Best Ever Dump Cakes

The other night I was ransacking my cupboards looking for something sweet to eat. I don’t like grocery shopping, so I tend to put it off until I have just the basics. What is really wrong with this picture is that I work at a Super Walmart.

So, consequently after eating leftover pizza for a couple of days, I was looking for a quick-fix dessert. After a very brief search, it was determined that I only had a box of cake mix and two cans of apple pie filling. I didn’t have any eggs or milk to make the cake… and no pie crust to go with the pie filling.

On rare occasions, I have an epiphany or two when random thoughts just kind of link together into something amazing. I had one the night of the failed dessert search. My mind reverted back to a time when I made dump cakes using cake mix and pie filling.

Dump cakes are wonderfully versatile desserts. The possibilities are infinite. You can make the simple cake mix and pie filling version or you can really spice it up—literally.

Luckily, among my meager refrigerator inhabitants, I scrounged up two freshly wrapped sticks of butter. How awesome was that! It wouldn’t have been there had we not had corn on the cob a few days before. We got a box of butter sticks and these were the survivors!

Anyway, I gathered my ingredients and dug out a 9 X 13 cake pan. I had just enough cooking spray left to coat the pan. Happy dance through the kitchen at this point.

And here is the rest of the recipe:

1. Apple Pie Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cans apple pie filling
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 cup melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Spread the apple pie filling in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 X 13 pan.
2. Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top of the apple filling. (Do not mix!)
3. Drizzle melted butter over the cake mix.
4. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
5. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or Cool Whip on top.

This recipe will also work with 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon instead of butter. Caramel sauce is also a decadent and delectable topping.

I went shopping the day after my epiphany and stocked up on cake mixes that happened to be on sale, plus a plethora of pie fillings. I do admit that I found an old dump cake cookbook and created my own recipes.

Here are some tried and true versions that were met with moans of approval from my friends and family.

2. Black Forest Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1 jar maraschino cherries
• 1 box of dark or milk chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup of butter
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with cooking spray.

1. Dump cherry pie filling into bottom of pan and spread evenly.
2. Dump maraschino cherries including juice over the top of the pie filling and spread evenly.
3. Sprinkle entire box of cake mix over the top (Do not stir).
4. Sprinkle nuts over the cake mix (optional).
5. Cut butter into chunks and place evenly over the top.
6. Bake 45 minutes.

3. Strawberry and Pineapple Angel Cake Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups thawed unsweetened frozen, sliced strawberries
• 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple (Do not drain!)
• 1 16-ounce box of angel food cake mix

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9 X 13 cake pan with cooking spray

1. Spread strawberries on bottom of pan.
2. Combine the pineapple and dry cake mix/
3. Spread batter evenly over strawberries.
4. Bake 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

And, last but not least... my all time favorite dump cake.

4. Funfetti Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box Funfetti cake mix
• 1 small box instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup white chocolate chips
• 1/8 cup of colored sprinkles (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 X 9 baking pan with cooking spray

1. In a large mixing bowl, add dry cake mix, dry pudding mix and stir until all the lumps are gone.
2. Mix milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl and then pour into dry mixture.
3. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine all ingredients.
4. Add in half of the white chocolate chips.
5. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
6. Bake 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. When cake is done, sprinkle the remaining white chocolate chips and sprinkles on top.
8. Let cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!!