• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
To Simply Inspire
  • About Me
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Recipe Index
  • Appetizers
  • Breakfast
  • Main Dishes
  • Desserts
  • On the Lighter Side Recipes
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
  • Soups and Stews
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • By Course
  • Holidays
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • By Course
    • Holidays
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Cherry Dump Cake

    Published: Jun 15, 2024 · Modified: Apr 24, 2025 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    100 shares
    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe
    A spoonful of cherry dump cake being held above a baking dish filled with the same dessert.

    A cherry dump cake made with cherry pie filling, chocolate cake mix, and butter is one of the easiest homemade desserts you’ll ever make. It’s a family favorite of ours for so many occasions!

    Dump cakes are so popular. Mainly because they are so simple to make!  Be sure to try this apple dump cake and this peach dump cake too!

    Cherry dump cake in a white bowl topped with ice cream and chocolate curls garnished with a cherry.

    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

    Enter your email below and we’ll send you this recipe so you can come back to it any time! (as well as our new recipes weekly!)

    Single Post Emails

    Cherry and Chocolate Dump Cake

    A dump cake is an easy recipe to make when you feel like eating something delicious but have no desire to make anything elaborate. It’s called a dump cake because you literally dump 4 easy ingredients and bake until done. 

    This classic dessert is similar to a peach cobbler or apple crisp in that it’s a combination of fruit filling and either a cake, biscuit, or crumble. All are great for last-minute company, or to bring to potlucks, BBQs, and holiday gatherings. However, I must say, when I make cherry dump cake, it is hands down a favorite!

    It’s virtually effortless, and it tastes amazing! I love mine with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream too!  

    A white bowl containing cherry dump cake.

    Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

    Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this easy dessert. Scroll down to the full recipe card with amounts

    Ingredients for cherry dump cake - cherry pie filling, butter, chocolate cake mix, and chocolate curls.
    • Cherry pie filling – I use 2 cans of cherry pie filling for simplicity’s sake, but if you have a homemade filling recipe you’d rather use you can.
    • Dry cake mix – The combination of chocolate and cherry is so good, so I use a chocolate cake mix for this cherry dump cake recipe.
    • Butter – I don’t melt the butter. I keep it cold until just before adding slices on top of the cake. This way the cold butter will melt slowly as the cake bakes. 
    • Optional topping – Chocolate shavings or drizzle of chocolate syrup for extra yumminess.

    Variations

    1. Use different cake mixes for a different flavor combination.  S box of yellow cake mix, white cake mix or even butter pecan cake mix are all good choices.
    2. You can also play around with the fruit filling. Swap the cherry filling for crushed pineapple, apple pie filling, peach pie filling, strawberry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, etc. 
    3. You can even add drained pineapple with the cherries for a cherry pineapple dump cake recipe.
    4. For a flavor boost, a few drops of vanilla extract or almond extract can ramp up the taste.
    5. Toss in some chopped nuts for a crunchy element. Sprinkle sliced almonds, chopped walnut or chopped pecans on top of the fruit mixture before sprinkling the cake mix. You can even sprinkle with coconut flakes.

    How to Make this Dump Cake Recipe

    This delicious recipe will come together in a couple of steps with just 3 ingredients. It doesn’t get much better than this! 

    Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

    A white baking dish filled with a cherry pie filling.

    Step 2: Add the cherry pie filling into the baking dish and spread it out into an evenly over the bottom.

    A white baking dish filled with a cherry cake filling topped with chocolate cake mix.

    Step 3: prinkle cake mix evenly over the top of the filling but DO NOT stir.

    A white baking dish containing a chocolate mixture topped with evenly spaced squares of butter.

    Step 4: Lay the pats of butter over the top of the cake mix, and spread out evenly across the surface. 

    A white baking dish filled with cherry dump cake on a wire cooling rack.

    Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is slightly crispy. If using a yellow cake mix, the top will be golden brown.

    Step 6: Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Top with chocolate shavings if you’d like and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top!

    A spoonful of cherry dump cake being held above a baking dish filled with the same dessert.

    Tips

    • I prefer the texture of the cake using cold butter slices, but you can just as easily pour melted butter on top if desired.  Just melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl and pour it over the dry cake mix. Just do NOT stir. 

    How to Store Leftovers?

    Refrigerate: Keep leftover cake stored covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

    Freeze: Once the dump cake has cooled completely, wrap it in plastic wrap or transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a little while before serving.

    For fresh out of the oven taste, place it on a microwave-safe plate and heat at 50% power level for 30 seconds to one minute.

