Go Back
Vintage cherry dump cake in a white baking dish with golden crumble crust and bubbling red cherry filling at the edges

Vintage Cherry Dump Cake

A retro three-ingredient baked dessert with canned cherry filling, dry cake mix, and butter. Prep in 5 minutes, baked in 45.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 340
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans (21 oz / 595 g each) canned cherry pie filling do not drain
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract optional but recommended
  • 1 box (15.25 oz / 432 g) yellow cake mix dry, straight from the box
  • 170 g (3/4 cup / 12 tbsp) unsalted butter cold, sliced into 1/4-inch pats

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 177 C / 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
  2. Pour both cans of cherry pie filling into the prepared dish. If using almond extract, stir it into the filling now. Spread the filling evenly all the way to the edges.
  3. Sprinkle the dry cake mix in an even layer over the cherry filling. Do not stir. Use the back of a spoon to gently level the surface if needed.
  4. Lay the cold butter pats in a single layer over the cake mix, tiling them as closely together as possible to cover at least 80 percent of the surface. Gaps left uncovered will stay powdery after baking.
  5. Bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes until the top is deep golden brown, the edges are bubbling, and no white patches of dry cake mix remain visible.
  6. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before scooping. The filling will thicken slightly as it cools.

Notes

For a less sweet result, use a sugar-free cherry pie filling - the crust still bakes up the same way and the balance shifts noticeably.