You just need 5 ingredients for this easy Cherry Dump Cake, made with pineapple and cherry pie filling. It’s delicious topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Cherry Dump Cake with Pineapple is the ultimate easy dessert! True to its name, you dump everything into a pan and let it bake into a delicious cake.
It’s a great way to enjoy the taste of cherry pie without making a cherry pie from scratch, just like my Cherry Coffee Cake, Easy Mini Cherry Cheesecakes, or Easy Punch Bowl Cake!
At first glance of this recipe, you may wonder if it’ll work. The recipe includes boxed cake mix, though you won’t follow the instructions on the box—we’re just using the dry mix here.
The combination of butter, cherry pie filling, and crushed pineapple turn the cake mix into a delightfully crumbly yet moist cake.
Chopped pecans add crunch, and I highly recommend serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
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Top tips
- Pineapple nicely balances the sweetness of the cherry pie filling. You can make this recipe with any variety of pie filling that you like (blueberry, apple, peach, etc.).
- If you’re short on time, you can melt the butter and pour it over the top, instead of slicing it.
- Make sure that you reserve the pecans for the last 15 minutes of baking time. If they bake the full 40 minutes, they will burn!
- This dessert is most delicious when served warm, with a scoop of ice cream!
Ingredients
- Cherry pie filling is the star of this recipe. You can also use blueberry or peach pie filling instead.
- We’ll add a whole can of crushed pineapple, including the juice, to the pan.
- Butter combines with the pineapple juice (from the can) to mix with the yellow cake mix. You can also use white cake mix, if you’d like.
- Chopped pecans add lots of crunch.
How to make cherry dump cake with pineapple
Start by pouring a 20-ounce cake of crushed pineapple into a greased 13×9 inch pan. Do not drain the pineapple—the juices go into the pan, too!
Then, dollop the contents of a 21-ounce can of cherry pie filling on top. Gently spread out the pie filling until it covers the pineapple. I like using an offset spatula for this.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, but spread it out as much as you can.
Then, evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top.
Cut the butter into 48 pieces—that’s 24 slices per stick. Place the butter slices evenly over the cake mix so it is completely covered with butter.
Place the pan in a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top.
Waiting to add the nuts ensures that they don’t burn while the cake bakes.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the pecans are toasted and the top is lightly golden brown. The center may jiggle a little in the middle, and that is ok!
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before scooping it out to serve it.
Can cherry dump cake be made ahead of time?
You can make Cherry Dump Cake up to 8 hours in advance of serving it, for best results. After that, the pecans will start to get soggy, and we want them to stay crunchy!
It will, of course, still be delicious on days 2, 3, 4, etc., but the pecans won’t be as crisp.
Let the dessert cool completely, then cover loosely with plastic wrap before serving.
Leftovers can be stored either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, tightly covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend substituting anything for the crushed pineapple. The amount of juice and texture of the pineapple combine to create the perfect ratio of wet-to-dry ingredients for this cake, and using another cut of pineapple will throw it off.
Yes! You can make this recipe with any other pie filling that you like. Peach pie filling or blueberry pie filling are both delicious in this recipe.
Yes, you can omit the nuts from the recipe. Keep everything else the same. You could also substitute chopped walnuts or chopped slivered almonds if you prefer.
To re-heat cherry dump cake, scoop a portion onto a microwave-safe plate, and microwave for 20–30 seconds, or until warm.
Dump cake can easily be made in a crockpot. Grease the crockpot well, then proceed with the recipe as directed. Cook for 4 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. Add the pecans with 15 minutes of time left.
How to serve cherry dump cake
Ice cream is a must with Cherry Dump Cake! Either vanilla or butter pecan are delicious with it.
You could also use whipped cream or whipped topping (like Cool Whip).
I recommend serving the cake warm. You can either serve it warm from the oven, or warm up individual portions in the microwave for 20–30 seconds each.
Dump cake variations
Pie fillings
You can make dump cake with different varieties of pie filling, such as peach or blueberry. Just make sure that it’s a 21-ounce can (approximately—a few ounces in either direction won’t hurt). Follow the recipe as written otherwise.
Nuts
You can substitute chopped walnuts or almonds for the chopped pecans. Or if you prefer no nuts, you can just leave them out.
Cake mix
Instead of yellow cake mix, you can use either white cake mix or chocolate cake mix for this recipe. A chocolate cake mix will create a Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake—yum!!
📖 Recipe
Cherry Dump Cake with Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- To serve: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Spread the pineapple and its juice into the bottom of the pan. Dollop the cherry pie filling on top and spread gently across the pineapple.
- Pour the dry yellow cake mix on top and spread it evenly over the top. Place the slices of butter on top of the cake mix so that they cover the entire pan.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top. Bake for 15 minutes more, or until the top is lightly golden. The center will still jiggle a little in the middle when it’s done—and that’s ok!
- Let the dump cake cool slightly, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top.
I remember my mom making this! Any ideas for substitutions to cut the sweetness a little?
Hi Michelle! I love that. I wonder if the cake could be made with fresh (pitted) cherries instead of the pie filling? I’m not positive how that would change the texture since the pie filling is a little different of course.