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This mini cherry dump cake is a small batch dessert made with cherry pie filling, cake mix, and butter, layered in a small baking dish with no mixing required. Baked until bubbly with a golden topping, it’s the perfect amount for one or two servings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple dump cake method: Made with just a few ingredients and no mixing, this cherry dump cake comes together quickly and bakes right in the oven.
- Perfectly portioned: Baked in a small baking dish, this mini dump cake is the ideal size for one or two servings.
- Classic cherry flavor: Cherry pie filling and maraschino cherries bake into a soft, fruit-filled base with a golden cake topping.
- Flexible serving options: Serve it warm or cooled, plain or topped with whipped cream, depending on how you like it.
- Great small batch dessert: This recipe delivers all the comfort of a traditional dump cake without making a full pan.
This mini cherry dump cake is one of those desserts I never get tired of making. As it bakes, the cherries soften and release their juices, bubbling gently under the cake topping. The top turns golden and lightly crisp in spots, with a tender center underneath. I love serving it warm, when the fruit is syrupy and the cake is just set, because it feels like a simple, homemade dessert that delivers every time.
If you enjoy small cake recipes like this one, you may also like our small Texas sheet cake, small hummingbird cake, mini German chocolate cake, and small pound cake recipe. Each recipe is baked in a smaller dish and designed to give you a homemade cake without making a full-size dessert.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small dump cake recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Cherry pie filling: This is the base of the cherry dump cake and provides the sweet, fruit-forward layer. You’ll need 10 ounces, which is half of a standard 20-ounce can. Save the remaining filling for another small batch dessert or spoon it over baked oatmeal, single serve panna cotta, or a short stack of pancakes.
- Maraschino cherries: This recipe uses one 10-ounce jar, including the juice. The cherries add extra sweetness and a classic cherry flavor throughout the cake. If you have extras, they’re great in single serve ambrosia or as a topping for vanilla ice cream.
- Boxed white cake mix: White cake mix keeps the flavor light and lets the cherries shine, but yellow cake mix works just as well. Use 1½ cups of dry cake mix, which is about half of a standard box. The remaining mix can be sealed and saved for another small batch cake.
- Butter: I use salted butter for balance. Slice the butter thinly and place it evenly over the dry cake mix so it melts as the cake bakes and creates a golden topping.
- Whipped cream: Optional, but a nice finishing touch. Spoon it over the warm or cooled dump cake just before serving if you like a creamy contrast to the cherries.
Recipe Variations
This mini cherry dump cake is easy to customize with simple swaps.
- Different fruit fillings: Replace the cherry pie filling with peach or apple pie filling for a classic dump cake variation.
- Chocolate dump cake: Use chocolate cake mix instead of white for a richer cherry chocolate combination.
- Nut topping: Sprinkle chopped pecans or sliced almonds over the cake mix before adding the butter for added texture.
How To Make A Mini Cherry Dump Cake
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Prepare the cherry layer: Pour the entire jar of maraschino cherries, including the juice, into a lightly greased 5×7-inch baking dish. Spoon 10 ounces of cherry pie filling over the cherries and spread into an even layer.
- Add the cake mix: Sprinkle 1½ cups of dry white cake mix evenly over the cherry layer. Do not stir. Make sure the cherries are fully covered.
- Top with butter: Slice the butter thinly and place the slices evenly over the cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible. This helps the top bake evenly.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven according to the recipe temperature for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.
- Cool slightly and serve: Let the dump cake rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm on its own or topped with whipped cream, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Use the correct baking dish: A 5×7-inch baking dish provides the right depth so the cherry dump cake bakes evenly without drying out or overflowing.
- Cover the fruit completely: Spread the dry cake mix evenly over the cherry layer so the fruit is fully covered. This helps the topping bake evenly and prevents soggy spots.
- Place butter evenly: Slice the butter thinly and distribute it across the surface. Areas without butter can stay dry after baking.
- Check for doneness at the edges: The dump cake is done when the top is lightly golden and the cherry filling is bubbling around the edges of the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
A dump cake is an easy baked dessert made by layering fruit, dry cake mix, and butter in a baking dish. The ingredients are not mixed before baking.
No. This mini cherry dump cake is made by layering the ingredients. Do not stir the cake mix into the fruit.
Use a 5×7-inch baking dish. This size allows the dump cake to bake evenly without drying out.
The dump cake is done when the top is lightly golden and the cherry filling is bubbling around the edges.
Yes. To use fresh cherries, make a homemade cherry pie filling first. Follow our small batch cherry pie filling recipe and double the ingredients to yield about 10 ounces. The cherries must be cooked before using so the filling has the right thickness and sweetness for this dump cake.
If you’ve tried this small 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.
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Mini Cherry Dump Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (10 -ounce jar) maraschino cherries with the juice from the jar
- 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).
- Pour the maraschino cherries, including the juice, into a 5×7-inch baking dish. Spoon the cherry pie filling over the cherries and spread into an even layer.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the cherry layer. Do not stir.
- Slice the butter thinly and place the slices evenly over the cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
Notes
- Use the correct baking dish: A 5×7-inch baking dish provides the right depth so the cherry dump cake bakes evenly without drying out or overflowing.
- Cover the fruit completely: Spread the dry cake mix evenly over the cherry layer so the fruit is fully covered. This helps the topping bake evenly and prevents soggy spots.
- Place butter evenly: Slice the butter thinly and distribute it across the surface. Areas without butter can stay dry after baking.
- Check for doneness at the edges: The dump cake is done when the top is lightly golden and the cherry filling is bubbling around the edges of the dish.
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)