Cherry Dump Cake
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate if you purchase through those links I earn a small commission. Thank you!
This super simple Cherry Dump Cake is going to be your favorite easy
Pitted bing cherries, frozen or fresh, poured in a baking pan, topped with powdered jello, AND dry cake mix. Melted butter and water are then poured over the top and the whole thing is baked just like that. And the best part? No mixing required!
That’s the BIG rule about this and every dump cake recipe, you don’t stir them!
What about the “Raw Cake Mix” in different spots, will it make me sick? No, the powdery bits will not make you sick. It’s been baked for almost an hour, so it’s safe to consume. There isn’t a lot of powdery cake mix left but just a few spots.
What do I need to make a Cherry Dump Cake?
Not a whole lot! You will need:
- Pitted Bing Cherries, either fresh OR frozen, but not canned pie filling or canned cherries
- Cherry Jello OR Black Cherry Jello, the small box, you can use another flavor but cherry gives it a nice cherry flavor
- Yellow Cake Mix
- Melted Butter
- Water
Recipe substitutions
You can swap out the butter for margarine if you need to. None of the other ingredients can be swapped out in this recipe.
Do NOT swap out the fresh or frozen cherries with canned pie filling OR canned cherries. This recipe is specifically for fresh or frozen cherries. Canned pie fillings are too sweet, they are high in added sugar. Canned cherries will just be mushy. Got canned fruit cocktail? Make this Fruit Cocktail Cake!
But read on for recipe variations!
Recipe Variations
As mentioned above you CAN use either regular cherry jello or black cherry jello. In fact, any flavor of Jello gelatin will work in this cherry dump cake recipe, it doesn’t have to be cherry jello. I mention this because weirdly, jello has been hard to find lately.
You can choose a yellow OR white cake mix for this recipe, both work equally well here. You might also try a chocolate cake mix, especially with the cherries in this recipe. I have NOT done this, it’s just a suggestion.
Our Other Favorite Summer Desserts
- try this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
- or a Strawberry Cobbler
- especially a Strawberry Crunch Cake
If you like this, will you share it? If you made this, will you rate it?
Cherry Dump Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups pitted bing cherries
- 1 3 ounce box of cherry jello
- 1 regular yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup of melted butter
- 1 cup of water
Instructions
- preheat the oven to 350°
- pour the pitted cherries into a 9×13 baking dish OR a 2.5-quart baking dish
- sprinkle the dry cherry jello over the top of the cherries
- then sprinkle the cake mix over the top, don't mix!
- pour the melted butter over the top of the cake mix
- then pour the water over the top of the everything
- place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until it's bubbling hot and light brown on top
- serve hot or warm or cold!
Nutrition
- Old-Fashioned Chantilly Cake
- Banana Bread Dump Cake
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies
- Chocolate Pinecone Truffles
- Sugar Cookie Truffles
- Santa Meringues
- Chopped Pecan Pie
- Old-Fashioned Ritz Cracker Pie
Can you use unflavored gelatin and would you use 3 oz of it same as what would be in the jellos flavored box?
I would not, it needs the flavor and sweetener from the jello brand gelatin
can i use can cherries
If you’re going to I would drain them first.
can you use sugar free cake mix?
can you use cherry pie filling, and do you still need jello?
can i use any cup of liquid beside water?
Can you make this cake with blueberries? If so what flavor of jello would you use?
I asked yesterday if you could use frozen blueberries? What flavor of gelatin could you use,
Thanks
Susie, i would try it with lemon. Blueberry and lemon is a common combo used in many dishes.
Can I eliminate or replace the melted butter with something else?
I can not have butter.
I haven’t tried that. You could try melted margarine or coconut oil. Or more water.
I can’t guarantee results though.
Can pie filling be used instead of fresh cherries?