Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake with Pecans

Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Allison Lancaster

This cherry pineapple dump cake is the perfect dessert for when you’re craving something delicious to satisfy your sweet tooth. With its sweet fruit filling and soft, gooey texture you’ll find yourself looking forward to not only eating the crushed pineapple cake but making this easy cherry pineapple dump cake recipe.

How delicious does this cherry pineapple dump cake look? I love both pineapple and cherry, and when their flavors are combined in this delicious dump cake it makes an amazing dessert.

Not only is this dessert recipe fantastic, but it’s so easy to make! 

If you’re looking for a healthy dessert, then this cherry pecan dump cake with pineapple probably isn’t the cake you’re looking for. Although it isn’t considered a healthy dessert, its fresh fruit flavors make for a yummy bowl full of delicious joy! 

I live by the “everything in moderation” school of thought and feel like a few sweets are perfectly fine to indulge in occasionally. And this indulgent dessert is hard to resist!

What is a Dump Cake?

A dump cake is a type of dessert that uses canned fruit and cake mix as a base.

The ingredients are mixed together, placed in a baking dish, and thrown into the oven for a short time to produce a quick and easy treat. There’s no need for any fancy equipment for this delicious dessert.

Dump cake is also sometimes called a pantry cake. This is because all of the ingredients are things that you probably have at home.

If unexpected guests come by or you just find you have a sweet tooth one evening dump cake is an easy dessert to make, and tasty enough for company too! 

This recipe makes me think of my childhood when I was helping my mom make dinner one night. I will always remember the delicious smell of this cherry dump cake filling our kitchen.

This recipe is a refreshing way to use up fresh summer fruit, but you can make it year-round with canned or frozen fruits too!

This Cherry Pineapple Pecan Dump Cake calls for only five ingredients and makes a simply delicious dessert! There are so many easy dump cake recipes, but the cherry dump cake with pineapple is one of my absolute favorites.

This recipe shows you how to make a cherry dump cake, but it’s even better when you add crushed pineapple to the mix!

Watch how to make this easy cherry dump cake:

What I Love About This Cherry Pineapple Pecan Dump Cake Recipe

The best part about dump cakes is that you can just “dump” everything in and it’s ready to go in the oven.

Dump cakes don’t take long to bake. This cherry dump cake with pineapple is a great dessert for a hot summer day when you just can’t stand to turn on the oven for very long.

It’s also a fun recipe to help kids have a creative night of cooking! I love sharing my favorite easy recipes with my family and friends, so hosting an event where everyone can make their own dump dessert sounds like a great idea to me!

What Type of Cake Mix To Use For Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake?

While this recipe calls for a yellow cake mix, I love using cherry flavored cake mix for this recipe too. It adds an extra layer of delicious flavor that’s hard to resist.

You could also use a white box cake mix or any other flavor that you’d prefer though! 

Important Tips to Make the Best Dump Cake with Cherry and Pineapple

This recipe doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, it’s crazy easy too because all you need to do is dump all of them in a pan.

However, you still need to use a spatula to scrape the sides of the cans to get every bit of that filling and fruit out.

It also helps to make sure the batter is evenly spread in the pan so that the cake can bake evenly.

We’re looking for a gooey cobbler-like cake, not an undercooked cake.

The stick of butter is sliced into even pieces and placed on top of the cake mix to give the cake an extra crispy texture. And that crispy top layer is the best part of the cake, in my opinion.

That crunch paired with the warm center is absolute heaven!

Following these simple tips will help make your cherry pineapple dump cake the best dessert at any gathering, potluck, or family dinner.

Do I need Frozen Butter to Make a Dump Cake?

Many people like to freeze their stick of butter for a few minutes before slicing the butter into pieces. Place your slices in rows over the top of the cake mix so that you don’t have pools of butter, or sections with just dry cake mix.

The crispy, buttery topping is the best part so you don’t want to miss out on any of it!

Use Butter Not Margarine

Margarine may be less expensive, with fewer calories, but for this recipe you are going to want to splurge and use real butter.

The texture and flavor will be so much better than if you use margarine. 

Layer Your Dump Cake Properly

Grease your 13×9 inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray, and then pour your pineapple in the bottom of the pan. Next dump your cherry pie filling on top of your pineapple.

Now you are ready for your cake mix!

Pour the cake mix on top of the fruit filling and use your fingers or your spatula to press it down firmly.

Add your butter slices on top and bake!

Note: If you are using pecans for your cherry pineapple dump cake, place them on top of the butter before baking. 

How to Serve Cherry-Pineapple Dump Cake

While this cake is amazing on its own, I like to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream fresh out of the oven.

Top it with a couple of maraschino cherries and it’s the perfect simple dessert recipe.

The cool, creamy ice cream is a great balance for the sweet warm cake and together they make one of the easiest desserts that are perfect for any occasion!

How to Store Dump Cake

It’s important to store your dump cake in an airtight container. You can also cover it in plastic wrap or use a baking dish with a cover.

Because there is so much fruit in the recipe, you’ll want to store it in a room-temperature area in your kitchen. 

You can enjoy leftover (if you have any) dump cake for two to three days after baking it.

Pop it in the microwave if you want to enjoy it hot with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream again. 

What Other Flavors of Dump Cake are there? 

You can make a dump cake in lots of flavors like peach dump cake, apple dump cake, blueberry dump cake, or pumpkin dump cake.

Mix these fruit fillings with yellow or white cake mix and a stick of butter and you will have an easy dessert in just a matter of minutes. 

Supplies I used to make this Dump Cake

• Baking Dish
• Spatula
• Oven Mitts

So easy, right? I’m so excited for you to try this delicious dessert recipe for yourself! Let me know what you think of this cherry pineapple dump cake in the comments and tag @LovingLivingLancaster if you post pics of your delicious dessert on social media.