    FAQ’s

    Can I make this easy dessert in the slow cooker?

    Sure! Layer the ingredients as directed. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. 

    If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe below. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

    Cherry dump cake in a white bowl topped with ice cream and chocolate curls garnished with a cherry.

    Easy Cherry Dump Cake

    A cherry dump cake made with cherry pie filling, chocolate cake mix, and butter is one of the easiest homemade desserts you'll ever make. It's a  family favorite of ours for so many occasions!
    5 from 1 vote
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Share Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 474kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    • 42 ounces cherry pie filling (2) 21 ounce cans
    • 13.25 ounces dry box chocolate cake mix
    • ½ cup butter cold and sliced ⅛ inch thick
    • Optional topping: chocolate shaving or drizzle with chocolate syrup

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350° F and spray a 9 x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    • Dump the cherries into the bottom of the baking dish and spread in an even layer across the bottom.
      42 ounces cherry pie filling
    • Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top of the pie filling. DO NOT STIR!
      13.25 ounces dry box chocolate cake mix
    • Place the sliced butter all over the top of the cake mix in an even layer.
      ½ cup butter
    • Place in the preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top is a little crispy.
    • Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
    • Top with chocolate shavings if you’d like.
      Optional topping: chocolate shaving
    • Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream on top.

    Notes

    1. Use different cake mixes for a different flavor combination.  S box of yellow cake mix, white cake mix or even butter pecan cake mix are all good choices.
    2. You can also play around with the fruit filling. Swap the cherry filling for crushed pineapple, apple pie filling, peach pie filling, strawberry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, etc. 
    3. You can even add drained pineapple with the cherries for a cherry pineapple dump cake recipe.
    4. For a flavor boost, a few drops of vanilla extract or almond extract can ramp up the taste.
    5. Toss in some chopped nuts for a crunchy element. Sprinkle sliced almonds, chopped walnut or chopped pecans on top of the fruit mixture before sprinkling the cake mix. You can even sprinkle with coconut flakes.
    Refrigerate: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    Freeze: Cool fully before wrapping in plastic wrap and freezing. Thaw on the counter and reheat before serving.
    Reheat: To warm like it’s right out of the oven, place it on a microwave safe plate and heat at 50% power level for 30 seconds to one minute.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional Disclosure

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

    Tried this recipe?We love seeing your pictures! Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

    More Dessert Recipes

    • A square slice of cosmic brownie topped with chocolate ganache and rainbow chocolate chips on a white plate.
      Cosmic Brownies
    • A sliced bundt cake with a white glaze and a cinnamon streusel filling.
      Sock It To Me Cake
    • A white plate with seven round lemon sugar cookies on a white surface.
      Lemon Sugar Cookies
    • A plate of pink strawberry truffles drizzled with white icing, with strawberries in the background.
      Strawberry Truffles

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Daphne

      August 24, 2024 at 11:12 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds yummy. I’m making it tomorrow. Love the chocolate and cherries.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sherri Hagymas leaning on a counter with a white coffee mug

    Hi there! I’m Sherri I love creating a variety of easy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy! From healthy to comforting, I hope you find something that inspires you!.

    More about me →

    Easy Dinners

    • White bowl full of Egg Fried Rice with fork inserted.
      Egg Fried Rice

    • White skillet with tuscan chicken recipe with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach in a creamy sauce.
      Tuscan Chicken

    • four breaded chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet with lemon slices
      Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken

    • Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes
      Butter Steak Bites with Garlic Herb Potatoes

    • skillet full of creamy chicken with mushroom sauce topped with parsley.
      Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

    • bowl full of fresh cucumber slices, imitaion crab meat, and avocado with spicy mayo drizzles and topped with sesame seeds
      California Roll in a Bowl

    Popular Recipes

    • slice of coffee cake on a white plate
      Best Easy Coffee Cake

    • Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta recipe in a silver serving bowl
      Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

    • closeup of several crispy chicken wings on white parchment paper.
      Oven Baked Chicken Wings

    • White bowl full of fresh mango salsa topped with cilantro and red onion.
      Mango Salsa

    • black bowl with cottage cheese dip with a carrot and celery
      Ranch Cottage Cheese Dip

    • closeup of shrimp corn chowder in a white bowl with spoon in it.
      Shrimp Corn Chowder

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    List of publications that have featured Tosimplyinspire.com. woman's day, southern living, delish, parade, Forbes, prevention, and parade.

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Disclosure Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Shop
    • Shop My Favorites
    Copyright © 2025 To Simply Inspire
    Discloure Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
    To Simply Inspire is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
    designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.