Easy Cranberry Dump Cake (with pantry staples)
The beauty of this cranberry dump cake is that it's wonderfully low-stress. You layer the filling, sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top, drizzle the butter and let the oven do the rest. No beating. No creaming. No fussing. It uses pantry staples, and it's a way to use leftover cranberry sauce.
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 28 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce not jellied, 2 (14-ounce) cans
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup fresh orange juice or water, if you prefer less tang
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix box or white cake mix or butter cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter or spray a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Spread 28 ounces whole berry cranberry sauce evenly in the bottom of the dish and break it up gently with a spoon so it’s not one solid mass.
- Scatter 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries on top, drizzle ½ cup fresh orange juice and sprinkle 1 teaspoon orange zest and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon on top. Stir to mix lightly.
- Sprinkle 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix box evenly over the cranberry layer; don’t stir, but lightly distribute it to level the layer as much as you can.
- Drizzle 1 cup unsalted butter evenly over the cake mix, covering it, or as much as possible.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Cranberry sauce consistency is essential. Some canned ones are too thick, and homemade leftovers can firm up a lot after a day or more, so you might need more orange juice to loosen them up and have a soft filling. If making your own, make sure you have enough syrup and remember it will continue to firm up in the oven.
