This easy, 3 ingredient Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake is made by dumping chocolate cake mix, cherry pie filling, and some butter in a baking pan. This is a simple and quick recipe made with only 3 ingredients.
If, you’re yearning for some chocolaty goodness, some seasonal fruit, and don’t mind some good-old greasy calories while you’re at it. In which case, it’s a great thing you stumbled upon this Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake recipe.
For more easy dump cake recipes, check blueberry and peach dump cake.
Let’s face it, Holidays aren’t for eating healthy anyway. There’s always the New Year’s to revive those goals and get back on track, but that’s later! For now, let’s focus on taking in some delicious calories.
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Why does this recipe work?
- This easy chocolate dessert is the perfect dessert for all chocolate lovers.
- This is a 3 ingredient chocolate cherry dessert that is so delicious and easy to make.
- Easy recipe with simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples.
- Easy dessert recipe which can be served cold or warm, and it is so delicious with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What Is A Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake?
A Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake is a lazy person’s shortcut to relishing a delectable dessert, which otherwise would have been very difficult to put together. This rich combination of chocolate and cherries is exactly the kind of season’s greetings you’d like to wish your friends and family with.
We use a chocolate cake mix, so all you have to do is worry about baking and assembling the cherry pie filling with it.
Ingredienst
This cherry pie filling dump cake comprises the following ingredients:
- Cherry pie filling: You’ll come across it in a can in the grocery store.
- Vanilla extract (optional): Just what you use to bake other things as well.
- Chocolate cake mix: From your favorite brand.
- Butter: Preferable unsalted butter.
How Do You Make This 3 Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake?
One: Before we begin prepping the batter for this cake, preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F.
Two: We’re going to be preparing the recipe straight in the baking pan. So, grease a 20×22 baking pan with plenty of butter. Next, take your cherry pie filling cans and empty them into the greased pan.
Three: Add in a few drops of the vanilla extract (optional) and then stir it, so it’s all mixed in. Using a spatula, ensure the filling is evenly spread into the pan. This is the first layer of our cake, if it is uneven, it’ll affect the rest of the layers.
Four: Plop the butter in the microwave before the next step.
Five: Take your box of cake mix, and sprinkle it on top of the cherry pie filling. While sprinkling, make sure you move your hand back and forth, so the layer of the cake mix is evenly made.
Six: Now take the butter out of the microwave, and pour it all over this cake mix. Most of the cake mix should be coated with butter.
Seven: Take the baking pan and place it in the preheated oven. Let the cake bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top is firm.
Eight: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then serve.
Ta-duh! Your holiday treat is ready to be served. Dig in!
Top Tips!
- Canned cherries and canned cherry pie filling are two different things. Make sure you pick up the pie filling, which is the only thing that will be able to hold up an entire layer of the cake.
- If you want to have an easier time cleaning up, use a disposable foil pan. Or you can line the baking pan with aluminum foil and begin the recipe with that. Once done, you can just throw out the foil paper, and the baking pan will be much easier to clean.
- It can be quite difficult to tell if a dump cake is done or not, especially if you’re making it for the very first time. It is normal to see some spots that are gooey and wet, some that still look like the cake mix. However, a somewhat crispy texture should be there on top, even if not on the entirety of the cake on top.
Recipe Variations
- Suppose you can’t get your hands on a chocolate cake mix, or you just don’t like it as much. In this case, you can switch it out for a vanilla or red velvet cake; both of which taste great with cherries.
- For an extra touch of texture and flavor, you can add your choice of chocolate chips to the cake mix to make it double chocolate dump cake.
- If you’d like sprinkle some powdered sugar on top for some added oomph.
- If you don't like your dump cake with chocolate flavor, just use a yellow cake mix instead of a chocolate one.
- You can use fresh cherries or canned cherries instead of cherry pie filling.
Serving Suggestions
Cherry Dump cakes is a stand-alone scoop-able treat, which is best enjoyed watching a Christmas movie. But if you must have it with something, then nothing beats a scoop of ice cream or some warm milk on cold winter nights.
Or better yet, grab some spoons with your best friends, dig in and catch up with them.
Storage
Make ahead of time: This Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake is more to do with assembling than it is to do with making anything. Thus, there’s nothing you can make ahead of time to prepare for the final recipe.
Store: This chocolate cherry cake can be stored at room temperature for about 2 days. However, in the fridge, it will last right from about 5 days to a week in total. Just make sure to always keep it in an air-tight container.
Freeze: This dump cake can be frozen for up to 3 months, though it isn’t an option we’d recommend. Since the cake mix, cherry pie filling, and butter are all readily available from the store, you can whip it up whenever you’d like to serve it. Though if you do plan on freezing it, do so in an airtight container.
To reheat: If you’re taking the cake out of the freezer, then let it thaw at room temperature for at least an hour before you put it in the oven to reheat a tad bit. If you’re taking it out of just the fridge, however, you can just leave it out for an hour or two, and that should be enough.
Recipe FAQs
It will also be slightly brown from the top, and the cherry pie filling will be a little bubbly and visible on the edges of the pan. As mentioned in the recipe as well, this dump cake is a scoop-able delight, not one that needs to be ‘cut’ etc. And for a scoopable delight, it’s okay for the cake to look messy.
Yes! Very rightly identified, a cobbler cake is very similar to that of a dump cake. However, cobbler cakes are usually made from biscuits, biscuit crumbles, or pie crust topping. On the other hand, dump cakes are usually made from cake mixes, which can very conveniently just be ‘dumped’ on top of a layer in the baking pan.
The dump cake already is, especially when it comes to the few ingredients and the very little prepping needed, which is why it’s quite okay to eat it straight from the pan! Though we do realize that it’ll be hot. What we mean is to let it rest for twenty-five to thirty minutes in your kitchen or the cooling rack itself before you scoop it out. Then if the cherry filling seems firm enough, you can attempt to take it out, though it can be messy. Or you can just use some spoons and dig in right then and there.
More easy dessert recipes
- Easy Blackberry Cobbler (With Cake Mix)
- Old Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler (Easy)
- Peach Crisp With Canned Peaches
- Classic Blackberry Crumble Recipe
- Apple And Blueberry Crumble
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Recipe Card
3 Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cans cherry pie filling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 425 g chocolate cake mix
- ½ cup butter , melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F and grease a 20×22 baking pan with butter.
- Pour the cherry pie filling cans into the prepared baking pan, stir in vanilla extract (optional). Now with a spatula, spread the filling evenly into the pan.2 cans cherry pie filling, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly on top and pour the melted butter over.425 g chocolate cake mix
- Bake in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the top is firm.½ cup butter
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then serve.
Notes
- Canned cherries and canned cherry pie filling are two different things. Make sure you pick up the pie filling, which is the only thing that will be able to hold up an entire layer of the cake.
- If you want to have an easier time cleaning up, use a disposable foil pan. Or you can line the baking pan with aluminum foil and begin the recipe with that. Once done, you can just throw out the foil paper, and the baking pan will be much easier to clean.
Variations
- Suppose you can’t get your hands on a chocolate cake mix, or you just don’t like it as much. In this case, you can switch it out for a vanilla or red velvet cake; both of which taste great with cherries.
- For an extra touch of texture and flavor, you can add your choice of chocolate chips to the cake mix.
- If you’d like sprinkle some powdered sugar on top for some added oomph.
Kris
I added some dark chocolate chips to the cherry pie filling; the recipe is so good. Thanks.
Laura
Can I add a few drops of almond extract to the filling?
Radwa
Yes, of course. You can!
Lisa
This dump cake is delicious. I used half butter and half vegetable oil, and it was so good!