Pineapple Cherry Dump Cake (With Variations)

By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Updated 03/21/19

Pineapple cherry dump cake

The Spruce

  • Total: 70 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 60 mins
  • Yield: 10 to 12 Servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
524 Calories
32g Fat
58g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12 Servings
Amount per serving
Calories 524
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 19g 96%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 368mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Protein 4g
Calcium 89mg 7%
*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 fruit cherry pie filling
  • 1 (18 1/4-ounce) box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (or margarine)
  • Optional: 1/4 cup nuts (walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, chopped)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for pineapple cherry dump cake
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  2. Preheat oven to 350 F (325 F for a glass baking dish). Have a 9- x 13-inch baking pan ready.

    Grease pan
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  3. Dump undrained pineapple into the baking dish and spread it out evenly.

    Dump undrained pineapple
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  4. Using a spoon, dump globs of cherry pie filling evenly on top of the pineapple.

    Dump globs of cherry pie filling
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  5. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the cherry and pineapple layers.

    Sprinkle the cake mix evenly
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  6. Cut butter into slices with a butter knife and place slices evenly over cake mix.

    Cut butter into slices
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  7. Sprinkle nuts on top, if you're using them.

    Sprinkle nuts on top
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  8. Bake for 1 hour.

    Bake for 1 hour
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  9. Remove from the oven. 

    Dump cake recipe
    The Spruce

  10. To serve, scoop out cake out with a large spoon onto a plate. 

  11. Enjoy!

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 3 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.