A super easy fruit dessert that comes together quickly (ready in under an hour) and can be made ahead. It has a layer of cherry pie filling (homemade or store-bought) and a cobbler-like topping made with boxed cake mix. It's delicious and a great way to take advantage of seasonal cherries.
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Dump cakes are family favorites around here and a growing category on this blog, and with good reason: they're a delicious easy dessert recipe option that uses simple ingredients.
They're like a sweet casserole dish.
And who doesn't love them served with a scoop of ice cream on top, right?
As much as I love to eat fresh cherries by the hundreds, this summer recipe is always on my list when cherry season starts. Together with the gooey chocolate cherry dump cake I might add, another great flavor combination.
Why is it called a dump cake?
The original recipe uses cans of fruit filling, a box of cake mix, and thinly sliced cold butter pieces.
The first two are literally opened and dumped into the baking dish, hence the name, and the butter slices are arranged on top of the cake mix in an even layer, covering it. A simple dessert recipe that became very popular among busy moms decades ago.
You can choose to make homemade pie filling, as I do. And I also found a way of mixing the cobbler-like topping that delivers the best results. At least in my opinion.
Why this recipe works
- Quick and easy. I can't emphasize enough how simple it is to make a cherry dump cake. It comes together fast and can be on the table in under an hour.
- Make-ahead. You can make it up to 2 days before and have it in the refrigerator. Or freeze it for several weeks.
- Crowd-pleaser. It's especially good for picnics, potlucks, and other outdoor gatherings where you have to feed many. In the summer, the fresh peach dump cake and blueberry dump cake are huge hits wherever we take them.
Ingredients
A dump cake in its original form uses store-bought pie filling. I like to make it from scratch so I give you both options below.
- 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 mix works well too.
Butter: use unsalted melted butter, whatever brand you use regularly. - Store-bought cherry pie filling. You can add some extra fresh cherries on top if you want to add some freshness.
OR - Homemade cherry pie filling:
Cherries. Fresh fruit is always my first choice, but this filling can be made with frozen pitted cherries, a great alternative for the winter months.
Sugar. You can use white sugar or light brown sugar, both work very well.
Cornstarch. It's used to thicken the filling and create that wonderful syrupy juice.
Lemon juice. Adding citrus enhances the flavors and adds some acidity needed to balance out the sugar and butter.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
Pitting cherries
If you bake often with fresh cherries you do need a cherry pitter. It's a little gadget that will make your life easier.
It's the only part of this recipe that takes a little patience and an apron. Make sure your clothes are covered as pitting cherries means drops of cherry juice will be flying around.
How to assemble a dump cake
As the name implies, this is a dump and bake type of recipe. I did change the way I make the topping using melted butter because the result is crunchier and bakes better.
During recipe testing, I had some issues with the topping being too floury because the cake didn't mix well with the butter during baking. Eating dry parts of cake mix is not part of the deal.
Using melted butter corrected that immediately and I never looked back. There are more mixing bowls to wash afterward, but I think it's worth it.
Cake mix topping
Add melted butter to the cake mix in a large bowl.
Mix with a spoon until crumbly and floury.
Cherry filling
Put cherries in a saucepan and add the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch dissolved in water.
Cook over medium heat briefly, just until it comes to a boil. Remove.
Assembling and baking
Sprinkle topping over the cherries. It will not cover them completely.
Bake as directed until golden brown and juices bubble.
Vintage Kitchen tip: Make sure the topping is fully baked. It may be golden brown and the juices bubbling but lift some of the dough here and there to check that it's not still wet inside.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it does after it's completely cooled down. You can leave it at room temperature for several hours, but fruit desserts are best kept chilled to prevent them from fermenting too quickly and going bad.
Yes, you can! And it's a great way to plan a dessert for a gathering. The baked dump cake will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator, well covered in plastic wrap. Simply let it come to room temperature before serving, or slightly warm it in a medium oven and serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Absolutely! And it keeps for a month. Cover it well, first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, and label it. Thaw at room temperature and warm slightly in a medium oven before serving.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, 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 the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Type of cake mix: the amount needed is about half a box of yellow cake mix (which is the most commonly used), but white cake mix also works well with cherries. If you want to use a whole box, double the filling recipe (or use two cans of cherry pie filling) and use a larger baking dish.
