Dump Cake - the easiest dessert you'll ever make

Pin It

If this isn't the easiest dessert you'll ever make, it should land somewhere in the top 3.  In case the name wasn't a dead giveaway, you literally dump the ingredients in and pop it in the oven. 

Ma Rob found this recipe a few years ago and it's been making an appearance at most major family holidays ever since.  It came from Adriana Trigiani who is a fabulous author.  If you haven't read her books, add these to your list immediately: Lucia, Lucia and The Queen of Big Time.

The dessert isn't really a cake, but it's not really a pie either.  It's indescribable.  But it is easy and delicious and it will do a great job of appeasing cake and pie lovers at every gathering.  I like to do this for dinner parties, you can pop it in just before sitting down to eat or just after you finish the meal and the timing will be perfect for a heavenly smelling kitchen right as your guests realize they did in fact save room for dessert.  Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream!

I don't typically do process shots but I had my camera handy when I was making this so I snapped a few so you could see how it comes together.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of a finished piece of cake.  I got busy eating and then forgot.  Whoops!

Dolly Parton Dump Cake

(Adriana Trigiani perfected the recipe while working as a writer on a Dolly Parton television project)

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 can of cherry pie filling (I've made it using raspberry filling too, just as fantastic)
1 can of blueberry pie filling
1 stick of butter

Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan (or save time and use the Pam spray with flour, woohoo for simplicity!)

Pour the can of crushed pineapple (including the juices) in the pan.  Next, carefully add the cherry pie filling in spoonfuls.  Then add the can of blueberry pie filling. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the top of mixture (don't add eggs, oil, etc, JUST use the cake mix).

left: cherry pie filling on top of crushed pineapple
right: with blueberry pie topping on top of the cherry and pineapple

Slice the butter into tabs and place all over the cake (or use a grater and sprinkle it like grated cheese however watch your hands, I gave myself a nasty gash or 4 doing this).  Freezing the stick of butter beforehand can make it easier to work with. I've also been known to wear an oven mitt while grating the stick of butter.  Unwieldy?  Yes.  But better than the alternative.

looks like cheese but it's really a stick of grated frozen butter

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let sit at least 20 minutes before serving. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

finished product, just add ice cream

Note: The original recipe called for you to put the cake mix on the bottom of the pan and then add the fruit.  I had a hard time getting the cake mix at the bottom of the pan to cook all the way through, so I reversed it.  Do whatever sounds best to you.

Pin It