Dump cakes are old-fashioned desserts that never really went out of style. They just quietly kept showing up at potlucks, family dinners, and busy weeknights for decades. The concept is simple: a fruit filling on the bottom, a cake mix and butter topping, and the oven does the rest. No creaming, no layering, no fuss. Minimal effort. I've been making this vintage dish long enough to know which shortcuts actually work and which ones leave you with dry, floury patches on top, and I'm sharing all of it here.
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So what is a dump cake?
It's a cobbler-style dessert where you dump fruit into a pan, cover it with dry cake mix and butter, and let the oven do the work. Dump cakes all follow the same steps and there's no mixing bowl in sight. Once you've baked one, you've essentially baked all of them; mix and match your favorite fruit and topping flavors.
The best part is how many dump cake flavors you can make from the same simple method. Most roundups stop at the top 10 dump cakes with cake mix: here you'll find 18, from fresh cherry to pumpkin pecan to the very classic cherry pineapple.
That's why they work so well for potlucks and busy weeknights: they're quick and they can be made ahead. They're truly effortless, even more so than say, a blueberry crumble or a classic and easy oatmeal cookie, as they don't involve mixing bowls.
Important tips
The filling is flexible, and that's the whole point. You can spruce up the store-bought canned pie filling or fruit. A handful of fresh or frozen fruit stirred in, a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom, a splash of vanilla or almond extract, a bit of citrus zest; these are small additions that make a real difference and lift basic canned ingredients into something that tastes homemade. The cherry and peach ones especially benefit from a drop of almond extract. Don't overthink it; you're not changing the recipe, just nudging the flavor.
The cake mix flavor matters more than the brand. Yellow and white cake mixes are the workhorses here because they're neutral enough to pair with almost anything. Spice cake mix with apple or pear filling is a natural combination, chocolate cake mix with cherry filling is a classic (hello, Black Forest), and lemon cake mix with blueberry or strawberry filling is bright and summery. Brands of boxed cake mix are interchangeable. Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, store brands - they all behave the same way in this context.
Choose your baking dish wisely, because you're serving from it. Dump cakes go from oven to table in the same dish, so pick something you're happy to set out. I reach for my ceramic Emile Henry dishes whenever possible. Glass and other ceramic baking dishes work just as well. Here are my favorite family-style serving dishes. A cast-iron skillet gives you a rustic feel and great browning on the edges. Whatever you use, make sure it's the right size. Too large and the filling layer is too thin; too small and it bubbles over.
It's done when the top is golden brown, the inside is dry, and the filling is bubbling at the edges. Not before. If the top looks golden but you don't see bubbling yet, give it more time. Check for dry patches on top a little over the halfway point, and fix them then (not at the end when it's too late), by covering the floury spot with a thin slice of butter or a tablespoon of melted butter.
How to serve them
- Temperature: Room temperature works fine, but slightly warm is the move. Cold straight from the fridge mutes the flavors and makes the topping a bit heavy.
- Plain: They're fantastic on their own, at room temperature. This is especially good when taking them to potlucks and picnics.
- With ice cream or whipped cream: similar to crumbles and cobblers, these desserts benefit from a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweet whipped cream on top.
- Toppings: drizzle caramel sauce or dulce de leche, chocolate sauce or fudge, sprinkle with chopped nuts or chocolate chips, fresh fruit, or berries.
Storage tips
They last for about 5 days in the fridge and a month frozen.
- Refrigerate leftovers. You can leave them at room temperature for several hours, but fruit desserts are best kept chilled. To prevent dryness, cover the baking pan or dish with plastic wrap or use an airtight container.
- Make-ahead dessert. 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.
- Freeze them for a month. If freezing it whole, cover the pan well, first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil, and label it. Or transfer the leftovers to a freezer-safe container. Thaw at room temperature and warm slightly in a medium oven before serving.
The recipes
Below you'll find every dump cake recipe on the blog, from the classic cherry, the one I'd start with if you've never made one, to seasonal options like pumpkin pecan and caramel apple, and fruity combinations like strawberry pineapple and blueberry pineapple that are more interesting than they might sound.
Each one links to the full recipe with ingredients, instructions, and my testing notes.
Cherry Dump Cake
Also known as a cobbler with cake mix, this effortless fruit dessert comes together quickly. This recipe is the classic, original dump cake.
Lemon Cream Cheese
This version for lemon lovers is a bright change from the usual fruity ones. It's creamy and sweet, comes together in minutes and freezes well.
Peach
If you never made a peach dump cake, you're in for a sweet surprise. It's one of the easiest crowd-pleasing desserts.
Strawberry Cheesecake
This strawberry cream cheese cobbler is the kind of dessert recipe you keep in your back pocket for when you need something quick but still crave a homemade touch.
Pineapple Cherry
It has a layer of pineapple chunks, canned cherry pie filling and yellow cake. The mix of flavors is surprisingly good and it freezes very well.
Blackberry Dump Cake
This is a simple cobbler-like dessert with juicy blackberries and a buttery, cakey topping made from cake mix.
Pear Dump Cake
This is a pantry staple dessert, very low effort. It's wonderfully easy and ready in 45 minutes.
Cranberry
You layer the filling, sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top, drizzle the butter and let the oven do the rest. It's great for leftover cran sauce.
Strawberry Pineapple
The mix of flavors is wonderful, and you're in for a surprise. The dessert can be made ahead and is perfect eaten warm with ice cream.
Caramel Apple
This simple recipe combines favorite flavors: caramel, cinnamon, and apples. Fall baking at its best.
Mixed Berries
Sweet and easy, this vintage dessert allows you to adjust the mix of fruits to your preference.
Chocolate Cherry
Our take on the classic Black Forest dessert. The combination of flavors is wonderful and it's ready in an hour.
Blueberry Pineapple
This dump cake is one of the easiest desserts, with a fantastic combination of flavors. It's a sweet casserole dish made with canned pie filling and cake mix from a box.
Pumpkin Pecan
You might also know it as pumpkin pie cake or pumpkin crunch cake. It's a dessert or a crustless pie really.
Pineapple
An easy-to-make recipe that combines the sweetness of the pineapple with the buttery, cakey texture of the cake mix.
Strawberry
A quick, easy dessert with amazing flavors, this dump cake is a must-bake when strawberry season hits.
Fresh Cherry
It has a layer of cherry pie filling (homemade or store-bought) and a cobbler-like topping. A great way to take advantage of seasonal cherries.
Blueberry Dump Cake
A recipe to make often because it's so easy! A layer of juicy berries and a crisp topping make this a last-minute dessert that's sure to be a success.
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Wendy Novatt says
I find it so easy t make dumpcakes so i am grateful for your help
Jessie says
I'm so saving this post. I have many fond memories of dump cakes from potlucks growing up. Awesome! I'll have to show my kids! Thanks for sharing this bit of scrumptious nostalgia.
Paula Montenegro says
So great to know that Jessie! Happy baking!
Cindy says
Bake at what temp and for how long? Just follow instructions on the cake mix box?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Cindy! When you click the link to each recipe (the cards are towards the end of this post) you have the ingredients and instructions for each dump cake recipe. Happy baking!