You’ll forgive this cake its unfortunate name once you make this homemade version that uses no pie filling or canned cake mix. Real ingredients are just as easy – and so much tastier!
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
I was first introduced to the concept of a dump cake when I was in high school. It quickly became one of my mom’s favorites because it was so easy and convenient – and of course everyone loved to eat it!
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How to make dump cake from scratch
What is a dump cake?
Classic dump cakes, including my mom’s, were made with canned pie filling, a box of dry cake mix, and melted butter. The ingredients were tipped into the pan – first fruit, then baking mix, followed by the melted butter. No mixing; just layer and bake.
The whole thing came out of the oven and resembled something between cobbler and crumble.
The problem with dump cakes
As much as I loved dump cakes back then, I have a few issues with them now.
Sometimes when you just “tilt” things into a pan, they don’t always bake evenly. It’s important to spread the mixture in an even layer, which is what I’m suggesting here.
And instead of covering the cake in flakes of butter, this recipe calls for melted butter, which is easier to brush over dry spots on the cake.
How to make a dump cake from scratch
Dump cakes are made from scratch so much better!
- No more sugary fruit filling! First of all, you can use whatever fruit you want and you can control the amount of sugar you use. Use fresh seasonal fruit, use frozen fruit, or opt for a mix. For today’s recipe I used frozen berries with some ripe peaches. (I alternate using frozen or fresh fruit!)
- Easy DIY “cake mix!” Instead of loaf cake mix, I use a simple mixture of flour, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle this over the fruit, add a few generous puddles of melted butter and place in the oven to bake.
The real beauty of this recipe? It’s just as easy as the original. It uses ingredients you already have on hand and can be assembled in minutes. It’s similar to the dump cakes of my youth but tastes so much better. No more one note dump cake!
Ways to add variety to dump cakes
- Change the fruit! You really can make a dump cake with just about any fruit that has some juiciness. My personal favorites are peach and sour cherry, but apple, berries and stone fruit – even pineapple will do.
- Change the topping! You can add variety to the topping with a pinch of cinnamon or other spices. Some finely chopped nuts or grated coconut might add a nice texture to the topping as well.
How to store dump cake
I keep this cake in the fridge covered with plastic or in a container. It keeps for several days and is easy to reheat. It doesn’t make a terrible breakfast reheated with a scoop of Greek yogurt.
Cakes with fruit are amazing, aren’t they?!
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Plum and Walnut Skillet Cake
- Jam Pound Cake
- Triple apple snack cake
- Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Simple dump cake from scratch
If you use frozen fruit, use it from frozen; no thawing necessary.
ingredients
- For the fruit:
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3 pounds of fresh or frozen fruit (such as berries, sliced peaches, sliced apples, sliced plums, etc.)
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1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar, plus more to taste
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2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
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1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- For the cake:
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1 cup (200 grams) sugar
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1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
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3/4 cup (170 grams) melted unsalted butter
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Vanilla ice cream for serving
method
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Preheat oven to 375°F
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Prepare fruit:
Combine fruit, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 9×13 baking dish and stir to coat fruit with sugar and cornstarch. Add up to 1/4 cup sugar as needed if using very tart fruit. (Frozen fruit is fine; it does not need to be thawed before baking.)
Spread the mixture in an even layer.
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Add cake topping:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt for the cake layer in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the fruit. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over it.
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Bake the cake:
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until fruit is bubbly in center and golden on top (frozen fruit may take about 10 minutes longer). Toward the end of cooking, if you notice a few dry pockets of flour, use a spoon to press them into the fruit to cook.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Leftover cake can be covered and refrigerated for a few days.
