Recipes for Dump Cake

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.

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 are my go-to when it comes to dessert.

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!

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).

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

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Dump the fruit into your pan and spread evenly with a spatula.





3. Dump the cake mix over the top of the fruit, covering all the fruit evenly.
4. Add optional spices.







5. Add pats of butter over the entire surface of the cake mix, trying to get all surface area covered with a pat of butter.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes until the top is crispy and the fruit is hot and bubbly.
7. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes and serve.
8. Top with optional whipped cream or ice cream.