5 Dump Cake Recipes That Make Dessert Way Too Easy

You know those nights when you want dessert but also want to stay on the couch? That’s where dump cakes swoop in like sweet, buttery heroes. No mixers. No fuss. Just layer, dump, and bake your way to something golden and gooey.

These five recipes keep it fun and flexible—perfect for potlucks, weeknights, or when you “accidentally” bought too many cans of fruit. Each one uses simple pantry ingredients and works with boxed cake mix. Ready to look like the clever baker you are? Let’s dive in.

1. Brown Butter Peach Cobbler Dump Cake That Tastes Like A Summer Porch

This is the classic peach dump cake, but we’re upgrading it with brown butter and a hint of cinnamon. It’s sunshine in a pan—warm, syrupy peaches under a golden, buttery crumble. Serve it after BBQ or on a lazy Sunday, and watch it vanish.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (15 oz each) sliced peaches in juice, undrained
• 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, browned
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, if you like it sweeter)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In the dish, dump the peaches with their juice. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. If your peaches aren’t very sweet, add the sugar.
3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the peaches. Don’t stir.
4. Brown the butter: Melt it in a light-colored pan over medium heat, swirling until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn golden. This takes 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat immediately.
5. Drizzle the brown butter evenly over the cake mix. Try to hit as many dry spots as you can.
6. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the top is golden and the peach juices are bubbling around the edges.
7. Cool for 10–15 minutes before serving so it can set slightly.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Want a twist? Add a handful of chopped pecans on top before baking for crunch. If you’re peach-obsessed, toss in a cup of fresh sliced peaches with the canned—more fruit, more joy.

2. Gooey Chocolate-Cherry Black Forest Dump Cake For Serious Chocoholics

Think Black Forest cake, minus the effort. This version pairs tart cherry pie filling with rich chocolate cake mix and melty chocolate chips. It’s dark, decadent, and deeply satisfying—aka the dessert people pretend to “just take a bite of” and then go back for seconds.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling
• 1/2 cup cola or Dr Pepper (optional, for extra moisture and depth)
• 1 box (15.25 oz) chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional but lovely)
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Spread the cherry pie filling evenly in the pan. Stir in almond extract, a pinch of salt, and the cola if using.
3. Sprinkle the dry chocolate cake mix evenly on top. Don’t mix.
4. Scatter the chocolate chips over the cake mix.
5. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over everything.
6. Bake 35–45 minutes, until the top looks set with some crisp edges and the cherries are bubbling through.
7. Let cool 10 minutes. The center will be gooey—as it should be.

Top with soft whipped cream and shaved chocolate for Black Forest vibes. No almond extract? Skip it or swap with a splash of vanilla. For extra drama, drizzle with warm fudge sauce just before serving. Trust me, it’s a showstopper.

3. Pineapple Coconut “Vacation Mode” Dump Cake With Toasty Crunch

This one tastes like a beach day in dessert form. Pineapple brings juicy tang, coconut adds tropical flair, and we finish with a toasty top that crackles when you tap it. It’s light, sunny, and great after grilled chicken or fish tacos.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1 box (15.25 oz) white or yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts or almonds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract or vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch dish.
2. Dump in the crushed pineapple (with juice) and pineapple tidbits (drained). Stir in lime zest, lime juice, extract, and a pinch of salt.
3. Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the fruit.
4. Pour the melted butter across the top, covering as much of the surface as possible.
5. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and nuts (if using).
6. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling.
7. For extra toasty coconut, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end, watching closely.

Serve with a scoop of coconut ice cream or a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. Want pina colada energy? Add 1 tablespoon rum to the pineapple mixture. No nuts? Swap with crushed banana chips or skip entirely—still fantastic.

4. Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Dump Cake That Tastes Like A Fall Fair

This one is cozy to the core. Think cinnamon rolls meet apple pie with a ribbon of caramel melting through the middle. It’s perfect for chilly weekends, brunches, or whenever your house needs to smell like heaven.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (20–21 oz each) apple pie filling
• 1 box (15.25 oz) spice cake mix
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce (plus more for drizzling)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Optional icing: 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1–2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Spread the apple pie filling into the pan. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, cloves (if using), and a pinch of salt.
3. Drizzle half the caramel sauce over the apples.
4. Sprinkle the dry spice cake mix evenly over the top.
5. Pour the melted butter over the cake mix, covering the surface as best you can.
6. Scatter pecans on top (optional).
7. Bake 40–50 minutes, until browned and bubbling.
8. Whisk the optional icing ingredients until smooth. Let the cake cool 10 minutes, then drizzle with the remaining caramel and the icing.

Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Want extra cinnamon roll vibes? Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the icing. If you prefer it less sweet, use unsweetened whipped cream and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top—seriously, it makes the caramel sing.

5. Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Dump Cake That Feels Bakery-Level

This is the elegant one—still super easy, but it eats like a cheesecake-meets-cobbler. The blueberries bubble into a jammy layer under a lemon-kissed cake crust with pockets of creamy cheesecake. It’s a brunch favorite and a dinner party flex.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (21 oz each) blueberry pie filling
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 box (15.25 oz) lemon cake mix (or yellow cake mix)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch dish.
2. Spread the blueberry pie filling in the dish. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
3. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Dollop spoonfuls evenly over the blueberry layer.
4. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly on top. Don’t stir.
5. Drizzle the melted butter across the surface, covering as much as possible.
6. Bake 40–48 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and set in places, with blueberry bubbling around the edges.
7. Cool at least 20 minutes to set the cheesecake pockets before serving.

Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar or a cloud of whipped cream. If you’re team lemon, add an extra teaspoon of zest to the cream cheese mixture. No lemon cake mix? Yellow works—just add a bit more zest. It’s bright, creamy, and wildly good.

Dump Cake FAQs And Pro Tips

Let’s keep your dump-cake game strong with a few quick wins.

• Butter coverage matters: Dry patches can stay powdery. If you see bare cake mix spots before baking, spritz lightly with cooking spray or add a few extra pats of butter.
• Don’t stir the layers: The magic is in the strata—fruit, dry mix, butter. Stirring turns it into a batter and changes the texture.
• Use the juice: For canned fruit, that liquid helps hydrate the cake mix and creates the cobbler-y sauce.
• Pan size = bake time: Thicker layers in smaller pans need a bit longer. Look for bubbling edges and a golden top.
• Rest time is key: Ten to twenty minutes post-bake lets it thicken so it’s scoopable, not soupy.
• Make it ahead: Bake, cool, and refrigerate. Rewarm gently at 300°F, covered, for 15–20 minutes.
• Gluten-free friendly: Swap in a gluten-free cake mix and check your pie fillings. Texture stays great.
• Dairy-free tweak: Use plant butter or coconut oil; coconut oil pairs especially well with tropical flavors.

Serving Ideas To Make Them Extra

• Ice cream pairings: Vanilla bean with peach or apple; chocolate or cherry gelato with the Black Forest; coconut or lime sorbet with the pineapple; lemon gelato with blueberry.
• Crunch factor: Add toasted nuts or a sprinkle of granola right before serving for texture contrast.
• Sauce it up: Warm caramel on the apple, quick chocolate sauce on the cherry, or a honey-lime drizzle on the pineapple.

Dump cakes are the dessert equivalent of a great life hack—low effort, high reward, and universally loved. Pick one, preheat the oven, and in under an hour you’ll have a bubbling, golden pan of happiness. Which one are you trying first?