Easy Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake with 5 Ingredients

If you are looking for the ultimate lazy dessert that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, this Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake is about to become your new obsession.

Seriously, we need to talk about how criminally easy this is.

You know those days when you need an intense chocolate fix immediately but the idea of measuring flour, sifting ingredients, and washing a mountain of sticky mixing bowls makes you want to cry?

This recipe is the answer.

So, grab your can opener and let’s make the easiest, gooiest dessert of your life. Trust me, you’ll want a scoop of ice cream for this one!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Chocolate cherry dump cake is rustic, comforting, and indulgent, with juicy cherries beneath a sweet, crisp topping. It’s a no-fuss dessert that fills your kitchen with enticing aromas while baking.

The contrast between soft, bubbling fruit and the crunchy cake layer is satisfying and visually appealing, perfect for casual gatherings or family treats.

Key Reasons to Love It:

• Juicy cherry filling with rich chocolate undertones.
• Crisp, golden topping that contrasts the soft fruit layer.
• Easy to prepare for beginners without complicated steps.
• Comforting dessert that fills the kitchen with warmth and aroma.
• Perfect for slicing into portions for sharing or gifting.

How to Get Your Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake Just Right

Dump cakes are famous for being “foolproof,” but there is a fine line between a bubbly, cobbler-like dessert and a pan full of dry, powdery cake mix.

Here are the secrets to ensuring your dessert bakes up perfectly every time.

1. The Golden Rule: Do Not Stir

This goes against every baking instinct you have, but you must resist the urge to mix the layers.

This recipe relies on the steam from the cherry filling rising up and the melting butter sinking down to hydrate the cake mix in the middle.

f you stir them together, you will end up with a gummy, uneven texture rather than a fluffy topping with a fruit base.

2. Eliminating Dry Patches

The most common failure with dump cakes is pulling the pan out of the oven and seeing white, powdery spots of raw cake mix on top.

Since this recipe calls for sliced butter, coverage is key. Try to slice the butter as thinly as possible (think cheese slices, not thick chunks) and arrange them like a puzzle over the dry mix.

If you leave large gaps, the cake mix underneath won’t get any fat, and it will remain dry powder.

Vegan Butter Tip: Vegan butter tends to soften faster than dairy butter. Pop your butter sticks in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing. This makes it much easier to get those paper-thin squares that cover more surface area.

3. Don’t Drain the Fruit

You need every drop of that thick cherry syrup from the cans. That liquid is the primary source of moisture for the cake mix.

Dump the entire contents of the can, i.e, syrup and all, into the pan.

4. Watch the Nuts and Chips

Because this cake bakes for nearly an hour, the toppings are exposed to heat for a long time.

Peek at the oven around the 40-minute mark. If the pecans or chocolate chips look like they are browning too quickly or scorching, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan for the final 10 minutes.

5. The Set Time is Crucial

When you take this out of the oven, it will look like molten lava soup. Do not panic! It is not undercooked.

The pectin in the fruit filling and the starches in the cake mix need to cool down to 140°F-ish to thicken back up. If you scoop it immediately, it will be runny.

Give it that full 15 minutes on the counter to firm up into a scoopable consistency.

6. Choosing the Right Pan

A glass or ceramic baking dish (like Pyrex) works best for dump cakes.

It conducts heat more evenly than thin metal pans, preventing the sugary fruit bottom from burning before the top is cooked.

Easy Baking Tips That Have Worked for Me

SampleText

Variation Tips

The beauty of a dump cake is its versatility. While the chocolate-cherry combo is a classic “Black Forest” profile, you can easily remix this recipe to suit different cravings or pantries.

1. German Chocolate Twist

Give this dessert a coconut-pecan upgrade.

Keep the pecans, but add ½ cup of shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) to the topping layer along with the chocolate chips.

The coconut toasts beautifully in the oven, creating a chewy, nutty crust that pairs perfectly with the chocolate cake.

