Grandma Jo swore you could win over any crowd with this one, and she wasn’t wrong. It’s the kind of cherry dump cake that shows up at potlucks, game nights, and casual Sunday dinners, and somehow the pan is scraped clean every single time. I started making this version when I was working long hours and needed a dessert I could throw together in minutes that still tasted like something Grandma would be proud of. It uses pantry staples—cherry pie filling, a box of yellow cake mix, and butter—but bakes up into this bubbly, glossy cherry layer with a golden, crumbly top that feels way more special than the effort it takes.
Serve this cherry dump cake warm, scooped straight from the baking dish onto small dessert plates or into bowls. It’s especially good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to balance the sweet-tart cherries. For a little extra texture, sprinkle chopped toasted pecans or almonds on top right before serving. It pairs nicely with coffee after a big family meal, or with cold milk when you’re sneaking a piece off the speckled granite counter before it all disappears.
Cherry Dump Cake made with Cherry Pie Filling, Yellow Cake Mix, Butter
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (optional, for extra golden top)
Nonstick cooking spray or butter, for greasing the pan
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or a thin layer of butter. Set the pan on your counter (granite or otherwise!) so it’s ready to go.
Pour both cans of cherry pie filling into the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the cherries into an even layer, making sure they reach all the corners. This will be your glossy, bubbly base once it bakes.
Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cherry pie filling. Try to cover all the cherries so you don’t have dry spots or big clumps of mix. Use your hand or a spoon to gently spread it, but do not stir it into the cherries.
Slowly drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the dry cake mix, aiming to moisten as much of the surface as possible. If you see a few dry patches, that’s okay—they’ll still toast up nicely in the oven.
If using, dot the top with the small cubes of butter, spacing them out across any remaining dry areas. This helps create that extra golden, crumbly top that everyone fights over.
Place the baking dish on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the cherry layer is bubbling up around the edges and the top is golden brown and looks set, with no obvious raw spots of cake mix.
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