Looking for a dessert that takes almost zero effort but tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen? We’ve all been there—you need something sweet for a potluck, family gathering, or just because it’s Tuesday, but the idea of measuring, mixing, and fussing with complicated steps sounds exhausting.
That’s where this cherry dump cake comes to the rescue. With just five ingredients and barely any prep work, you literally dump everything into a pan and let your oven do the heavy lifting. The result is a warm, gooey dessert with sweet cherry filling and a buttery, cake-like topping that everyone will ask you for the recipe for.
Why You’ll Love This Cherry Dump Cake
- Only 3 ingredients – You just need cherry pie filling, cake mix, and butter to make this dessert happen. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
- No mixing required – Just dump the ingredients in a baking dish and pop it in the oven. There’s literally no bowl to clean or batter to mix.
- Ready in about an hour – From start to finish, you’ll have a warm dessert on the table in just over an hour, making it perfect for last-minute gatherings or weeknight treats.
- Crowd-pleasing dessert – The combination of sweet cherry filling and buttery cake topping is always a hit at potlucks, family dinners, or any time you need an easy dessert that feeds a group.
What Kind of Cherry Pie Filling Should I Use?
Any brand of canned cherry pie filling will work great for this dump cake, so feel free to grab whatever’s on sale at your local grocery store. If you prefer a tart flavor, look for pie filling made with tart cherries instead of sweet cherries, though both varieties will give you delicious results. Some people like to mix things up by using one can of cherry and one can of another fruit like blueberry or apple, which creates a fun flavor combination. Just make sure you’re using actual pie filling and not just canned cherries in syrup, since the pie filling has that thick, glossy consistency that helps hold the cake together.
Options for Substitutions
This simple dessert is easy to customize with a few basic swaps:
- Cherry pie filling: Feel free to switch things up with apple, blueberry, peach, or any other pie filling you like. You can even mix two different flavors for something fun.
- Yellow cake mix: White cake mix works just as well, or try chocolate cake mix if you’re pairing it with cherry filling for a Black Forest vibe. Any standard cake mix will do the job.
- Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter, go ahead and use it – just add a pinch of salt to the melted butter. You can also use margarine in a pinch, though butter gives better flavor.
- Almond extract: This is totally optional. If you don’t have it or don’t like almond flavor, just leave it out or swap in vanilla extract instead.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking
The biggest mistake people make with dump cakes is stirring the ingredients together, which completely defeats the purpose – you want to keep the cake mix dry on top so it forms that signature crispy, crumbly crust as it bakes.
Another common error is not spreading the cake mix evenly over the cherry filling, leaving bare spots that won’t bake properly, so take an extra minute to make sure every bit of filling is covered.
When pouring the melted butter, drizzle it slowly and evenly across the entire surface rather than dumping it all in one spot, which helps the cake mix bake uniformly.
Finally, resist the urge to pull it out early – the cake needs the full baking time for the top to turn golden brown and crispy, and if the edges are bubbling but the center looks pale, give it another 5-10 minutes.
What to Serve With Cherry Dump Cake?
Cherry dump cake is pretty much a dessert that stands on its own, but a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top takes it to the next level. The cold ice cream melting into the warm, gooey cherries is absolutely perfect. If you’re not an ice cream person, a dollop of whipped cream or even some Cool Whip works great too. I also like serving this with a hot cup of coffee or tea, especially when you’re having people over for dinner and want something easy but impressive for dessert.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep any leftover cherry dump cake covered with foil or plastic wrap right in the baking dish. It’ll stay fresh in the fridge for about 4 days, and honestly, it tastes just as good the next day!
Freeze: You can freeze this cake for up to 3 months. Just wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. I like to freeze single servings so I can grab one whenever I’m craving something sweet.
Serve: When you’re ready to eat it, thaw frozen slices in the fridge overnight. You can enjoy it cold straight from the fridge, or warm it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds to bring back that fresh-from-the-oven feel.
| Preparation Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 50-60 minutes |
| Total Time | 60-75 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 12 slices |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 2600-2800
- Protein: 15-20 g
- Fat: 70-80 g
- Carbohydrates: 520-560 g
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
- 42 oz cherry pie filling
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3/4 cup salted butter, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Step 1: Prepare the Dish and Preheat Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
While it heats, grease a 9×13 inch baking dish (or similar size) with butter or cooking spray, making sure to coat the bottom and sides evenly.
This prevents sticking and ensures even browning of the cake layer.
Step 2: Layer the Cherry Filling with Aromatics
- 42 oz cherry pie filling
- 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
Pour the cherry pie filling into the greased baking dish and stir in the almond extract until well combined.
The almond extract adds a subtle depth to the cherries and complements their tartness beautifully.
Spread the filling evenly across the bottom of the dish, making sure no dry spots remain on the bottom.
Step 3: Add the Cake Mix and Cinnamon Layer
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cherry filling, covering it completely.
I like to break up any large clumps of cake mix with my fingers or a fork before sprinkling so it distributes more uniformly.
Then sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the top of the cake mix for a subtle spice note.
Step 4: Top with Butter and Bake
- 3/4 cup salted butter, thinly sliced
Arrange the thinly sliced butter evenly over the cake mix layer, spacing the slices so they’re distributed across the surface (they’ll melt and spread during baking).
Don’t worry about complete coverage—the butter will distribute as it melts and create a golden, moist topping.
Slide the dish into your preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and you can see the cherry filling bubbling slightly around the edges.
Step 5: Cool and Serve
Remove the dump cake from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
This cooling time allows the filling to set slightly so it won’t run all over the plate, and gives the cake structure time to firm up.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Tasty Cherry Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
- 42 oz cherry pie filling
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3/4 cup salted butter, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, grease a 9x13 inch baking dish (or similar size) with butter or cooking spray, making sure to coat the bottom and sides evenly. This prevents sticking and ensures even browning of the cake layer.
- Pour the cherry pie filling into the greased baking dish and stir in the almond extract until well combined. The almond extract adds a subtle depth to the cherries and complements their tartness beautifully. Spread the filling evenly across the bottom of the dish, making sure no dry spots remain on the bottom.
- Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cherry filling, covering it completely. I like to break up any large clumps of cake mix with my fingers or a fork before sprinkling so it distributes more uniformly. Then sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the top of the cake mix for a subtle spice note.
- Arrange the thinly sliced butter evenly over the cake mix layer, spacing the slices so they're distributed across the surface (they'll melt and spread during baking). Don't worry about complete coverage—the butter will distribute as it melts and create a golden, moist topping. Slide the dish into your preheated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and you can see the cherry filling bubbling slightly around the edges.
- Remove the dump cake from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This cooling time allows the filling to set slightly so it won't run all over the plate, and gives the cake structure time to firm up. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
