Grandma jean swore this one could fix any long week—warm, gooey, and gone fast at potlucks.

Variations & Tips
To make this dump cake your own, you can scatter 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts over the dry carrot cake mix before adding the melted butter for extra crunch, which plays nicely against the gooey pineapple layer. If your carrot cake mix doesn’t have many visible carrot shreds, you can stir in 1/2 cup of finely shredded carrot with the pineapple in the pan to boost the homemade feel. For a slightly less rich version, you can use 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter instead of a full cup, though the top will be a bit less decadent. A handful of raisins or golden raisins sprinkled over the pineapple layer will lean into that old-fashioned, church-basement dessert flavor. If you’d like a little tang, serve the warm cake with a dollop of lightly sweetened Greek yogurt instead of ice cream. For food safety, always make sure the cake is baked until the center is hot and bubbly so the canned fruit is fully heated through. Let it cool on the counter only until just warm, then refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and reheat individual portions until steaming hot before serving. Because this recipe uses canned pineapple, never substitute fresh pineapple without first cooking it; fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that can keep the cake layer from setting properly. Always handle hot pans carefully—use thick oven mitts and set the baking dish on a heatproof surface to avoid burns.