This is the original dump cake recipe, the one our grandmothers made from a can of pie filling, a box of cake mix, and a stick of butter. No mixing bowl, no beating, no fuss: you dump, you bake, and 55 minutes later you have a bubbling fruit dessert with a buttery, golden top. Yellow or white cake mix both work, and once you know the method, you can swap in any fruit.
If you're new to dump cakes, this is the one to start with: everything else on the blog is a variation on what's happening here. It's one of my most popular recipes and has gone viral several times!
Made this for a neighborhood potluck! It was a HIT! - Carol ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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What is a dump cake?
A dump cake is a no-mix dessert made by layering fruit pie filling, dry cake mix, and butter straight into a baking dish. In the oven, the juices and butter turn the cake mix into a golden, crumbly topping over bubbling fruit, with no bowl and no stirring.
Effortless dessert
Cherry and vanilla cake mix is the original dump cake pairing, and there's a reason it's the one that stuck: it uses 3 ingredients and the prep time and effort are minimal.
It's my default easy summer dessert as it travels beautifully to backyard BBQs and potlucks, but it works year-round. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into it and wait for the raves!
It works with any pie filling flavor and with any cake mix, as long as they go well together. Use this as your basic dump cake recipe.
Canned pie filling can be used as is; you're not meant to add any other ingredients or flavorings to balance it. Peach or pineapple dump cake needs a little help from spice or citrus, as does a pear cake mix cobbler.
If you want the vintage story behind this pantry staple dessert, other fillings, ratios and how to pick a baking dish, I've got all of that in my dump cakes guide. This post is just about getting the classic cherry version right.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Just 3 ingredients: pie filling, cake mix, and butter, all straight from the pantry.
- 10 minutes of prep: the oven does the rest.
- No mixing bowl: everything happens in the baking dish.
- Endlessly flexible: swap the fruit or the cake mix and you have a new dessert.
- Feeds a crowd: serves 8 and freezes beautifully.
- Sherry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is absolutely wonderful, one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. Reminds me so much of my time spent with my grandmother in the kitchen.
- Heather ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Little time to make, and oh so delicious!!
Testing Notes
Paula's baking tips that make a difference.
Use two 21-ounce cans of filling to one box of cake mix and 1 cup of butter. I tried scaling this down, and the ratio falls apart. I've tested it with a lighter topping using less butter more than once, but it tends to brown unevenly and can leave you with chalky, dry patches people complain about. The full box spread edge to edge and a cup of butter is what gives you a topping that's crisp on top and still tender underneath.
Cake mix distribution: Sprinkle the boxed mix evenly over the fruit and then level it with the back of a spoon or a spatula so it absorbs juices in all areas. Clumps of dry cake mix are usually from uneven coverage.
Butter coverage is key, and my latest bakes show that melted butter gives the most even distribution. And it's the easiest and fastest way! If using cold butter slices, make sure they cover the cake mix well, but not completely. You want a few thin slivers of space to allow the filling to bubble up.
Don't stir! That goes for the cake mix and the butter.
9x13 is the right pan size; don't go smaller. I tested this in a 9x9 pan once out of curiosity, and the filling was nearly two inches deep. It took almost twenty extra minutes to cook through, and the topping darkened too much before the center set.
Make-ahead and freezing: it holds in the fridge for 4-5 days, well covered, and freezes for about a month. Thaw at room temperature and warm it slightly before serving; cold straight from the fridge mutes the cherry flavor.
Yellow vs. white cake mix: Which is best?
Both work, and both are classic. The choice comes down to flavor and personal preference:
- Yellow cake mix is made with egg yolks, so it bakes into a richer, more buttery topping with a deeper golden color. It's the traditional choice with cherry and peach.
- White cake mix is lighter and sweeter, and it lets the fruit flavor come through. It's lovely with berries, lemon, and pineapple.
For a seasonal twist:
- Spice cake mix works with apple pie filling, which is perfect for Fall.
- Chocolate cake mix works with cherry for a Black Forest-style dessert. Try my chocolate cherry dump cake.
The biggest dump cake mistake (and how to fix it)
The most common problem is dry, powdery patches of cake mix on top. They appear where the butter or juices didn't reach. To avoid them:
- Spread the cake mix evenly, with no thick mounds, especially in the corners.
- Cover the surface with butter edge to edge. Melted butter, drizzled slowly, gives the most even coverage. Read more about making dump cake with melted butter.
- Check halfway through baking. If you see dry spots, dot them with a little extra butter and return the dish to the oven.
- Never stir. Mixing turns the topping gummy instead of crisp.
FAQ
Does the pan size matter for a dump cake?
Yes, and it's the mistake people don't see coming. Use a 9x13-inch pan. I tested this in a 9x9 once, and the filling sat nearly two inches deep; it took too long to cook through, it was too much butter for the covered surface, and the topping darkened too much before the center set.
Can I make a dump cake ahead of time?
Yes. It holds in the refrigerator for 4-5 days well covered, and it freezes for about a month. Thaw at room temperature and warm it slightly before serving; cold straight from the fridge mutes the cherry flavor. If you're serving it the same day you bake it, it's fine left out; canned pie filling is sturdy and there's enough sugar to keep it happy on the counter.
