Easy Cherry Dump Cake Recipe: Your New Go-To Dessert!

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This easy cherry dump cake recipe is ridiculously simple, utterly delicious, and will become your go-to dessert!

With just three ingredients (plus ice cream to serve!), you can create a warm, comforting dessert that feels indulgent yet takes minimal effort.

Whether it’s a last-minute dessert or a treat for a special occasion, this recipe is here to impress!

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A plate with a portion of cherry dump cake topped with additional cherries and a scoop of ice cream. The cake dish is in the background.

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A plate with a portion of cherry dump cake topped with additional cherries and a scoop of ice cream.

Where is the Recipe Card?

The printable recipe card is towards the end of this page. For recipe tips and ingredient substitutions, we recommend reading the blog post.

Easy Cherry Dump Cake Recipe:
Number of Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

What Is Dump Cake?

A dump cake is a no-fuss American dessert that’s part cobbler and part cake. The name comes from the simple process of dumping the ingredients into a baking dish, layer by layer, and letting the oven do the magic!

It’s actually not too dissimilar to the English Eve’s Pudding, which is a dessert of stewed apples with a Victoria sponge topping.

Cobblers like Homemade Peach Cobbler and Baked Cinnamon Apple Cobbler are topped with biscuit-style dough, whereas dump cake is topped with cake.

In the same region of warm, fruity desserts, you have your crumbles: Rhubarb and Apple Crumble and Apple Crumble, and your crisps: Black Cherry Crisp, Cinnamon Apple Crisp, and Blueberry Crisp.

But back to our easy cherry dump cake recipe, which uses just three ingredients and can be served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, a glug of warm custard (crème anglaise), or a dollop of whipped cream.

Serve it at potlucks, family dinners, or holiday gatherings. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day you need a quick and satisfying dessert!

Ingredients for Cherry Dump Cake

The ingredients and tools for this recipe are conveniently linked to online retailers such as Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Walmart. The quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

  • Cherry Pie Filling—The fruit base for the cherry dump cake. You can sweeten the filling with sugar or syrup if desired. You can also make your own cherry pie filling from scratch if you don’t want to use canned.
  • Yellow Cake Mix—The cake layer of the dessert. You do not need the additional ingredients (eggs, oil, water) as you are not actually preparing the mix.
  • Unsalted Butter—Melted butter is drizzled over the cake layer. For added flavor, stir in a little vanilla extract. Some recipes use sliced butter or a mix of melted and sliced.

The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post. The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).

Recipe Tips

  • Assemble the cherry dump cake in a 9×13 baking dish. Grease the pan with butter or baking spray.
  • For personal desserts, divide the pie filling and cake mix between ramekins or small baking dishes.
  • Be sure to spread each layer evenly—but don’t mix it!
  • Melted butter helps create a golden, crisp topping. Pour it evenly over the cake layer. You’ll see the difference in the recipe card photo where we missed some areas!
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

More Dump Cake Combos!

Once you learn how easy it is to make dump cakes, you will want to make them all the time for dessert! There really isn’t a wrong way to make them! Here are some combos to try out:

  • Apple Cinnamon: Apple pie filling + spice cake mix + melted butter + chopped pecans for crunch.
  • Pineapple Upside-Down: Crushed pineapple + yellow cake mix + melted butter + brown sugar + maraschino cherries.
  • Chocolate Cherry: Cherry pie filling + chocolate cake mix + melted butter + chocolate chips.
  • Blueberry Lemon: Blueberry pie filling + lemon cake mix + melted butter + a sprinkle of sugar on top.
  • Pumpkin Spice: Pumpkin puree + evaporated milk + pumpkin pie spice + brown sugar + spice cake mix + melted butter.
  • Banoffee: Sliced bananas + caramel sauce or dulce de leche + vanilla cake mix + melted butter + chocolate chips.
  • Strawberry Shortcake: Strawberry pie filling + white cake mix + melted butter + a dollop of whipped cream when serving.
  • S’mores: Chocolate pudding + chocolate cake mix + mini marshmallows + melted butter + graham cracker crumbs.
  • Piña Colada: Canned crushed pineapple + rum + shredded coconut + yellow cake mix + melted butter + maraschino cherries.
  • Carrot Cake: Canned crushed pineapple + shredded carrots + walnuts + spice cake mix + melted butter.
A plate with a portion of cherry dump cake topped with additional cherries and a scoop of ice cream.

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Printable Cherry Dump Cake Recipe Card

The printable recipe card is below—please leave a star rating and quick review to share your experience with others!

A plate with a portion of cherry dump cake topped with additional cherries and a scoop of ice cream.

Cherry Dump Cake

Michelle Ordever
Quick and easy cherry dump cake recipe—perfect for weeknight desserts or special occasions!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 515 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

SUGGESTED PRODUCTS

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
  • Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  • Add cherry pie filling to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
    Cherry Pie Filling in Baking Dish
  • Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix on top of the cherry layer. DO NOT stir!
    Cake Mix on top of Pie Filling
  • Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of the cake mix layer. Cover as much as possible to ensure even baking.
    Cake Mix drizzled with Melted butter
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
    Baked Cherry Dump Cake
  • Cool for 5 minutes before serving, topped with ice cream. Enjoy!
    A plate with a portion of cherry dump cake topped with additional cherries and a scoop of ice cream. The dish of cake is in the background.

Nutrition

Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 676IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

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Dinner Menu Suggestions

You’ve made the dessert, but what about the rest of the courses?

Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:

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