This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Craving a sweet treat without all the fuss? This mini Cherry Dump Cake is the answer! A delightful small batch dessert, this small dump cake combines the sweet flavors of cherries with a moist cake topping. Perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth on a whim.
Explore our delightful range of small cake recipes, perfect for satisfying your sweet cravings! Try the rich and chocolaty small Texas sheet cake, the unique and flavorful small hummingbird cake, the decadent mini German chocolate cake, and my classic, buttery small pound cake recipe. Each mini cake recipe is a perfect blend of taste and charm, ideal for small gatherings or a personal treat.
Why You’ll Love This Small Dump Cake Recipe
- Effortless Simplicity: With just a few ingredients and no mixing required, this recipe makes it easy to enjoy a delicious dessert.
- Perfect Portion Size: Baked in a 5×7 inch dish, this mini cake is perfect for one or two servings. It’s great for a treat by yourself or to share with someone special.
- Multiple Serving Options: You can enjoy this cake hot or cold, with whipped cream or without. There are so many ways to savor it.
- Quick and Easy: Forget complicated preparations. This dessert is quick and easy to bake.
- Delicious Flavor: The combination of cherries and moist cake creates a delightful taste. Perfect for any occasion or just when you want a sweet treat.
What Is A Dump Cake?
A dump cake is exactly what it sounds like – a cake that’s made by dumping all the ingredients into a baking dish, no mixing is required! A Cherry Dump Cake takes this simplicity to a whole new level, combining canned cherry pie filling with cake mix for a scrumptiously sweet dessert.
RELATED: Best Small Batch Cookie Recipes
RELATED: 40 Easy Recipes For Busy College Students
Ingredients
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions. If you have any ingredients leftover from this small dump cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Cherry pie filling: This ingredient is the highlight of the dish, providing a rich and fruity flavor that makes the cake truly delightful. If you want to explore other tastes, you can substitute it with different fruit fillings. Most grocery stores stock canned cherry pie filling, usually found in the baking aisle or alongside canned fruits. The standard can size is 20 ounces, but for this recipe, you’ll only need half (10 ounces).
- Maraschino cherries: I use an entire 10 ounce jar in this recipe. Use the juice as well as the cherries. Use extra cherries in single serve single serve ambrosia.
- Boxed white cake mix: I prefer using white but you can use yellow cake mix or another favorite flavor instead. Use 1 1/2 cups of cake mix which is about half of the box.
- Butter: I use salted butter. Slices of butter are placed on top of the cake mix before baking.
- Whipped cream: This ingredient is optional. Add it to the top of your baked dump cake before serving, if desired.
Recipe Variations
Looking to switch things up? Here’s how you can make this mini dump cake your own:
- Different Fruit Fillings: Swap cherry for peach or apple.
- Add Nuts: Sprinkle some almonds or pecans for a crunchy texture.
- Use Chocolate Cake Mix: For a richer flavor, try chocolate cake mix.
- Add Spices: Mix in cinnamon or nutmeg for a spiced version.
How To Make A Small Dump Cake
Creating a dump cake is a breeze, especially with this cherry-flavored delight. Here’s how to whip it up:
- Prepare the Cherry Base: Begin by emptying a jar of Maraschino cherries into a 5×7 inch baking dish. Layer cherry pie filling on top and spread both layers evenly across the bottom of the dish. This creates a juicy, fruity base for your cake.
- Layer with Cake Mix: Gently sprinkle white cake mix over the cherry layers, ensuring an even distribution. This step is key for achieving a perfect cakey top layer.
- Top with Butter Slices: Place thin slices of butter across the surface of the cake mix. Arrange them strategically to cover as much of the cake mix as possible. This helps in creating a rich, golden crust as it bakes.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the cake in a preheated oven and bake at the designated temperature for about 50 minutes. Watch for a golden brown color on top, a sign that your cake is perfectly baked.
- Serve Warm and Enjoy: Let the cake cool slightly, then serve it warm. For an extra touch of indulgence, garnish with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. This adds a delightful contrast to the warm, fruity cake.
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to enjoying this mini dump cake, the possibilities are endless:
- With Ice Cream: A scoop of vanilla ice cream complements the cherry flavor.
- Alone: Enjoy the cake on its own, relishing in the cherry goodness.
- With Coffee: Pair it with a cup of coffee for a satisfying dessert experience.