What's the difference between a dump cake and a cobbler?
A cobbler is topped with a homemade biscuit dough or batter. A dump cake uses dry boxed cake mix and butter, which bake into a crumbly, cake-like crust. It's sometimes called a cake mix cobbler.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed in the recipe card toward the end of this post. The ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
- Yellow or white cake mix: either works; they're interchangeable across brands.
- Unsalted butter.
- Canned cherry filling, two large cans. This is a classic and the most popular one, but a dump cake works with any flavor of purchased filling.
How to make a classic dump cake
Fruit filling
The cans of pie filling are dumped into a baking dish. Spread it out as evenly as you can.
Dry cake mix
It's important to even it out, but don't stir it or mix it with the fruit filling!
Butter topping 1
Slowly drizzle melted butter over the smoothed top, covering as much as possible.
A few small dry spots are fine. Large dry patches are not. If needed, drizzle a little extra butter halfway through baking on dry spots. This is important; you don't want to bite into dry cake mix!
Butter topping 2
Adding cold, thin butter slices on top of the cake mix is a traditional way (the other is melted butter, below). The cake mix has to be pretty evened out, so the butter covers the dry mix as much as possible when it melts.
Crisper topping: Sometimes, I stir the melted butter into the cake mix (check out the berry dump cake recipe) in a separate bowl before sprinkling it over the filling. Just know that it's also an option.
Baking dump cakes
This cherry cobbler with cake mix 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.
When is it 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.
Using canned fruit instead of pie filling
No pie filling in the pantry? Canned fruit works well. The key is liquid: the cake mix needs juice to bake into a tender topping.
Use fruit packed in juice or light syrup, and don't drain it. About 2 cans (15 to 20 oz each) replace the pie filling.
- Crushed pineapple, undrained, is a classic. See my pineapple dump cake.
- Fruit in heavy syrup makes a sweeter cake, so you may want to drain about a third of the syrup.
- Fruit packed in water can taste flat. Toss it with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar first.
- Prefer fresh fruit? Try my fresh cherry dump cake or the bright and lemony fresh blueberry dump cake.
Variations & substitutions
- Extra cherries: stir in a handful of fresh or frozen halved cherries with the canned filling for more texture and less sweetness.
- Black Forest: swap in chocolate cake mix and serve with whipped cream; it's the same dessert as my chocolate cherry dump cake.
- Citrus: lemon cake mix instead of yellow brightens the whole thing up and pairs surprisingly well with cherry.
- Nuts: chopped pecans or almonds scattered over the topping halfway through baking add crunch without burning.
- Fall flavors: add a small amount of ground cinnamon and pure almond extract to the filling. Or use a spice cake mix.
Love easy cake mix desserts? Try my easy cake mix cookies, which are just as quick and just as forgiving.
Dump Cake Recipe with Cake Mix & Pie Filling (3 Ingredients)
Ingredients
- 42 ounces cherry pie filling, or another pie filling flavor you like, 2 cans, 21 ounces each
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix, 1 box; white cake mix also works
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted or cold and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Dump 42 ounces cherry pie filling (2 cans) into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix over the cherry layer, making sure it covers the cherries completely. Don't stir or mix it with the fruit!
- Option 1: Drizzle melted butter slowly and evenly over the surface. A few small dry spots are fine. Large dry patches are not. If needed, drizzle a little extra butter halfway through baking if you see dry spots. This is important; you don't want to bite into dry cake mix!
- Option 2: Cut 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) into very thin slices and place evenly over the cake mix layer. It should cover almost all of the surface, with some space for the filling to bubble and moisten the dry mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges. 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.
- Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream. Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or frozen for a month.
Diana Charron says
I really enjoy apple with spice cake esp. in the Fall
Karen clickenger says
Quick and simple. Family ate it up
Jacque says
Very tasty and easy to make! Love the variations!
Kimmy pierce says
This is easy and so good!!!
TRACEY HINTON says
I have tried all different cake flavors and canned pie filling. Right now I have a layer of lemon pie filling with blueberry pie filling on top. I have an 8x8 pan and 1/2 box dry cake mix on top. I have found the best way to do the butter is to shred it on a cheeses grater or even a zester. Don't have to worry about bare spots and is faster. Just make sure the butter is very cold or even frozen, I used 3/4 stick for the 8x8 pan.
Chrys says
Hi Tracey, how long did you bake the 8x8 cake?
Deb Ruthenberg says
This is a quick and easy recipe with so many variations.
Gina Clymer says
Absolutely delicious. So easy to make
J Smith says
Excellent!
Teresa says
I make it with blackberry, and it was excellent.
Lorena says
Great recipe and so easy and fun to make, I love it
Deborah Mcleod says
Fixing to make this right now. Was wondering if I could use apples and cherries?
Paula Montenegro says
Yes Deborah! Just make sure the total amount of fruit is the same.
Anonymous says
I made it for a church luncheon today and got rave reviews and even a marriage proposal. He was already married but I wouldn't have accepted anyway. (Joke)
Diane Barrett says
OMG! This is the most easy, delicious and perfect recipe for me! Yummy 😋 😋 😋
rosa Latimer says
This is fantastic