- 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 and a separate bowl. You can also do it the old-fashioned way, as is shown in the cherry chocolate dump cake post.
- Filling: I like making it from scratch, but store-bought pie filling works like a charm if you usually use it. Just open a can! Doesn't get much simpler than that. I do recommend adding some extra fresh cherries. It adds a lot of freshness and sometimes flavor to the fruit filling.
- Flavorings: you can add some almond extract, vanilla extract, or ground cinnamon to the fruit mixture, as they pair very well with cherries. A ½ teaspoon at the most so you don't overpower the flavor of the fruit.
- Ratio: I find that a lower ratio of topping to filling is ideal because the former crisps up and tastes amazing without being over buttery. But, as with most desserts, find your own ideal combination of filling, topping, and sweetness.
- Storing: treat it like you would a crumble or crisp, keeping leftovers in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for a month, sometimes more. Let it thaw at room temperature and warm it slightly in the oven before eating.
Related recipes you might like:
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Best Cherry Dump Cake
A super easy fruit dessert that comes together quickly and can be made ahead. It has a layer of cherry pie filling (homemade or store-bought) and a cobbler-like topping made with boxed cake mix. It's delicious and a great way to take advantage of seasonal cherries.
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
For the cherry layer:
- 1.5 pounds of whole cherries
- 4 tablespoons brown or white sugar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Flavorings (optional, see Notes below)
For the topping:
- 2 cups yellow cake mix (see Notes for alternatives)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Have ready an 8x11-inch ceramic or glass dish, rectangular or oval. Or a 9-inch square or round baking dish.
For the filling:
- Wash and pit the cherries. Cut them in half.
- Place in a medium saucepan and add the lemon juice and sugar. Stir to mix and start to cook over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, completely dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with the water.
- Add in a thin stream to the cherries, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute after it starts to boil. This will cook the cornstarch and remove its floury flavor.
- Remove the cherry filling from the heat and dump into the prepared baking pan or dish.
For the topping:
- Mix the dry cake mix with the melted butter in a medium bowl until you have a crumbly mixture. It should be slightly floury.
- Sprinkle over the fruit layer. It will not cover it completely and that is fine. Don't stir it or mix it with the filling.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and dry and the filling bubbles around the edges, checking close to the end of the baking time by lifting the topping here and there and making sure it's completely baked inside. Bake a little longer if necessary.
- Serve warm plain, with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Top with the juices from the pan and extra fresh cherries if you want to.
Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, 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 the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Type of cake mix: the amount needed is about half a box of yellow cake mix (which is the most commonly used), but white cake mix also works well with cherries. If you want to use a whole box, double the filling recipe (or two cans of cherry pie filling) and use a larger baking dish.
- 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 the old-fashioned way, or the original one, like I do with the Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake. If using vanilla cake instead of lemon, add some lemon zest to the cake mix before adding the melted butter.
- Filling: I like making them from scratch, but store-bought pie filling works like a charm if you usually use it. Just open a can! Doesn't get much simpler than that. I do recommend adding some extra fresh cherries. It adds a lot of freshness and sometimes flavor to the fruit filling.
- Flavorings: you can add some almond extract, vanilla extract, or ground cinnamon to the fruit mixture, as they pair very well with cherries. A ½ teaspoon at the most so you don't overpower the flavor of the fruit.
- Ratio: I find that a lower topping ratio to filling is ideal because the former crisps up and tastes amazing without being over-buttery. But, as with most desserts, find your own ideal combination of filling, topping, and sweetness.
- Storing: treat it as you would a crumble or crisp, keeping leftovers in the refrigerator. You can freeze it for a month, sometimes more. Let it thaw at room temperature and warm it slightly in the oven before eating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 331
- Sugar: 31.9 g
- Sodium: 255.2 mg
- Fat: 14.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.6 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30.5 mg
Keywords: cherry dump cake
Verena Rousseau says
Hi Paula.
This looks super delicious with cherries being my absolute favourite fruit. But instead of the boxed cake mix,would a streusel topping work for this dump cake? For health reasons I can't use boxed cake mix.
Thank you. Regards from Australia.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Verena! If you use a streusel you would have a cherry crumble which is amazing. You can also try a cobbler topping like the one on the peach cobbler.