My 13 tested dump cake recipes, from caramel apple to cherry to pumpkin. Layer, sprinkle, and bake for a warm dessert with almost no effort.
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Dump cake recipes are the easiest way I know to get a warm, homemade dessert on the table without making a pie crust or dragging out the mixer. You layer fruit or pie filling in the pan, sprinkle a dry cake mix over the top, add butter, and bake. That is the whole thing. No stirring, no bowls, no fuss.
These became a regular dessert in my house because I wanted something that felt homemade without the time. My husband loves apple pie, but I rarely feel like making one, so my Caramel Apple Dump Cake is the one I reach for on repeat. It gives him all those warm apple pie flavors for a fraction of the effort, and he asks for it constantly. That is what a good dump cake does. It feels special and it could not be much easier.
I have pulled together my 13 tested dump cakes here, grouped by fruit, apple and pumpkin, and chocolate. These are some of the easiest cake recipes you can make, and every one uses simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store. Scroll for the full list, plus my cake mix and pie filling pairing guide and the one mistake that trips people up every time.
Family Favorite
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
After making more dump cakes than I can count, the one thing I know for sure is this: the magic is in the layers, not the mixing. Keep the fruit on the bottom and the cake mix on top, take an extra minute with the butter, and you will get that golden, bubbling top every single time.
What Is a Dump Cake
A dump cake is a layered dessert made by dumping the ingredients into a baking dish instead of mixing them into a batter. Fruit or pie filling goes on the bottom, a dry boxed cake mix goes on top, and melted butter goes over everything. As it bakes, the fruit bubbles up and the cake mix bakes into a soft, crisp topping.
People often ask if a dump cake is the same as a cobbler. They are close cousins. A cobbler usually has a biscuit or cake-like topping spooned over fruit, and some cobblers have a bottom layer too. A dump cake skips all of that. You never mix a batter and you never make a crust. A couple of the recipes below started life as cobblers, like my 7Up Cherry Cobbler and my Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix, but they use the same dump and bake method, so they belong right here with the rest.
How to Make a Dump Cake
The basic method is the same across almost every recipe on this list, and once you have it down you can make any flavor.
Step 1: Layer the fruit. Spread canned fruit or pie filling across the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish. Do not drain it. The juice is what makes the filling bubble up and cook the cake mix from below.
Step 2: Add the cake mix. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the fruit. Do not stir it in. Leaving it on top is what gives you that soft, crisp topping.
Step 3:Add the butter. Drizzle melted butter over the entire surface of the cake mix, paying attention to the corners and edges.
Step 4:Bake. Bake at 350°F for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
Step 5:Cool and serve. Let it rest a few minutes so the filling can set, then serve warm.
Fruit Dump Cakes
Fruit dump cakes are where I always start. The filling does most of the work, and the cake mix on top bakes into that cobbler-style crunch.
1
Cherry Dump Cake
Cherry is the classic, and for good reason. Two cans of cherry pie filling under a golden cake topping give you that sweet-tart bite everyone recognizes. It is the first dump cake a lot of people ever make.
Canned peaches keep this one easy all year, and the juice bakes down into a filling that tastes like summer. Warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it disappears fast at my house.
Blueberry pie filling and a white or yellow cake mix make a jammy, bubbly dessert with very little effort. I love this one when I want something that feels a little more special but still comes together in minutes.
Crushed pineapple, cake mix, brown sugar, and butter bake into a golden tropical treat. This is one of the easiest on the whole list, and the pineapple keeps it bright and not too sweet.
All the retro flavor of a pineapple upside down cake in dump cake form. You get the pineapple, the cherries, and that buttery brown sugar bottom without flipping anything or greasing a fussy pan.
This one swaps the butter for a can of 7Up, which keeps it light and lets the cake mix bake up fluffy. It is technically a cobbler, but it is made the exact same dump and bake way, so it earns a spot here. Great when you want cherry without the extra richness.
Three ingredients, no mixing, and a warm, gooey peach dessert with a buttery top. I filed this one under my dump cakes for a reason. Canned peaches, dry cake mix, melted butter, and that is it.
These are the cozy ones. When the weather turns, apple and pumpkin are the flavors my table starts asking for, and a buttery cake topping was made for both.
