Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
Are you going to a potluck or having some friends over and you need an easy dessert? Oh and you want it to taste fancy too? Well, here is a fun little twist on a classic dump cake recipe to help you out!
You Will Need:
To make your very own super delicious and amazingly awesome dessert, you will need:
9x13 (or slightly larger) baking dish
Oil or cooking spray
At least 20 ounces (up to about 40) of cherry pie filling
Vanilla extract
2 sticks butter
Mini chocolate chips
1 box light colored cake mix (yellow, white, or lemon for sure work)
Measuring spoons, butter knife, and large spoon for stirring
Optional:
Pecans or other nuts for topping (not shown in this 'ible)
9x13 (or slightly larger) baking dish
Oil or cooking spray
At least 20 ounces (up to about 40) of cherry pie filling
Vanilla extract
2 sticks butter
Mini chocolate chips
1 box light colored cake mix (yellow, white, or lemon for sure work)
Measuring spoons, butter knife, and large spoon for stirring
Optional:
Pecans or other nuts for topping (not shown in this 'ible)
Filling
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Coat the bottom and sides of your baking dish with cooking spray or oil. I actually was so excited to make this that I forgot to do it - it does make clean up a lot easier later.
Dump in your cherry pie filling. I only used about 20 ounces of filling in this dump cake. It was tasty, and everyone liked it, but I thought it could have used a better filling-to-cake ratio.
Add about 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract, a little more or a little less to suit your taste. I wouldn't go too much less though.
Finally, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup or so of mini chocolate chips. Add the larger amount if you use more than 20 ounces of cherry pie filling. Or if you just REALLY like chocolate :)
Now stir it all up to get the vanilla and chocolate chips mixed in, and smooth it out along the bottom of your baking dish.
Coat the bottom and sides of your baking dish with cooking spray or oil. I actually was so excited to make this that I forgot to do it - it does make clean up a lot easier later.
Dump in your cherry pie filling. I only used about 20 ounces of filling in this dump cake. It was tasty, and everyone liked it, but I thought it could have used a better filling-to-cake ratio.
Add about 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract, a little more or a little less to suit your taste. I wouldn't go too much less though.
Finally, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup or so of mini chocolate chips. Add the larger amount if you use more than 20 ounces of cherry pie filling. Or if you just REALLY like chocolate :)
Now stir it all up to get the vanilla and chocolate chips mixed in, and smooth it out along the bottom of your baking dish.
Topping
Now for the dumping of the cake! Take your box of cake mix, and dump the whole thing on top of the cherry pie filling mix! w00 for cooking!
Gently smooth the cake mix out over the entire dish, all the way to the sides, breaking up any big clumps as you go. Gently is important, you don't want to incorporate the cake mix with the pie filling mixture.
Slice your two sticks of butter and place all along the top. You don't have to cover every bit of cake mix, but you do want to have even coverage without huge gaps.
If you are going to add nuts for topping, add them at this point. Usually I've seen nice neat rows of pecans rather than a sprinkling of chopped nuts - but feel free to play with it a bit!
Gently smooth the cake mix out over the entire dish, all the way to the sides, breaking up any big clumps as you go. Gently is important, you don't want to incorporate the cake mix with the pie filling mixture.
Slice your two sticks of butter and place all along the top. You don't have to cover every bit of cake mix, but you do want to have even coverage without huge gaps.
If you are going to add nuts for topping, add them at this point. Usually I've seen nice neat rows of pecans rather than a sprinkling of chopped nuts - but feel free to play with it a bit!
Cooking
Pop your baking dish, uncovered, in your preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Start checking it at the 45 minute mark.
This was my cake at 45 minutes. It is just starting to get golden, but it is still a little gooey looking. You want to see a nice, relatively even golden across the top. It should look slightly "crispy" rather than slightly "wet".
My cake took about 52 minutes to be done. Your oven may vary.
This was my cake at 45 minutes. It is just starting to get golden, but it is still a little gooey looking. You want to see a nice, relatively even golden across the top. It should look slightly "crispy" rather than slightly "wet".
My cake took about 52 minutes to be done. Your oven may vary.
Enjoy!
When your cake looks nice and golden and ever so slightly crispy, take it out and let it cool a little bit. This is delicious warm, room temp, or straight from the fridge as leftovers!
I hope you enjoy this easy, yummy twist on a classic dump cake! What other variations do you like?
I hope you enjoy this easy, yummy twist on a classic dump cake! What other variations do you like?