous with gluten free flour. great hit with the family.
THANK YOU
Sharon Joswick says
I made this blueberry dump cake or is they're calling it a blueberry cobbler. It came out really great! I'm used Frozen blueberries, so I did add two tablespoons of cornstarch to the water to ensure it stayed thicker. And I put four tablespoons of brown sugar and, which next time I will only do two and a half maybe a little too sweet. The Stick of melted butter mixed up until I could crumble it with the cake mix put on top came out absolutely perfect it spread out and beautiful golden absolutely delicious I mean I did use a little bigger rectangle glass baking dish
Aileen Kaylin says
I wish you'd give the option for showing us how to make the yellow or lemon cake at home instead of getting store bought cake mix..I'd love to use this recipe but prefer to make it all myself..
Thx for your consideration
Paula Montenegro says
I'll keep that in mind Aileen, and will add it as an option at some point. Have a great week.
angiesrecipes says
This fruity crisp would make a fantastic breakfast or a snack after school.