8
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
This is the one my husband requests more than any other. It has all the warm, cinnamon apple pie flavor he loves, with caramel running through it, and none of the work of a real pie. If you only make one dump cake off this list, make this one.
This version uses fresh apples instead of pie filling, so you get real apple texture and a little more control over the sweetness. It is my go-to in the fall when apples are everywhere and I want that from-scratch feel without the effort.
Pumpkin, warm spices, and a buttery cake topping make this a fall favorite. It has all the cozy flavor of pumpkin pie in a pan you can scoop, and it is the dessert I bring when I need to feed a crowd in November.
Yes, you can make a dump cake in the air fryer, and this is the one I reach for. It is my caramel apple dump cake scaled down, so you get that same warm apple and caramel flavor for a few people without heating up the whole kitchen.
When I want something richer, I reach for a chocolate cake mix. It pairs best with chocolate flavors or cherries, so these two are my picks.
12
Oreo Dump Cake
Five ingredients and five minutes of prep for a warm, chocolatey dessert loaded with Oreo pieces. This is the one I make when the kids in my life are around and I need something quick that always gets a reaction.
Chocolate cake mix over cherry pie filling gives you that Black Forest combination that never goes out of style. The cherries keep it from being too heavy, and it looks like you worked much harder than you did.
The cake mix you choose changes the whole dessert. Here is how I pair them after a lot of testing.
Cake mix
Best with
Why I use it
Yellow
Almost any fruit
My default. It works with everything and gives the richest, most buttery flavor.
White
Berries and peaches
Lets the fruit flavor stand out when I do not want the mix to compete.
Spice
Apple and pumpkin
My fall pick. The cinnamon and nutmeg make the fruit taste even cozier.
Chocolate
Cherry and chocolate fillings
Great with cherries or chocolate, but I skip it with lighter fruits because it overpowers them.
What Makes a Dump Cake Powdery or Soggy
The biggest mistake I see is stirring everything together. A dump cake is meant to be layered, not mixed. The fruit stays on the bottom, the dry cake mix stays on top, and the butter goes on last. Once you stir it, you lose the crisp topping and end up with something closer to a gummy cake.
The second issue is dry, powdery patches on top, and that almost always comes down to the butter. I am firmly on Team Melted Butter. Slices or pats never cover the surface evenly. I slowly drizzle melted butter over the entire layer of cake mix, and I pay extra attention to the corners and edges where dry spots love to hide. If you notice a powdery patch partway through baking, mist it with a little more melted butter or some of the fruit juice and pop it back in the oven.
If your dump cake turns out soggy, it usually needs a few more minutes. Give it time to bubble around all the edges, then let it rest so the filling can set before you serve.
Make It Ahead and Serve It Warm
One of my favorite things about dump cakes is that I can assemble one ahead of time and leave it unbaked until we sit down to dinner. Once everyone starts eating, I slide the pan into the oven. By the time we are ready for dessert, the cake is bubbling hot, the whole house smells incredible, and everyone is already asking when dessert is coming.
Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is hard to beat. That warm-and-cold combination is the whole point.
How to Store and Freeze Dump Cake
Store: Keep leftovers covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm individual servings in the microwave for a softer texture, or in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes to crisp the top back up.
Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh fruit instead of pie filling?
Yes, though it changes things a little. Fresh fruit has less sugar and liquid than pie filling, so you usually need to add some sugar and let it sit to release juices first. My Apple Dump Cake is built around fresh apples if you want to see how I do it.
How do I know when a dump cake is done?
The top should be golden and the fruit should be bubbling around the edges. Most dump cakes take about 45 to 50 minutes at 350°F, though soda-based and larger ones can run longer.
Do dump cakes need to be refrigerated?
Once cooled, yes. Because of the fruit and butter, I store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and warm them back up before serving.
Can I make a dump cake in the crockpot?
Yes. Layer the fruit, cake mix, and butter in a greased slow cooker and cook covered on low until the topping is set and golden around the edges. The edges will crisp and the center stays soft and spoonable.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Looking for more quick desserts that come together with simple ingredients? Start with my full collection of easy dessert recipes, then try one of these favorites:
