Also known as a cobbler with cake mix or cobbler dump cake, this effortless fruit dessert is the classic, original dump cake recipe with a layer of canned pie filling and a biscuit topping. It's delicious, crowd-pleasing, freezes well, and you can mix and match different fillings with cake mix flavors.
Dump cakes are a family favorite around here and a growing category on this blog, and with good reason: they're one of the easiest desserts with simple ingredients.
They're like a sweet casserole dish. From an apple dump cake with caramel to a blackberry dump cake (our latest addition), they are perfect desserts for potlucks and barbecues.
My favorite is the cherry dump cake recipe served with a scoop of ice cream on top.
Why is it called a dump cake?
This vintage recipe uses cans of fruit filling, a box of cake mix, and cold butter pieces.
The first two are opened and dumped into the baking dish, literally (hence the name), and the butter slices are arranged on top of the cake mix in an even layer, covering it.
It became very popular among busy moms decades ago. And it's not hard to understand why: it's an easy recipe with simple ingredients that produces a delicious dessert everyone loves.
Why make this recipe
- Quick and easy. I can't emphasize enough how simple it is to make a classic 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 must feed many. In the summer, fresh peach dump cake and blueberry dump cake are huge hits wherever we take them.
Ingredient list
A dump cake in its original form uses all store-bought ingredients.
- Dry cake mix: the type you find in the supermarket or grocery store, whatever brand you want. I use yellow cake mix or White cake mix for this recipe. Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines are popular ones.
- Unsalted butter.
- Pie filling: we're using canned cherry filling, but a dump cake works with ANY purchased one.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for quantities.
Variations & substitutions
- Extra fruit: you can enhance the purchased fruit fillings. For example, add halved fresh cherries to this recipe or sliced fresh apples if using canned apple pie filling.
- Black Forest: a classic flavor combination also known as chocolate cherry dump cake. Use a chocolate cake mix and serve it with whipped cream.
- Citrus: choose a lemon cake mix for a refreshing twist. Pair it with a can of blueberry, strawberry, or cherry pie filling, and sprinkle some zest on top before baking to enhance the citrusy notes.
- Fall flavors: use canned apple pie or pear pie filling with yellow, white, or a spice cake dry mix.
- Nuts: add crunch by incorporating chopped nuts into the topping. Pecans, walnuts, or almonds work well. Sprinkle them over the cake batter halfway through baking so they don’t brown too much. They will provide a texture contrast and an extra layer of flavor to your dessert.
How to assemble a dump cake
As the name implies, this is a dump-and-bake type of recipe.
Butter: there are two ways of using it, melted or sliced and cold (image below). I find that drizzling melted butter over the cake mix doesn't blend well, and you get floury patches that never bake well. If I use it melted, I stir it into the cake mix as we do with the cherry pineapple dump cake, among others.
Filling: the cans of pie filling are dumped in a baking dish. You can enhance it by adding more fresh fruit on top.
Topping: this is the original way of adding butter on top of the cake mix. Cold thin slices covered almost the entire surface. The cake mix has to be pretty even so the butter melts as evenly as possible.
Baking dump cakes
This is like a sweet casserole dish; you should treat it as one. The top will bake to a golden brown, and the filling will bubble.
How do you know when a dump cake is done?
The topping can dry and look done before the interior 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.
Family style desserts
Dump cake recipes are baked in ceramic or glass dishes and then taken to the table. They are not removed from the pan. Similar to fruit cobblers.
What type of dish to use
Choose a nice baking dish you like to showcase on the table.
For me, ceramic ones are the best. I use my favorite Emile Henry small ceramic rectangular dish or the medium Emile Henry ceramic dish whenever possible, but they can be pricey.
There are several others, from rectangular ceramic dishes, and porcelain bakeware sets, to glass baking dishes or round ceramic baking dishes, that work just fine.
Also, a cast-iron skillet fits this type of dessert if you like a Southern style.
Yes, refrigerate it 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 keeps in the refrigerator for 4-5 days (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: consider 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 make sure the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Topping: make sure the cake mix is evened out before placing the butter slices on top, but don't mix it with the filling.
- Flavorings: you can add some extracts, ground spices, or citrus zest to the fruit mixture, depending on what pairs with the canned filling you're using. 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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3-ingredient Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cans, 42 oz pie filling (I used cherry)
- 1 box, 18.25 oz yellow or white cake mix
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Dump the cans of pie filling into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the cherry layer, making sure it covers the cherries completely.
- Cut the butter into very thin slices and place evenly over the cake mix layer. It should cover almost all of the surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or frozen for a month. Warm slightly before eating.
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: consider 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. Use a thermometer inside the oven to make sure the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Topping: make sure the cake mix is evened out before placing the butter slices on top, but don't mix it with the filling.
- Flavorings: you can add some extracts, ground spices, or citrus zest to the fruit mixture, depending on what pairs with the canned filling you're using. 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.
Molly says
Could you use a box of sugar free cake mix ?
Paula Montenegro says
I never heard of it Molly, so can't talk from experience. But there's no reason why you couldn't. Sugar cookie would be denser I'm guessing than cake mix. There are keto and sugar free cake mixes on Amazon from what I checked, and I think they would be fine also. A different flavor and slight change in texture probably.
Tee says
First tried this almost 40 yrs. ago for my first Tupperware party. I had NO idea I'd be making it in every fruit version possible this many years later and people would STILL be loving it! It is THEE easiest, most flavorful and best thing ever, especially for a cook (not a baker) to have handy for company, picnics, potlucks, and just to "have around" in case someone pops in and you feel the "urge to perform" and do the "Mrs. Cleaver" thing, which btw, I am *so not!
But ladies, or gents, this is a total crowd pleaser!
Thanks so much for sharing the easiest and best tasting thing!
Debbie Ennis says
I love making dump cakes, they taste sooooooo good
Kelle Markey says
Very easy to make and delicious
Karen says
Easy and delicious!!
Karen R Pryor says
Is the butter amount correct, please? When I mixed it with the cake mix as you suggested might be done to eliminate dry patches, the mixture is wet not crumbly. It's baking now, so I suppose I'll see.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Karen, a wetter topping will make it crisper. How did it turn out?
Coralie says
Awsome
Karen says
I love dump cakes! Cheap and easy to make. Try cherry with the Pillsbury almond cream cake mix and slivered almonds and blueberry with lemon cake mix! So yummy.
Joan-n-TN says
I have made this dump cake several times. It was always requested by a nephew at any of the family get togethers. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is my recommendation as this cake is quite rich!
Nancy aka Nana says
This recipe was given to me at a bridal shower...."bring the bride your favorite recipe". It said use any flavor pie filling or pineapple in heavy syrup. Easy for a new bride, busy wife and mother...or to please grandkids.
Claudette Hann says
Hi, I only have 1can of cherry pie filling, can I use frozen cherries?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Claudette, yes you can. Use them to make a quick cherry filling and mix it with the canned one.
Also, you can halve the recipe and use a smaller baking dish. Happy baking!