An effortless fruit dessert that's ready in under an hour and can be made ahead. It has a layer of pineapple chunks, cherry pie filling (homemade or store-bought), and a cobbler-like topping made with a boxed cake mix. The mix of flavors is surprisingly good and it freezes very well.

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Top view of white baking dish with cherry pineapple cobbler. White surface, a silver spoon, cherries and pineapple pieces around.

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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 and pineapple chunks by the pound, 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 with pineapple, even if you make the cherry filling from scratch. 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 cherry dump cake are huge hits wherever I take them.

Cherry pineapple dump cake serving with a scoop of ice cream on a white plate.

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 works well too.
Unsalted butter.
Pineapple: canned is the best option, but you can use fresh if it's sweet.
Store-bought cherry pie filling.
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. This recipe uses light brown sugar, but white works just as 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.

White surface with bowls containing homemade cherry pie filling, pineapple, butter, and cake mix.

Pitting cherries

Hand with cherry pitter, whole cherry, white bowl with pits

If you often bake 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 (if making the homemade filling). Ensure your clothes are covered, as pitting cherries means drops of cherry juice flying around.

How to assemble a dump cake

As the name implies, this is a dump-and-bake recipe.

I changed how 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.

Cherries, pineapple chunks, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a glass bowl on a white marble surface.

The filling ingredients are simply mixed together in a bowl and dumped into the baking dish. If using canned cherry pie filling, simply dump it in the pan and scatter the pineapple pieces over it.

Dump cake topping mixture in glass bowl an a white surface.

Add melted butter to the cake mix in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until crumbly and floury.

Assembling and baking

The topping will not cover the fruit completely and that is fine, as the juices need space to bubble as the dessert bakes.

White marble surface with unbaked cherry pineapple dump cake in a rectangular white baking dish.

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.

Close up of white baking dish with cherry cobbler. A silver spoon inside.

Does this cherry pineapple dump cake need to be refrigerated?

You can leave it at room temperature for a day. After that, it's best to refrigerate it. Fruit desserts are best kept chilled to prevent them from fermenting too quickly and going bad.

Can you make a dump cake ahead of time?

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.

Can you freeze a pineapple cherry dump cake?

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.

Spooning a white plate with cherry pineapple dump cake serving and ice cream. White and cherry blossoms apron in the background.

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.
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, as I do with the chocolate cherry 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 the cherry filling from scratch, but store-bought works like a charm if you usually use it. Just open a can! Doesn't get much simpler than that.
Ratio: I find that a lower topping ratio to filling is ideal because it's crisper 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.

Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake