Great grandma Pearl called this her lazy day special. It bubbles up perfectly in the oven and smells absolutely incredible while it bakes.

This cherry dump cake is what my great grandma Pearl called her “lazy day special”—the dessert she made when she wanted something warm and cozy without fussing over mixing bowls. It’s the classic Midwestern pantry dessert: cherry pie filling on the bottom, dry cake mix on top, and plenty of butter to make it bubble up and turn golden in the oven. As it bakes, it perfumes the whole kitchen with the smell of buttery cake and cherries, and the finished dish has that soft-set, slightly uneven surface that feels wonderfully homemade.

Serve this cherry dump cake warm, scooped straight from the baking dish. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a generous spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream plays nicely against the tart cherries and buttery topping. For a simple coffee break, pair it with hot coffee or black tea; for something a bit more indulgent, try it alongside a small glass of dessert wine or a nutty amaretto. It’s casual and rustic, so it works just as well on a weeknight table as it does on a holiday dessert spread.

Servings: 8

2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×9-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or a little butter. A glass or ceramic dish works especially well for even bubbling and browning.

Pour the cherry pie filling into the prepared baking dish. If using vanilla, stir it directly into the pie filling in the dish. Spread the cherries into an even layer so they cover the bottom completely; this helps the cake bubble up in a uniform way as it bakes.

Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cherries. Do not stir. Use clean, dry hands or a spoon to gently nudge the mix into the corners, keeping it in a loose, even layer. It’s fine if a few cherries peek through—this will give you that soft-set, slightly uneven surface when it’s done.

If using salt, lightly sprinkle it over the dry cake mix to help sharpen the cherry flavor and keep the sweetness in check.

Slowly drizzle the melted butter evenly over the entire surface of the dry cake mix. Aim to moisten as much of the mix as possible, but don’t worry if there are a few dry patches; those spots will bake into a pleasantly crisp, crumbly texture on top.

Place the baking dish on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is mostly golden and the cherry filling is bubbling up around the edges and through a few spots on the surface. The top will look a bit uneven and rustic, with some soft-set areas and some more defined, crisp bits.

Remove the dish from the oven and let the dump cake cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes. This resting time allows the cherry layer to thicken slightly while the aromas of butter and baked cherries fill your kitchen—exactly what great grandma Pearl loved about this recipe.