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Cherry Dump Cake

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This super simple Cherry Dump Cake is going to be your favorite easy dessert this summer. So easy to make and even easier to enjoy! Everyone will love to see this cake on the table.

Cherry dump cake in 9x13 pan with several scoops out of it and one plate with cake on it.

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!

A generous scoop of cherry dump cake held over the pan full of the cake.

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.

One bite of cherry dump cake on a fork with a nice cherry in the bite. Over a plate with more cake on it.

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
Two plates of cherry dump cake and a 9x13 pan of cake.

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!

A single serving of cake on a small plate with a fork.

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.

A full cherry dump cake with a towel on one side.

Our Other Favorite Summer Desserts

Yield: 10 servings

Cherry Dump Cake

Two plates of cherry dump cake and a 9x13 pan of cake.

This sweet cherry dump cake is made with layers of pitted bing cherries, frozen or fresh, jello mix, cake mix, butter, and water. No mixing needed!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

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

  1. preheat the oven to 350°
  2. pour the pitted cherries into a 9x13 baking dish OR a 2.5-quart baking dish
  3. sprinkle the dry cherry jello over the top of the cherries
  4. then sprinkle the cake mix over the top, don't mix!
  5. pour the melted butter over the top of the cake mix
  6. then pour the water over the top of the everything
  7. place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes until it's bubbling hot and light brown on top
  8. serve hot or warm or cold!

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Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 320Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 24mgSodium 463mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 2gSugar 32gProtein 3g

This nutrition information was calculated using a computer program, results may vary.

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Facebook graphic for cherry cake.
laura sampson

About Laura

Laura is on a mission to teach modern family oriented women how to make old-fashioned foods new again. A wife and mom of 3 boys, Laura understands the struggles of trying to serve a home-cooked meal each night. She provides recipes and cooking hacks for busy moms to create dishes they may think take more time or skill than they have to make. Read more...

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