20 Dump Cake Recipes with Just a Few Ingredients

What Makes Dump Cakes Actually Work

Here’s the thing that blew my mind when I first made these: the chemistry actually makes sense. You’re basically creating a cobbler situation where the fruit provides all the moisture from the bottom up, while the butter melts down through the dry cake mix creating this magical self-mixing situation in the oven. It’s lazy brilliance.

The fruit (whether it’s canned pie filling or fresh) sits on the bottom getting all hot and bubbly. The cake mix on top starts absorbing moisture from the steam while the butter creates little pockets of richness. According to Chemistry World, when fats like butter mix with cake ingredients during baking, they coat the flour proteins and create that tender, crumbly texture we’re after. That’s exactly what’s happening here—just with way less effort than traditional cakes.

The result? A dessert that’s somewhere between a cake, a cobbler, and your new favorite thing. The top gets golden and slightly crispy (think coffee cake topping), while the bottom stays soft and fruity. It’s texturally interesting without requiring you to do anything interesting.

The Classic Cherry-Pineapple Combo

This is the OG dump cake that started it all, and honestly, it’s still one of the best. There’s something about cherry and pineapple together that just works—it’s like they were destined to meet in a 9×13 pan.

Dump one can of cherry pie filling into your greased ceramic baking dish, then add one can of crushed pineapple (juice and all—don’t you dare drain it). Sprinkle a box of yellow cake mix over the top, making sure to cover most of the fruit. Then comes the fun part: slice a stick and a half of cold butter into thin pieces and distribute them evenly across the surface. Get Full Recipe.

Bake at 350°F for about 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling around the edges. The smell alone will have people wandering into your kitchen asking what’s cooking. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and accept your compliments gracefully.

Why This Combination Never Gets Old

The tartness of the cherries balances the sweetness of the pineapple, and the yellow cake mix adds this buttery, vanilla-ish flavor that ties everything together. It’s like a deconstructed pineapple upside-down cake met a cherry cobbler and they decided to elope.

FYI, if you’re feeling fancy, you can add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans on top of the butter. I keep these pre-chopped pecans in my pantry specifically for moments like these. They toast up beautifully and add a nice crunch that makes people think you actually tried.

Apple Cinnamon Dump Cake

Fall in a pan, basically. This one uses apple pie filling (the good stuff with actual apple chunks), and the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg makes your house smell like you’ve been baking all day. Again, our little secret.

Start with two cans of apple pie filling in the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon over the apples—I’m talking like a tablespoon, maybe more if you’re not afraid of flavor. Add a teaspoon of apple pie spice if you have it. Then layer on a box of yellow or spice cake mix, top with sliced butter, and maybe throw on some chopped walnuts because they’re basically mandatory with apple desserts.

This one’s particularly good for Thanksgiving when you’re already juggling seventeen other dishes and cannot possibly handle one more complicated recipe. Trust me, nobody will complain about “just” a dump cake when it tastes this good.

Making It Extra Special

Here’s a move that’ll make people think you’re a dessert genius: drizzle caramel sauce over each serving. I keep this caramel topping in my fridge year-round because it elevates basically any dessert from “nice” to “where did you learn to bake like this?”

The science behind why apple desserts taste better with cinnamon isn’t just tradition—cinnamon actually enhances our perception of sweetness, according to food science research from KiwiCo. So you’re getting more flavor bang for your buck with just a sprinkle of spice.

Chocolate Cherry Decadence

When you want to feel like you’re eating dessert at a fancy restaurant but you’re actually standing in your kitchen in sweatpants, make this one. It’s rich, it’s chocolatey, and it’s borderline indecent in the best way possible.

Use cherry pie filling as your base, but this time pair it with a chocolate cake mix. The combo is giving Black Forest vibes without any of the actual work. Some people add a can of cola to this for extra moisture (weird but it works), but I just stick with the standard butter situation.

Get Full Recipe for this chocolate cherry situation, but here’s the basic rundown: cherry filling in the pan, chocolate cake mix on top, butter slices everywhere, bake until bubbly. Serve with whipped cream and maybe some chocolate shavings if you’re feeling yourself that day.

The Secret Ingredient Nobody Expects

Add a teaspoon of almond extract to the cherry filling before you dump in the cake mix. It’s like a flavor bomb that makes people wonder what your secret is. Spoiler alert: it’s one teaspoon of something that costs like four dollars and lasts you five years.

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

Southern comfort food meets the laziest baking method possible, and I’m here for it. Peach cobbler traditionally requires actual cobbling (rolling dough, cutting shapes, layering carefully). This version requires opening cans and distributing butter. Same vibe, fraction of the effort.

