Pioneer Woman Cherry Dump Cake

Pioneer Woman cherry dump cake takes 50 minutes and just cherry pie filling, yellow cake mix and butter to make a bubbly, golden skillet dessert. Try this easy summer fruit dessert for Fourth of July cookouts or potluck night, since it's a no-mixer, pantry-staple bake that feeds a crowd.

Scatter the butter cubes evenly over the dry cake mix, because that butter melts down and turns the powder into a golden, crisp topping. Skip that and you get dry, floury patches instead.

Stirring vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt right into the canned filling gives the cherries a homemade flavor that plain pie filling can't match. Baking it in a 12-inch skillet also spreads the filling thin, so it bubbles up and caramelizes around the edges.

Pioneer Woman Cherry Dump Cake

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Calories

553

kcal

Cherry filling stays gooey and jammy under a buttery cake mix crust that turns golden and crisp in the oven. You scoop it straight from the skillet with a big spoon.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
  

• 2 21-oz. cans cherry pie filling
  

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  

• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
  

• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  

• 3/4 c. salted butter, divided
  

• 1 15.25-oz. box yellow cake mix
  

• Cherry-vanilla ice cream, for serving
  

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Then coat a 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
• Mix the filling: Add 2 cans cherry pie filling, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the skillet. Stir until everything is well combined and the cherries are coated.
• Add the butter: Cut 3/4 cup salted butter into cubes, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cubes over the cherry filling. Save the rest for the top.
• Layer the cake mix: Pour the dry yellow cake mix over the cherry mixture. Pat it into an even layer with your hands or a spoon so no cherries peek through.
• Top with butter: Scatter the remaining butter cubes evenly over the cake mix. That way every spot melts into a golden crust as it bakes.
• Bake the cake: Bake on the middle rack for about 50 minutes. It's ready when the top is golden brown and the cherry mixture is bubbling around the edges.
• Serve with ice cream: Scoop the warm cake into bowls. Then top each serving with cherry-vanilla ice cream while the cherries are still bubbling.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Zeroll original ice cream scoop, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different fruit pie filling?

Apple, peach or blueberry pie filling all work in the same amounts, since the method stays the same. Keep the cake mix and butter as written so the topping browns properly.

How long do leftovers keep?

Once the cake cools, cover it and keep it in the fridge. It tastes best within a few days, and the topping softens a little as it sits.

Can I make it ahead of time?

It's best baked fresh, but you can stir the filling together in the skillet earlier in the day. Add the cake mix and butter right before it goes in the oven so the topping stays crisp.

Can I bake it without a skillet?

A 13x9-inch baking dish works just as well with the same ingredients and temperature. Check it near the end of baking, since a deeper dish can take a few minutes longer.

Why is my cake topping dry in spots?

Dry spots mean the butter didn't cover the cake mix evenly, so the powder had nothing to melt into. Spread the cubes out across the whole top and pat the mix flat before baking.