Quick & Easy Cherry Dump Cake Recipe

This classic and convenient dessert recipe only requires 4 pantry ingredients and can be ready to slide into the oven in just minutes! The ingredients are just “dumped” together in the baking pan (thus the name of the recipe) – needing no other mixing bowls at all. Then it is baked to golden perfection.

Served warm with ice cream, this delicious dessert recipe is a “must have”!

How to Make Cherry Dump Cake

Ingredients you’ll need:

The beauty of this easy recipe is that it only requires 4 pantry items – with slivered almonds as an optional 5th.:

• Cherry pie filling – You’ll need 2 cans.
• Almond extract – Cherry and almond are my favorite flavor combination, but you can use vanilla if you prefer.
• Yellow Cake Mix (Here in Canada, it is called “golden cake mix”)
• Melted Butter
• Slivered almonds – These are totally optional, but are a nice topping to finish it off.

Step by step instructions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

Step 2: Stir 1 teaspoon almond extract into each can of cherry pie filling.

Pour both cans of cherry pie filling into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Step 3:  Sprinkle the box of cake mix on top of the pie filling and distribute evenly.

Step 4: Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the cake mix and use a knife to gently spread to cover all the cake mix.

Step 5: ( Optional Layer number 4) Sprinkle with slivered almonds (if preferred).

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until it is bubbly around the edges and the top is golden brown.

Serve slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Why is this recipe called a “dump cake”?

This deliciously quick and convenient dessert recipe gets its name because all the ingredients can be “dumped” in the baking dish and no other dishes are needed! 

How do you know if a dump cake is done baking?

Testing to see if a dump cake is fully baked is a bit different than the traditional method of sticking a toothpick in the middle. That won’t work for this! Instead look to see if the top is golden and feels “crunchy” to the touch.

How do you store dump cake?

Dump cake can be left out on the counter safely for a while, but it is best stored covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Do you mix up the cake mix before you pour it on the cherry pie filling?

No! There is no need to mix up the cake. Just sprinkle  the cake mix powder on.

Do you stir the ingredients of a dump cake together?

Also, no! Just layer them up in separate layers and it will bake beautifully.

Variations of this recipe:

The beauty of this recipe is that it works for all types of pie filling. You can use whatever you may have on hand or whatever flavor you’re hungry for.

• Use apple pie filling (and omit the almond flavoring) and sprinkle walnuts on the top. Drizzle caramel sauce over the top before serving with ice cream for a delicious caramel apple dump cake.
• Use chocolate cake mix instead of yellow for a chocolate cherry dump cake.
• Use strawberry, peach, or blueberry pie filling with a little cinnamon stirred in and serve with cool whip, whipping cream, or ice cream.

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