Whether you want to make an apple dump cake, cherry dump cake, peach dump cake, blackberry dump cake, or any other dump cake that sounds great, these basic recipes for dump cake are for you.
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Why I Love This Recipe
There’s nothing better than having a fresh, hot, homemade dessert with literally minutes of hands-on time. That’s why dump cakes (or cobblers like this healthy peach cobbler) are my go-to when it comes to dessert.
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Since I’m always sure to have homemade cake mix lining my pantry shelves and jars of homemade pie filling, this recipe is as simple as 1, 2, 3: Dump, bake and serve!
Mix it up with homemade apple pie filling, canned rhubarb, peach pie filling, cherry pie filling or your favorite canned, frozen or fresh fruit, and you’ve got dessert in minutes.
Add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’re in dessert heaven. The only thing that makes this recipe even better is when it’s served up in a cast-iron skillet! You know my love of cast iron and Mason jars! This recipe is a match made in heaven.
Why is it Called Dump Cake?
Dump cake is similar to a cobbler but with a cake-like topping. It’s named “dump cake” because it’s prepared by dumping ingredients into a cake pan without mixing them.
You may have heard it called Wacky Cake or Crazy Cake. Both are other names for dump cake.
Don’t get a dump cake confused with the “dump method” of baking. The dump method dumps wet and dry ingredients straight into the baking pan but then mixes them before baking (to save on dishes), but a dump cake is different. It requires ZERO mixing!
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Don’t Mix a Dump Cake
The biggest mistake to avoid when making a dump cake is mixing the ingredients. DON’T MIX! If you do, you won’t get that crusty, crumbly buttery top.
The classic signs of a true dump cake are that crunchy top, fluffy center and ooey-gooey fruit bottom.
Wondering what happens if you stir your dump cake? You’ll end up with a half-baked cake! Trust me when I say resist the urge to mix. You.Will.Regret.It.
Melted Butter or Not
One of the most commonly asked questions about recipes for dump cake is whether or not you have to melt the butter.
Different recipes give different methods for this step. The short answer is no, you don’t have to melt the butter. I’ve baked my dump cakes both ways and found that melting it first created pools of butter with other areas left untouched by the butter.
By slicing nice thick pats of butter, you will be able to distribute the butter over your dump cake evenly, and as the butter melts, you won’t be left with any dry areas. I tend to cut back on the amount of butter called for in the recipe, which is why you’ll see me add more butter halfway through the baking process in the video that goes with this blog post. This is just something I’ve always done, but if you’re not shy of adding 10 tablespoons of butter to your dump cake, you shouldn’t have this issue.
Furthermore, melting the butter ahead of time just means you have another dish to clean. In my opinion, that takes away from the convenience of a dump cake!
How to Store Dump Cake
Dump cake is always better when eaten fresh and hot out of the oven. But you’ll never see me turn my back on day-old dump cake either! It’s delicious at room temperature or popped in the microwave for a minute to reheat.
If you happen to have leftovers, technically speaking, it should be OK on the counter for a day or two (that’s how I store mine). If you think it’ll last longer than a day or two, to be safe, you can always store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with saran wrap for up to 4-5 days.
Recipes for Dump Cake
In the video for this blog post, I’m making an apple dump cake. That’s always my go-to because I can up multiple jars of homemade apple pie filling each year (pictured above).
Freezing apples is a great way to preserve them for later if you want to hit the “pause” button because you’re not quite ready to turn them into jam or apple pie filling now.
However, once you learn the basics of how to make a dump cake recipe, you can make any flavor dump cake you’d like with whatever pie filling, canned, frozen or fresh fruit you have on hand!
- Peach Dump Cake – If you have homemade peach pie filling or home-canned peaches in syrup, this is the perfect dessert to showcase those peaches! Follow the recipe below, swapping out the apple pie filling for your peach pie filling or canned peaches.
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake – Grab a jar of homemade cherry pie filling and my double chocolate cake mix recipe and enjoy this amazing flavor combination.
- Mixed Berry Dump Cake – Have a bunch of fresh or frozen berries on hand? Slice them up, or toss them in the pan whole, then follow the recipe as is.
- Rhubarb & Strawberry Dump Cake – I have a recipe for a strawberry rhubarb dump cake on the blog. You can check that recipe out as well. Perfect for early spring when rhubarb and strawberries are ripe, or to use up your home-canned rhubarb.
As you can see, if you have about four cups of canned fruit, pie filling, or fresh or frozen fruit, this dump cake recipe will work.
You can mix it up with any flavor cake mix (white cake, yellow cake, chocolate cake, or even my spice cake), top it with butter, and you’re in the hall of fame for incredible desserts.