Two cans of sliced peaches in heavy syrup go in first. Don’t drain them—that syrup is flavor gold. If you’re using fresh peaches, toss them with some sugar and let them sit for a bit to create their own juices. Yellow cake mix goes on top, followed by your butter arrangement. Some people get creative with cinnamon sugar topping sprinkled over the butter, which I fully support.

The result tastes like summer, even if you’re making it in February while wearing three layers and questioning your life choices. Serve it with vanilla bean ice cream that actually has real vanilla beans in it because you’re fancy like that, even if your baking method says otherwise.

Lemon Blueberry Sunshine Cake

This one’s for when you want something that feels lighter and spring-like instead of the usual heavy, dark fruit situation. Blueberry pie filling plus lemon cake mix creates this bright, zippy dessert that’s honestly kind of refreshing.

Use two cans of blueberry pie filling, or if you’re ambitious, fresh blueberries tossed with sugar and a bit of cornstarch work too. Lemon cake mix on top, butter everywhere, and maybe add some lemon zest to the top before baking if you really want to commit to the theme.

The acidity from the lemon plays beautifully with the sweetness of the blueberries. It’s chemistry again—citrus cuts through sugar and creates balance. Plus, according to research on cake chemistry from HowStuffWorks, acidic ingredients actually help activate leavening agents and contribute to a lighter texture. So you’re getting better results by accident. Love that for us.

Serving Suggestions That Actually Matter

Skip the ice cream for this one and go with fresh whipped cream instead. The lighter topping matches the brightness of the lemon-blueberry combo. I use this electric hand mixer for whipping cream because it takes like ninety seconds and tastes infinitely better than the canned stuff.

Strawberry Shortcake Dump Cake

Strawberry shortcake without the shortcake-making part. Revolutionary? Maybe not. Genius? Absolutely. This one’s particularly good in late spring when strawberries are actually worth eating.

If you’re using fresh strawberries, slice them up and toss with sugar, then let them macerate for about 20 minutes. This creates a syrupy situation that mimics pie filling. Or just use strawberry pie filling and save yourself the knife work. White or vanilla cake mix works best here because you want that classic strawberry shortcake flavor profile.

Get Full Recipe, and prepare for people to ask if you made actual shortcake. Just smile mysteriously and accept your praise.

Pumpkin Pecan Dump Cake

Fall dessert goals achieved with minimal emotional investment. This one’s different because it uses canned pumpkin instead of pie filling, which gives it more of a cake-like consistency throughout.

Mix one large can of pumpkin puree with some brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and a splash of evaporated milk. Spread that in your pan, then top with spice cake mix, butter, and a generous handful of chopped pecans. The pecans are non-negotiable—they add the crunch that makes this interesting.

Bake until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle. It’ll firm up as it cools. This one’s particularly good served slightly warm with cream cheese frosting drizzled over the top. IMO, it’s better than half the pumpkin pies I’ve had at Thanksgiving, and I’m not even being dramatic.

German Chocolate Dump Cake

All the flavors of German chocolate cake without separating eggs or making coconut pecan frosting from scratch. This is one of my favorites because it feels special without actually being special.

Start with chocolate cake mix as your base layer. Then create your “filling” by mixing together sweetened condensed milk, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans. Spread that over the dry cake mix, then drizzle melted butter over everything. It bakes into this gooey, rich situation that’s basically impossible to mess up.

The sweetened condensed milk creates moisture while the coconut and pecans add texture. It’s that characteristic German chocolate flavor without any of the fussy layer cake business. Plus, you can make this in a disposable aluminum pan and take it directly to wherever you’re going without worrying about getting your dish back.

Tropical Paradise Dump Cake

Pineapple, coconut, and macadamia nuts walk into a baking dish, and the joke writes itself because this combo is ridiculously good. It’s like vacation in dessert form.

Use crushed pineapple (don’t drain it) and add a can of mandarin oranges (drained this time). Sprinkle shredded coconut over the fruit, then add white cake mix, butter, and top with chopped macadamia nuts. The combination tastes expensive even though it’s made with pantry staples and whatever nuts you could find.

This one’s particularly good for summer potlucks when you want something that feels festive. Serve it with coconut whipped cream if you really want to lean into the tropical vibes.

Caramel Apple Spice Dump Cake

This is what happens when you take apple dump cake and crank the cozy factor up to eleven. Apple pie filling gets drizzled with caramel sauce before the cake mix goes on, creating this dulce de leche situation that’s borderline addictive.

Two cans of apple pie filling in the pan, then drizzle about half a cup of caramel sauce over the top. Spice cake mix, butter slices, and maybe some cinnamon-sugar sprinkled over everything. The caramel melts into the apples and creates this sauce that’s absolutely worth every calorie.

