When the holiday season gets busy and I still want a dessert that feels warm, nostalgic, and guaranteed to disappear fast, this 3-Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake is one of my favorite shortcuts. It has that classic potluck-and-family-gathering charm, with sweet-tart cherries tucked under a buttery cake topping that bakes up crisp around the edges and soft in the middle. It is the kind of recipe that feels almost too easy to count as baking, which is exactly why it earns a spot on hectic Christmas menus and weeknight dessert cravings alike.
This dump cake is especially good served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream on top. If you are putting together a holiday dessert table, it pairs nicely with coffee, hot cocoa, or even a simple mug of tea, and the bright cherry flavor is a nice contrast to heavier winter treats like cookies, fudge, and pecan pie.
3-Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake
Servings: 8
Ingredients
2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
1 box (about 15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
2. Spread the cherry pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cherry filling, covering the surface as completely as possible.
4. Drizzle the melted butter as evenly as you can over the cake mix, trying to moisten most of the dry spots.
5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cherry filling is bubbling around the edges. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
6. Scoop into bowls or onto plates and serve warm, plain or with vanilla ice cream if you like.
Variations & Tips
Use a different fruit filling: This same method works well with blueberry, apple, peach, or mixed berry pie filling when you want to change things up without learning a new recipe.
Make the topping more even: If you notice patches of dry cake mix after adding the butter, gently shake the pan or lightly tap it on the counter. You can also slice very thin pats of extra butter over any dry areas if needed.
Try a holiday twist: A light sprinkle of cinnamon or almond extract stirred into the cherries gives this cake an extra festive flavor that tastes especially nice around Christmas.
Plan ahead for busy days: Since this recipe comes together in just a few minutes, I like to keep the ingredients in the pantry for last-minute guests or those nights when dinner is done but dessert still sounds like a really good idea.