Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake (With Variations)

By
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone
Peggy Trowbridge Filippone is a writer who develops approachable recipes for home cooks. Her recipes range from Grandma’s favorites to the latest food trends.
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Updated on 09/18/22
Golden brown pineapple cherry dump cake in a baking dish and served in a seafoam-green bowl

The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
356 Calories
17g Fat
51g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 356
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 10g 51%
Cholesterol 41mg 14%
Sodium 274mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 6mg 31%
Calcium 93mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 131mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A dump cake is very similar to a fruit cobbler in that it is made up of a fruit filling topped with a cake-like batter. The recipe is named after the technique you use to make it, which is basically dumping everything into a pan before baking. A dump cake is an ideal recipe for kids since there is no mixing or difficult techniques involved. Canned fruits are dumped into a baking pan, topped with cake mix, butter, and nuts, and then baked. The result is something in between a cake and a cobbler, and amazingly delicious. It may be perfect for kids but adults will also love this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

  • 1 (21-ounce) can prepared cherry pie filling

  • 1 (15 1/4-ounce) box yellow cake mix

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pistachios, or peanuts, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for pineapple cherry dump cake recipe gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F (or 325 F for a glass baking dish). Have a 9 x 13-inch baking pan ready.

    Greased rectangular metal baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  3. Pour pineapple into baking dish and spread evenly.

    Crushed pineapple spread evenly in baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  4. Using a spoon, evenly spread cherry pie filling over pineapple.

    Cherry filling being spread with a spoon on top of the pineapple in the baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  5. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over cherry and pineapple layers.

    Cake mix distributed evenly over the fruit in the baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  6. Cut butter into slices and place evenly over cake mix.

    Butter slices distributed evenly on top of the cake mix in the baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  7. Sprinkle nuts on top, if using.

    Chopped nuts sprinkled on top of the butter and cake mix in the baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

  8. Bake for 1 hour.

    Golden brown pineapple cherry dump cake in the baking dish on cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni

Tips

  • This cake can be served warm or cold. If you prefer to eat the dump cake cold, place in the refrigerator after it has cooled until chilled.
  • Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen up to three months. Thaw a frozen dump cake in the refrigerator and slowly reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds and then in 10-second intervals until warm.

Recipe Variations

  • This combination of pineapple and cherry may be a big hit with the kids, but there are plenty of other dump cake versions to try from peach, pear, apple, pumpkin, and blueberry.
  • For a twist, consider adding coconut or nuts as well.
  • Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or topped with whipped cream.

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