Fun fact: the Maillard reaction that creates caramel’s complex flavor is the same chemical process that makes the top of your dump cake golden brown, according to KiwiCo’s baking science research. So you’re getting double the caramelization action here. Science is delicious.

Red Velvet Strawberry Dump Cake

This one’s for Valentine’s Day or when you want something that photographs well for no particular reason. Red velvet cake mix paired with strawberry pie filling creates this gorgeous red-on-red situation that looks way fancier than the effort involved.

Strawberry or cherry pie filling works as your base, then red velvet cake mix on top with the usual butter treatment. Once it’s cooled slightly, drizzle cream cheese frosting over the whole thing. Yes, you can buy the frosting pre-made. No, I won’t judge you. I do it too.

Get Full Recipe and prepare for this to disappear fast. Something about the color combo makes people think it’s special occasion food, even though you made it on a random Tuesday because you felt like it.

Making It Actually Special

If you’re serving this for a party, portion it into individual mini dessert cups before guests arrive. Same dump cake, fancier presentation, and people lose their minds over it. It’s honestly manipulative how well this works.

Blackberry Lemon Dump Cake

Tart blackberries with bright lemon is one of those combinations that just makes sense. This one’s less sweet than some of the others, which I actually appreciate when I’m not trying to go into a sugar coma.

Use fresh or frozen blackberries (thawed and drained if frozen) tossed with some sugar and a tablespoon of cornstarch. The cornstarch helps thicken the berry juices so you don’t end up with a soupy mess. Lemon cake mix on top, butter everywhere, and bake until the berries are bubbling and the top is golden.

The tartness of blackberries means you need a bit more sweetness balance, so I usually serve this with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The contrast between the tart berries and sweet cream is honestly kind of perfect.

Banana Caramel Dump Cake

This one’s weird but trust me on it. Bananas, caramel sauce, and yellow cake mix create something that tastes like banana bread met bananas foster and they had a dessert baby.

Slice up about four ripe bananas and layer them in the bottom of your pan. Drizzle with caramel sauce (like half a cup—don’t be shy), then add yellow cake mix, butter, and maybe some chopped walnuts because they’re excellent with bananas.

The bananas break down during baking and create this soft, pudding-like layer underneath the cakey top. It’s texturally interesting in ways you wouldn’t expect from something this simple. Get Full Recipe and prepare for people to ask you approximately seventeen questions about how you made this.

Cookies and Cream Dump Cake

For when you want to feel like a kid again but with the dignity of using actual baking equipment. This uses crushed Oreos mixed into white cake mix for that cookies and cream situation everyone loves.

Crush up about a cup of Oreos (the food processor makes quick work of this, or just use a rolling pin if you want the workout). Mix them into white cake mix, then layer that over vanilla pudding that you’ve spread in the pan. Top with butter and bake until golden.

The pudding creates moisture while the Oreos add flavor and those little crunchy bits that make every bite slightly different. It’s fun, it’s nostalgic, and it requires basically no skill to pull off successfully.

Mixed Berry Dump Cake

When you can’t decide between berries, just use all of them. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries—throw them all in there and let them fight it out. Spoiler: they all win.

About four cups of mixed berries (fresh or frozen works) tossed with sugar and a bit of cornstarch for thickening. White or vanilla cake mix on top, butter treatment, and maybe some lemon zest sprinkled over the butter for a brightness boost.

The combination of berries creates this complex flavor that tastes way more sophisticated than the effort involved. Each bite is slightly different depending on which berry dominates, which keeps things interesting without you having to do anything interesting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dump Cake

Chocolate and peanut butter is basically a food group at this point, and this dump cake delivers that combo with minimal effort. It’s rich, it’s indulgent, and it’s unapologetically over the top.

Start with chocolate pudding spread in the bottom of your pan. Drizzle peanut butter (warmed slightly so it pours) over the pudding in a random pattern. Chocolate cake mix on top, butter everywhere, and bake until set.

The peanut butter melts into the chocolate and creates these pockets of PB goodness throughout. Some people add peanut butter chips on top before baking, which I fully endorse if you’re already committed to this level of dessert intensity. If you want to explore the nutritional differences between peanut and other nut butters, research from Healthline shows the various benefits of each option—though let’s be real, we’re making dump cake here, not health food.

Cinnamon Roll Dump Cake

This tastes like cinnamon rolls without the yeast anxiety or the rising time. It’s basically a cheat code for breakfast dessert (or dessert breakfast, I don’t judge).

Mix cinnamon and brown sugar together, then layer it with apple pie filling in your pan. Yellow or vanilla cake mix goes on top with the butter treatment, then drizzle everything with vanilla glaze after it comes out of the oven while it’s still warm.

The glaze melts into the warm cake and creates this icing situation that mimics actual cinnamon rolls. Serve it for brunch and watch people wonder why you went to so much trouble. Again, our secret.

