This is probably the easiest sweet treats of all time. Just four total ingredients and a few effortless steps and dessert is served! Make sure to check out 50 Best Cake Recipes for more cake fun!
Cherry Dump Cake
The genius that decided to dump a bunch of dessert staples into a pan and see what happens next deserves an award. They are my hero. Dump cakes are a dream recipe for busy moms and dads! For those days when just getting through the door is a chore, you can still impress the entire family with a tasty dessert that doesn’t take much effort from you. The prep for this delicious cherry dump cake recipe is five minutes. I’ll say it louder, FIVE MINUTES. No mess, no fuss, just dump it in the pan and go.
How to Make Cherry Dump Cake
You hear me talking a lot about “your recipe is only as good as your ingredients” and most cases, that is my primary rule of thumb. This dessert is designed for ease. So, in this case, you won’t hear me say that. For this Cherry Dump Cake recipe, you need a box of yellow cake mix, your favorite can of cherry pie filling, some almond extract, and some cold butter. Yes, there are a few ways you can make this cake fancy, but with a name like Cherry Dump Cake, you really can’t dress it up too much. Some people like to add a little pineapple to the mix. Cherry Pineapple dump cakes are actually really popular, but I happen to love the minimalist approach to this already easy recipe. I have had it both ways, and both are delicious. If this is for you, the recipe doesn’t change much, you just add a can of crushed pineapple to the cherry filling when you are preparing the first layer.
Can you Make Crockpot Cherry Dump Cake?
You can and you should! It is literally the exact same recipe and instructions, except you use a crockpot instead of the skillet and an oven. For this method, you will put the cherry pie filling in the bottom of a greased crockpot, mix in the almond extract and then top with the cake, and then butter, and then cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Topping Ideas for Cherry Dump Cake
The basic topping choices for a cherry dump cake are whipped cream or ice cream. Within those two categories, there are a few variations that can really take this dump cake to a whole new level. For the ice cream, we almost always have vanilla or vanilla bean as a staple in our freezer. The vanilla ice cream is a perfect compliment to the buttery, cakey, cherry flavors in the dump cake. You could drizzle some chocolate over the top for added flair if you want!
Homemade Whipped Cream
Making your own whipped cream is probably one of the top recommendations that I will ever give you when discussing homemade desserts. To do that, you need heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar. Essentially, from here you just pour the whipping cream into a bowl and whip until peaks start to form. I would recommend using a hand mixer or a stand mixer unless you are really focusing on those arm muscles. Slowly add in the sugar and serve. Super simple. You can put a few other fun twists on this by adding in cinnamon into the whipped cream. You can do this with store-bought whipped cream too. The same method applies here, you just add spices to the pre-made version.
Cherry Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
- 2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup butter, cold
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a 12-inch skillet or greased 9x9 or 9x13-inch baking dish, add the cherry pie filling and the almond extract. Mix together and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cake mix over the top, being careful to cover all of the pie filling.
- Slice the butter into small pads (about 16) and spread them out evenly over the top of the cake mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the topping is golden brown and the pie filling is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake rest for about 20 minutes before serving.
Video
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I made mine with chocolate cake mix & spinkle chopped pecans over the Cale mix before the cake mix Ooo so good
Can you use fresh cherries?
Love this dessert. I have also made it with one can cherry pie filling and on can crushed pineapple, juice and all and then added rough chopped pecans or walnuts on top.
Me encantan tus recetas se ven deliciosas… Las quiero todas, podrías subir una traducción a español…. Por favor
I made this. Delicious
I have made this for many years but several years ago I changed the topping a bit in case you are interested. I too add crushed pineapple to the wet mixture. But I do the top this way: after adding the cake mix, I add a shallow layer of crushed or chopped pecans. On top of that, I add brown sugar evenly across the top, then add the pats of butter. It really “crunches” up the topping and I am asked to bring it to every potluck. This is a family favorite…thanks for posting.
Brilliant and so so easy even a child could make these dump cakes.
For the cherry dump cake, what do you need to do differently if using fresh cherries?
I have made the first dump cake. You know the one with pineapple and cherry pie filling.
I never thought to try it with other pie filling. Can’t wait to try it your way. I remember how good the pineapple and cherry pie filling was. I think I will try it next weekend when the neighbors come over. Now the problem is which one to choose
Ever one of your recipes I have tried have come out great and got many compliments on them.
Thanks alot for the great recipes for people like me. Keep them coming
Do you think I could use red velvet cake mix instead of a yellow cake mix?