Our easy cherry pineapple dump cake with cake mix (4 ingredients) recipe turns out good! It is our favorite cake mix hacks made with cherry pie filling, butter, canned pineapple and pecans on the top.

Glass dish layered with canned pineapple, cherry pie filling, cherry pineapple dump cake with white cake mix, shredded coconut, butter, and chopped pecans.

This recipe is our latest creation and boy was it good! We was lucky enough to find pineapple cake mix and started thinking from there. We have been making a lot of easy dump cake recipes lately because they're so easy and all 5 of us love them.

You can use any flavor of cake mix you like, but white will let the other colors and ingredients you can see shine through. We have used several and they are all great. Cherry pie filling was a great pairing but if you prefer blueberries you could easily make that switch. This is what we used.

We didn't have a can of crushed pineapple (which is what we would typically use). So we used these pineapple slices and cut them into smaller tidbits right in the can, that worked fine. That is what we mean when we say that dump cakes are so versatile! Seriously….use what is in your cupboard.

Close-up of cherry pineapple dump cake with white cake mix, topped with pecans and coconut in a glass baking dish.

If you love cake mix recipes like we do this is going to be a real big hit. Not only is it easy to throw together but there are hundreds of possibilities. Use different mixes, diced fruit and/or pie filling flavors.

Ingredient notes

Your Box of cake mix can be Pillsbury, Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines. We highly recommend a name brand as they will yield the best tender result. We used pineapple cake mix but if you cannot find it use white or homemade yellow cake mix instead. We do like the ones that have pudding integrated (it will say so on the front).

Can you use canned cherries?

You are going to want a regular sized can of cherry pie fillingnot fruit, 20 oz. size. Reason why you can't use fresh canned or canned is you need all that ooey gooey “sauce” in the can too which adds to the moisture necessary to make the batter of the cake so it will rise and get as moist as possible.

Can you use fresh pineapple?

It won't turn out as well because of the lack of juice. We mean you could use another can of juice, about 1/2 cup or so but crushed pineapple with the juice in there adds not only more moisture and flavor but added texture.

We prefer salted Kerrygold Butter for the best richness and flavor. If you need a plant based dairy free alternative that will work but note that those tend to not be salted so we might add a pinch into the mix.

What else can you add?

Shredded sweetened Coconut is optional for the top of the cake but we highly recommend this addition as it brings it all together with a sprinkle of honey roasted pecans too.

We wouldn't use pineapple chunks because they're going to be quite heavy on top. Though if all you have is a can of slices like we did then cut it right in the can into tidbits using a knife going around the entire thing.

Three simple steps to make a cherry pineapple dump cake with white cake mix in a glass baking dish, showcasing the colorful fruit and crumbly toppings.

Substitutions

There are many methods of making a dump cake and we have used them all, you can: Use egg instead of melted butter to make it rise more like in this cherry pie filling dump cake recipe. For more flavor like our sock it to us cake with cake mixuse fruit juice instead of water for more flavor, lots of hacks we share yall.

We typically will always layer the ingredients and not mix unless we are making it in a smaller form like our Chocolate cherry dump cake.

How Long to Bake Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake

You are going to want about 40 minutes in the oven. The key to keeping it as moist as possible but not underdone is to check the middle. It should be firmed but still soft. If you use a toothpick there should be moist crumbs attached but no raw batter, then it is time to remove and allow to rest before slicing.

A close-up of cherry pineapple dump cake with white cake mix, featuring juicy pineapple chunks and cherry topping on a white plate.

Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake Recipe

By Cherry pineapple dump cake with cake mix (4 ingredients) turns out good! A fruit dessert with only 4 main ingredients and you can add to it like coconut and nuts too. Prep: 10 minutes minsCook: 40 minutes minsTotal: 50 minutes minsServings: 8 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

1 box cake mix, we used pineapple cake mix
1 can pineapple, crushed is best, 20 oz.
1 can cherry pie filling, 21 oz
1 stick butter melted

Instructions

In a 13×9 pan dump your can of pie filling on the bottom and spread out evenly, we used cherry. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Sprinkle your cake mix on top of that evenly, we used pineapple cake mix but if you can't find that yellow or white would be fine.
Pour your can of crushed or pineapple tidbits on top of that evenly, include the juice.
Melt your stick of butter and pour that evenly on top of that.
You can sprinkle 1/2 cup of sweetened shredded coconut over that, and/or with 1/2 cup of nuts. We used crushed honey roasted pecans.
Put into your oven at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the middle of your pineapple dump cake is lightly browned and looks like it is stiffening up.
Allow to cool a bit and then scoop out, could put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Nutrition

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

Additional Info

Course: DessertCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Why does our dump cake have powder on it?

Don't worry, go ahead and still eat it. If that look bothers you fold it into the middle. That is mix that didn't get fully incorporated. It won't hurt you, next time make sure the butter covers the powder before baking.

Does dump cake have to be refrigerated?

Whether you are baking in the oven or Instant Pot you would want to save it the same way, once it has cooled completely to room temperature. If you have some left once you've served it then yes we would refrigerate the leftovers. We enjoy it warm so we don't want it cold initially.

If you have fruit in it at all you would need to keep it cold once it has cooled or it will spoil. transfer it into an airtight container and it can be enjoyed again within 3 days. Eat it cold or warmed in the microwave. We will sometimes eat this or our Pineapple angel food cake recipe with 2 ingredients for breakfast.

How do you reheat dump cake?

The best way to reheat dump cake is to microwave it. If you have an entire peach dump cake or other version to reheat, do it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350°F or until warm. Again, serve it with whipped cream or ice cream and it's like new again For more goodness, try our cherry bread recipe too.

Once you've tried this bit of heaven, try these other dump cakes too: Gingerbread dump cake is great during the holidays with a box of dry mix too. Pumpkin dump cake is our favorite fall treat during those later months too when it is snowing outside, ooey and gooey with ice cream on top.

Upside down cherry pie is something we accidentally made but it was so good we thought we'd share the recipe. Here's the printable cherry pineapple dump cake recipe and video below so you can get started!