- With Fresh Berries: Add some fresh berries for an extra fruity twist.
Expert Tips
- Right Size Baking Dish: Use a 5×7 inch baking dish for this recipe. This size is perfect for achieving the ideal depth and even cooking of your cherry dump cake.
- Variety with Fruit Fillings: Feel free to get creative by trying different fruit fillings. Blueberry, peach, or apple can offer delightful variations in flavor. Experimenting with various fillings can bring a whole new taste experience to this classic dessert.
- Even Cake Mix Distribution: Ensure you spread the cake mix evenly over the fruit layer. Uniform distribution is key for consistent cooking and helps in forming that perfect golden crust on top of your dump cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! If you prefer to use fresh cherries, you can follow our small batch cherry pie filling recipe and double the ingredient amounts. You’ll need to pit and cook the cherries with some sugar and other ingredients to create the perfect texture and sweetness. This homemade option gives you the chance to enjoy the fresh cherry flavor in your dump cake and makes it even more special.
You’ll recognize that the cake is done when the cherry filling becomes bubbly around the edges and the top transforms into a beautiful golden brown hue. For this particular cherry dump cake recipe, the baking time usually ranges between 40 to 50 minutes. Monitoring these visual cues will ensure your cake is cooked to perfection, ready to be enjoyed warm with your favorite toppings!
If you have any leftovers, you can store the cherry dump cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To enjoy it warm again, just reheat it in the oven or microwave.
Certainly! While this recipe calls for white cake mix, feel free to experiment with other flavors like yellow or butter cake mix to suit your taste preferences. Different cake mix flavors can bring a unique twist to the classic cherry dump cake.
RELATED: Apple Recipes For One
For more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
If you’ve tried this cherry dump cake or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Mini Cherry Dump Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (10 -ounce jar) maraschino cherries with the juice
- 10 ounces cherry pie filling (½ of a 20-ounce can)
- 1 ½ cups boxed white cake mix (usually ½ of a standard box of cake mix)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- whipped cream (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Prepare the Cherry Base: Begin by emptying a jar of Maraschino cherries into a 5×7 inch baking dish. Layer cherry pie filling on top and spread both layers evenly across the bottom of the dish. This creates a juicy, fruity base for your cake.
- Layer with Cake Mix: Gently sprinkle white cake mix over the cherry layers, ensuring an even distribution. This step is key for achieving a perfect cakey top layer.
- Top with Butter Slices: Place thin slices of butter across the surface of the cake mix. Arrange them strategically to cover as much of the cake mix as possible. This helps in creating a rich, golden crust as it bakes.
- Bake to Perfection: Place the cake in a preheated oven and bake at the designated temperature for about 50 minutes. Watch for a golden brown color on top, a sign that your cake is perfectly baked.
- Serve Warm and Enjoy: Let the cake cool slightly, then serve it warm. For an extra touch of indulgence, garnish with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. This adds a delightful contrast to the warm, fruity cake.
Notes
- Right Size Baking Dish: Opt for a 5×7 inch baking dish for this recipe. This size is perfect for achieving the ideal depth and even cooking of your cherry dump cake.
- Variety with Fruit Fillings: Feel free to get creative by trying different fruit fillings. Blueberry, peach, or apple can offer delightful variations in flavor. Experimenting with various fillings can bring a whole new taste experience to this classic dessert.
- Even Cake Mix Distribution: Ensure you spread the cake mix evenly over the fruit layer. Uniform distribution is key for consistent cooking and helps in forming that perfect golden crust on top of your dump cake.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
My question using only half of the can of cherries can the other half be frozen? I would also like to try this with blueberry and peach. Likewise can they be frozen?
Yes, it should freeze well if transferred to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Just make sure to leave some room for expansion. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, and when you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the fridge overnight. This should work for cherry, blueberry, and peach fillings too.
I would like to know the manufacture of the dish that is a light yellow and has wavy sides pictured in your post for this cherry dump cake. It has your logo in the bottom right.
Thanks!
The dish is from Emile Henry.
Can you use a Jiffy cake mix? It usually makes only one layer of cake.
You can use any brand of cake mix, just use 1 1/2 cups.
Interestingly enough, I saw someone post about pie filling cakes on FB.
I thought, “We need this but, not a big cake.”
So, off to find One Dish Kitchen.
Shazam!!! Its a mini dump cake.
Perfect for we 2. :O)