Raspberry White Chocolate Dump Cake

This one leans fancy without requiring you to actually be fancy. Raspberries and white chocolate is a combo that shows up in expensive desserts everywhere, so why not dump-cake-ify it?

Raspberry pie filling (or fresh raspberries with sugar) goes in first, then sprinkle white chocolate chips over the berries before adding white cake mix. The chocolate chips melt during baking and create these pockets of white chocolate throughout.

Get Full Recipe for this one because the ratios matter slightly more than the others—too many chocolate chips and it gets weirdly sweet. Top with butter, bake, and serve with fresh whipped cream for maximum elegance-to-effort ratio.

S’mores Dump Cake

Summer camping vibes without the mosquitoes or the sleeping-on-the-ground situation. This brings all the s’mores flavors together in a format that doesn’t require a campfire or any coordination.

Crush up graham crackers (about a cup and a half) and spread them in the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan. Add chocolate pudding as your next layer, then chocolate cake mix, butter, and top everything with mini marshmallows in the last five minutes of baking.

The marshmallows get golden and toasty on top while everything underneath melts together into this gooey chocolate situation. It’s messy, it’s fun, and it’s pretty much impossible to serve neatly. Embrace the chaos.

Key Lime Dump Cake

Tropical and tart with that distinctive key lime flavor that tastes like vacation should taste. This one’s less common but absolutely worth making when you want something different.

Mix sweetened condensed milk with key lime juice (bottled is fine, don’t stress about juicing actual key limes) and spread that in your pan. Top with white cake mix, butter, and crushed graham crackers mixed into the butter layer for that key lime pie vibe.

It bakes into something that’s creamy on the bottom with a crunchy, buttery top. Serve it cold with whipped cream and maybe some lime zest on top if you’re feeling decorative. The lime provides that bright, acidic punch that balances all the sweetness.

Butterscotch Pecan Dump Cake

This one’s for butterscotch fans who feel constantly underrepresented in the dessert world. Butterscotch chips and pecans create this rich, nutty situation that’s basically autumn in a pan.

No fruit in this one—instead, scatter butterscotch chips across the bottom of your pan, add a generous layer of chopped pecans, then cover with yellow cake mix and butter. The chips melt and create a sauce-like layer underneath while the pecans toast and get all caramelized.

This is intensely sweet, so serve small portions with unsweetened whipped cream or black coffee to balance things out. It’s rich enough that a little goes a long way, which means leftovers last longer. Silver lining.

Making Dump Cakes Work For You

Here’s what I’ve learned after making approximately a thousand of these: the beauty is in the flexibility. Out of cherry pie filling? Use whatever fruit you have. Don’t have yellow cake mix? White, chocolate, or spice will work. Forgot to buy butter? Margarine does the job (I won’t tell anyone).

The formula is basically: 2 cups of fruit or filling on the bottom, 1 box of cake mix in the middle, 1.5 sticks of butter on top. Once you understand that ratio, you can improvise forever. Mix and match fruits, try different cake mix flavors, add nuts or chocolate chips or coconut or whatever sounds good to you.

The chemistry works because you’re creating layers that interact during baking. The fruit provides moisture and steam from below, the butter adds fat and moisture from above, and the cake mix in the middle absorbs both while the leavening agents in the mix create structure. It’s actually kind of brilliant when you think about it.

Some people get precious about dump cakes not being “real” baking, but you know what? Nobody’s complaining when they’re eating it. This is dessert democracy—accessible, affordable, and absolutely delicious. Plus, it frees up your time and energy for things that actually matter, like hanging out with the people you’re feeding instead of stressing in the kitchen.

Final Thoughts on Dump Cake Success

The best dump cake is the one you’ll actually make. Start with the classic cherry-pineapple version to get the technique down, then branch out into whatever flavor combinations appeal to you. Keep your pantry stocked with a few boxes of cake mix and some canned fruit, and you’ll always be twenty minutes away from a decent dessert.

Remember that dump cakes are supposed to look rustic and homemade. The bubbling fruit, the golden patches, the slightly uneven top—that’s all part of the charm. You’re not making a showpiece for a baking competition. You’re making something warm and comforting that tastes good and doesn’t stress you out.

And if anyone gives you grief about taking shortcuts, just smile and offer them another serving. Food snobbery tends to disappear pretty quickly when something tastes this good. We’re all just trying to get dinner (and dessert) on the table without losing our minds. Dump cakes are one way to make that happen.

So grab your favorite baking dish, pick a flavor combination that sounds good, and go dump some ingredients in a pan. Worst case scenario, you’ve got a slightly messy but still edible dessert. Best case scenario, you’ve got a new go-to recipe that makes you look like you know what you’re doing. Either way, you win.