Dump Cake (1950s)
intro
Iconic 1950s Midwestern no-fuss dessert, made by layering dumped ingredients (no bowl stirring required) and baking to bubbly, golden, fruit-packed perfection.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pan and oven
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) with a rack positioned in the center. Grease the interior of a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) glass or metal baking pan lightly with nonstick spray or 1 tablespoon of softened butter to prevent sticking.
Layer fruit fillings
Open the cans of cherry pie filling and undrained crushed pineapple. Dump both directly into the prepared baking pan, spreading them into an even, smooth layer across the pan bottom with a rubber spatula; pre-mixing the fruits is not required for classic texture.
Top with cake mix
Open the box of dry yellow cake mix, and dump the entire 432g contents evenly over the fruit layer. Gently spread the dry mix with a spatula to cover all exposed fruit, taking care not to stir the mix down into the fruit below.
Add butter toppings
Slice the 226g of cold unsalted butter into thin, ¼-inch thick pats, and arrange them evenly across the entire surface of the dry cake mix, covering as much dry mix as possible. If using, sprinkle the 75g of chopped walnuts evenly over the butter pats.
Bake until golden
Carefully place the pan on the center oven rack, and bake for 35 minutes at 175°C (350°F), until the top is deep golden brown, the fruit filling is bubbling vigorously around the pan edges, and no dry cake mix pockets remain visible.
Cool and serve
Remove the pan from the oven using heat-resistant oven mitts, and let the dump cake rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the layers to set. Serve warm, optionally topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of whipped cream.
Tips
2.Use cold butter for slicing, and arrange pats to cover as much dry cake mix as possible; uncovered dry mix will leave unappetizing, powdery raw pockets on the finished cake top.
3.For authentic 1950s flavor, use standard grocery-store boxed yellow cake mix rather than homemade or artisanal mix: this recipe was designed for quick, convenient preparation with shelf-stable pantry staples.
OMG y’all, I made this for our Sunday family dinner last weekend and it was GONE in 10 minutes flat! I used cherry pie filling like my grandma used to and topped it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, no fancy steps at all. Perfect easy dessert for when you don’t feel like slaving away in the kitchen for an hour. 10/10 will make again for our next block party potluck!
Wait, you really just dump all the ingredients in order without mixing? That sounds too good to be true! I’m terrible at measuring and always mess up layered cakes, so this feels like it was made for people like me lol. Cook time is only 45 minutes too? Perfect for last minute movie night treats.
I’ve been hunting for a no-fuss authentic 1950s dump cake recipe forever! So many modern versions add weird extra ingredients like caramel drizzle or fancy cake mix add-ins that ruin the simple vibe. This one looks exactly like the recipe my grandma had taped inside her old recipe box. Can’t wait to test it this weekend!
Total game changer for meal prep! I made a pan of this Sunday night and we’ve been eating small slices all week for after-dinner treats. It stays moist for days in the fridge, no sogginess at all. I used apple pie filling and a dash of cinnamon for a fall twist, chef’s kiss.
SO good! I brought this to our neighborhood potluck last week and people were asking me for the recipe before I even set the pan down. The crunchy top from the melted butter and cake mix is *chef’s kiss* – I added a handful of chopped pecans on top for extra crunch and it was perfect. 10/10, so easy even my teen could make it.
Help! I’m hosting a 1950s themed birthday party for my mom next weekend and this is on the menu. Do I need to serve it warm, or is it good room temp too? I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen warming slices while everyone is hanging out.
Made this in my tiny dorm oven last night with my roommate! We used whatever we had from the campus grocery store – yellow cake mix, blueberry pie filling, even a random can of mandarin oranges we found in the back of our pantry. It turned out insane for how little effort we put in. Total college budget win, cost like $8 total for the whole pan.
My kids loved it! I swapped the cherry filling for peach pie filling since we had a bunch of fresh peaches we canned over the summer, and it tasted like summer in a pan. Even my super picky 7 year old asked for a second slice, which never happens with desserts that aren’t straight up candy.
This is exactly the dump cake my mom made for every church potluck back in the 60s! I was worried I’d never get the ratios right after I lost her old recipe card, but this is spot on. The butter melted over the dry cake mix makes that perfect crispy, golden top that I remember so well. Pure nostalgia in a pan.
Wait, how big of a pan do I need for this? I only have a 9x9 glass pan and a big sheet pan, I don’t want it to overflow in the oven or spread too thin and burn. Super excited to make this for our Friday movie night with the kids!
Pro tip: Sprinkle a little extra granulated sugar over the cake mix before you pour the melted butter on top, it gives the top an extra crispy, caramelized crunch that is unbeatable. I’ve been making dump cake for 20 years and that little trick takes it from good to WOW. This base recipe is perfect for adding your own little twists too.
Made this for our last family game night and it was such a hit! I got all the ingredients on sale at the grocery store for under $10, which is way cheaper than buying a fancy bakery cake or a bunch of individual snacks. It’s so easy to throw together after work too, no fancy skills needed. Will be in our regular dessert rotation for sure.
I made this for our post-hike potluck last weekend and it was the perfect hearty, sweet treat after 6 miles of hiking! It holds up really well in a cooler too, so it didn’t get all mushy on the drive up to the trailhead. We ate it straight out of the pan with paper plates, no fancy serving stuff needed. Absolute vibe.
Made this last night for my husband when he got home from a long work trip, and he said it tasted just like the cake his grandma used to make when he was a kid! I served it warm with whipped cream and he had two slices before he even finished telling me about his trip. Total win, will be making this for every special occasion from now on.