How to Make a Basic Dump Cake Recipe
Supplies Needed
The beauty of this recipe is the supplies are very limited.
- Pan – You know me, I love serving my dump cake up in cast iron. If you don’t have a cast-iron pan, a standard 9×13 pan will do.
- Spatula – You may need a spatula to get all the fruit out of the jar (or can) and to help spread it evenly in your pan.
- Knife – A knife to slice up the butter ahead of time works great.
And that’s it! Now, on to the ingredients…
Ingredients Needed
- Fruit – As mentioned, you can use any fruit pie filling, canned fruit in syrup, or fresh or frozen fruit. My go-to is this homemade apple pie filling.
- Cake Mix – In our house, we like to avoid boxed mixes from the store. Mix up a few of my homemade cake mixes in a jar (white, yellow, chocolate or spice cake), keep them on your shelf, and you’ll still have the convenience of these recipes for dump cake.
- Butter – The final ingredient for a dump cake is the butter. If you’re making a single batch (using my homemade cake mix recipe), you’ll want 10 Tablespoons of butter. If you’re using a standard boxed cake mix (18 oz), you’ll want 12 Tablespoons of butter.
- Spices (optional) – If you watch the video in this blog post, you’ll see me add some additional spices to the top of the cake mix. This is purely optional, but I would highly encourage it! Fresh spices level-up this simple recipe and make it top-notch!
- Whipped Cream or Ice Cream (optional) – What goes best with dump cake? Whipped cream or ice cream! Though it’s not mandatory, fresh hot dump cake is only made better by topping it with whipped cream or ice cream.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Dump the fruit into your pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Dump the cake mix over the top of the fruit, covering all the fruit evenly.
- Add optional spices.
- Add pats of butter over the entire surface of the cake mix, trying to get all surface area covered with a pat of butter.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is crispy and the fruit is hot and bubbly.
- Let sit for about 10-15 minutes and serve.
- Top with optional whipped cream or ice cream.
Dump Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pan 10-12" cast iron pan, or standard 9×13" pan.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fruit filling I used my home-canned apple pie filling-recipe and tutorial here)
- 1 recipe cake mix grab my cake mix recipe here
- 10 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Dump the fruit into your pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Dump the cake mix over the top of the fruit, covering all the fruit evenly.
- Add optional spices.
- Add pats of butter over the entire surface of the cake mix, trying to get all surface area covered with a pat of butter.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is crispy and the fruit is hot and bubbly.
- Let sit for about 10-15 minutes and serve.
- Top with optional whipped cream or ice cream.
Amazing recipe! My 16 year old son has been making this for us with our canned apple and peach pie filling. Thank you for sharing.
Melissa, I have made dump cake for a few decades now, but never using from scratch a cake mix or home-canned ingredients
. My favorite is cherry and crushed pineapple. It is really good with some crushed walnuts on top of it. It is so easy to make, that as long as you have the ingredients on hand, you have a great dessert in the makings.
Make sure you are using the right Clear Gel. There are two different types.
Do some research.
I’ve done the research. Canning requires cook type and is what I use because I can my pie filling.
Melissa, you have your homemade cake mix listed… how do you make just a white cake with it? What do you add to the cake mix, i.e. eggs, milk, etc? Thank you so much for all you do for us, you are such an inspiration!!
Shauna,
This particular one I just use for my dump cakes. Truthfully, when I bake a cake, it’s always chocolate. lol But you should be able to add eggs, milk and coconut oil or melted butter and bake it.
[…] French Apple Dump Cake […]
Is clear gel a safe food? I have always avoided it because I couldn’t find enough info on the product.
Mary Kay,
From what I’ve found it’s the only safe canning starch listed by the FDA. It was originally used by commercial bakers. It’s a modified corn starch and another blogger contacted the company and they say it’s GMO free, so in light of that, I feel safe using it.
Thanks. I made pie filling using instant tapioca this year, but it doesn’t look like it set well enough for me. I might do another batch with the clear gel.
I’ve always used cornstarch in the past, but I have to say, I’m really happy I made the switch to the ClearJell. The texture and set is beautiful and no more soggy pies from the pie filling breaking down over time. 🙂 Let me know what you think if you use it.
[…] French Apple Dump Cake […]
I absolutely love your website!
Thanks, Linda! Welcome. 🙂
Melissa,
I’d love to make the dry portion of your cake mix recipe with fresh milled soft white wheat. (I won’t store it unless it’s in the freezer for a day or two) Do you know how to convert the flour measurement?
I am looking forward to making your dump apple cake and to learn more about gardening.
My herbs never grow good in the house so it was nice to hear how you do it.
Pauelette, the cake is quite yummy. Feel free to ask any questions about gardening, it’s a passion of mine. Thanks for visiting.