2. The Flavor Booster (Almond Extract)

Cherries and almonds are a match made in heaven.

Before sprinkling on the cake mix, stir 1 teaspoon of almond extract directly into the cherry pie filling in the pan.

This amplifies the cherry flavor and makes the dessert taste less like “canned fruit” and more like a homemade bakery tart.

3. Berry Swap (Chocolate Raspberry)

If you aren’t a fan of cherries, this works with other red fruits.

Swap the cherry pie filling for canned raspberry pie filling or even strawberry pie filling.

Note: Raspberry filling can be slightly tart, so it balances the sweetness of the cake mix and chocolate chips very well.

4. The Mocha Kick

Enhance the chocolate flavor with coffee.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder into the dry cake mix before sprinkling it over the fruit.

You won’t necessarily taste distinct coffee, but the espresso will make the chocolate taste deeper, richer, and less sugary.

5. Gluten-Free Adaptation

Since the filling is naturally gluten-free (usually cornstarch-based), the only swap needed is the box mix.

Use a 15 oz box of Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix.

Gluten-free mixes sometimes struggle to brown. You might need to increase the butter slightly (add an extra 2 tablespoons) to ensure the flour hydrates fully and doesn’t leave a gritty texture.

6. Salted Caramel Lava

Before adding the dry cake mix, drizzle ½ cup of vegan caramel sauce (or drop in soft caramel candies) over the cherry filling.

When the cake comes out of the oven, sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. This creates a sweet-and-salty profile that cuts through the richness.

7. The “Double Dutch” Texture

If you prefer a gooey center rather than a crunchy top.

Place half of the chocolate chips under the cake mix (directly on the cherries) and the other half on top. The chips on the bottom will melt into the fruit sauce, creating a fudge-like consistency.

Save for Later to Your Pinterest Board

How to Properly Store Your Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

Because this cake is essentially a hybrid of a cobbler and a cake, it has a high moisture content from the fruit filling.

This makes it delicious, but it also means it needs to be stored correctly to prevent it from spoiling or becoming soggy.

1. Refrigeration (Recommended)

The Best Method: Because of the wet fruit bottom, the refrigerator is the safest place for this cake. It will stay fresh for 3 to 5 days.

You can leave the cake in the baking dish. Simply cover the top tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. If you have transferred leftovers to a smaller container, ensure the lid is airtight.

The cold will harden the chocolate chips and the vegan butter, making the cake firm. You will definitely want to reheat it before eating.

2. Room Temperature (Short Term Only)

You can leave the cake out on the counter, covered, for up to 24 hours. However, if your kitchen is warm or humid, it is safer to refrigerate it sooner.

After the first day, the moisture in the fruit can create an environment for bacteria, so move any leftovers to the fridge.

3. Freezing (Best for up to 3 Months)

It is best to slice the cake into individual squares before freezing. This way, you can grab a single serving without thawing the whole pan.

Wrap each square tightly in plastic wrap, then place them all in a heavy-duty freezer bag or a sealed container.

Thawing: Move the frozen cake to the refrigerator the night before you want to eat it. Avoid thawing it on the counter, as the temperature change can make the topping mushy.

4. Reheating Tips (Bring Back the Gooeyness)

The Microwave (Quickest): Place a slice on a plate and zap it for 30–45 seconds. This will melt the chocolate chips again and make the fruit sauce bubbly.

The Oven (Best for Texture): If you want to restore the crunch to the topping, reheat the cake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10–15 minutes. This crisps up the nuts and cake mix that may have softened in the fridge.

5. Storage Mistakes to Avoid

Only reheat the portion you plan to eat right then. If you keep warming up and cooling down the entire baking dish, the fruit will turn into mush and the cake will dry out.

If using aluminum foil, try not to let it touch the surface of the cake too much. The sticky fruit and melted chocolate love to glue themselves to foil, and you might peel off all your delicious toppings when you uncover it.

FAQs