Cherry Cheesecake Dump Cake is layered with plump cherries, luscious cream cheese, cake mix, and butter. This cherry cream cheese dump cake only needs a few ingredients and is decadent, it will soon become your favorite dessert.
This cherry dump cake is an easy peasy cherry cobbler that will definitely impress where ever you take it. This will become your new favorite go-to recipe for an easy to make dessert or make this Watergate Cake. Bring to an office party, pot luck, BBQ, or just as a dessert to eat after dinner. It’s for sure a crowd pleaser, so don’t expect there to be any leftovers.
Cherry Dump Cake
While I typically love making recipes that are made with fresh fruit and real ingredients, sometimes it’s fun (or ya just don’t have the time) to just go the easy route and make things with already prepared ingredients. AKA this is not a dump cake from scratch. This recipe features frozen cherries, canned cherries, and pre-made cake mix.
I love cherry pie filling desserts, like this cherry pie bubble up dessert. I think it’s because I really like cherries but don’t always want to take the time to pit them. There is no washing, cutting, or hulling cherries here. In fact, I recommend not using fresh cherries here because this recipe is perfect for canned cherries.
Delicious Dump Cake Cherry Cobbler
The yellow cake mixed with the butter creates this almost crisp layer of crust on top of the cherries. The butteriness blends perfectly with the tart but sweet cherries and the rich cream cheese. It tastes like a cherry cheesecake cobbler and it is seriously delish. Someone please take the fork from me!
A good friend of mine loves to make her cherry dump cake with pineapple. This is a delicious variation, so I added instructions below in case you would like to go that route.
Do I Eat This Dump Cheesecake Hot or Cold?
This dump cake with cherry pie filling can actually be served hot or cold. It stores in the refrigerator well and can be reheated if you like in the microwave. And this cherry dump cake recipes with cream cheese would be delicious served with ice cream!
What is Dump Cake?
It is called a dump cake because all of the ingredients get “dumped” right in the baking pan. In this case, we are layering each ingredient into the dish, but nothing gets stirred. This recipe basically only needs white cake mix cherry pie filling, and cream cheese.
Just DUMP it and BAKE it!! Wow I sound like a dump cake infomercial lol.
Cherry Dump Cake with Cream Cheese Ingredients
- Cherries: You will need both canned cherry pie filling and frozen cherries.
- Cream Cheese: The full fat kind in the box.
- Cake Mix: One box of yellow cake mix.
- Butter: You will need one stick of real butter.
How to Make Cherry Cream Cheese Dump Cake
I’ll show you how to make cherry dump cake with this easy to follow recipe that is below in the recipe card.
- Grease a 13 x 9 glass pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour in the cherries.
- Layer on the cream cheese evenly over the cherries.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix on evenly over the cherries and cream cheese layers. Gently press or pat down the cake mix to try to make it flat.
- Layer on the butter slices, covering as much of dry cake as possible.
- Put into the oven for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with a few dry crumbs.
Cherry Cheesecake Dump Cake Recipe Tips
- Do not stir any of the ingredients, just layer them.
- Make sure to cut the cream cheese into tiny pieces, like 1/2 inch cubes and sprinkle all over cherries.
- Make sure to slice the butter really thin and try to cover as much of the yellow cake as possible. Or try grating the butter with a grater or food processor so that it’s easier to cover all of the dry cake mix.
- Check on the cake half way through cooking and if it still has some dry cake spots, add a couple more thin slices of butter to cover them.
- Do not use maraschino cherries by mistake unless you want to try using them (I haven’t tried this cake with them).
What to Serve With Dump Cake Cherry Cheesecake Recipe?
This cherry dump cake recipe would be delicious served with a cup of coffee or tea and topped off with some whipped cream or ice cream.
Does Dump Cake Need to Be Refrigerated?
Since this particular cherry dump cake contains cream cheese, it most definitely needs to be refrigerated.
Cherry Cream Cheese Dump Cake Recipe Variations
I haven’t tried any of these variations, but if you try one let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
- Use chocolate cake mix to make chocolate cherry dump cake.
- Try white cake or French vanilla mix to make cherry dump cake with white cake.
- Lemon cake mix would make a lemon cherry dump cake.
- Strawberry cake mix would make a strawberry dump cake.
- Use two cans of canned cherry pie filling instead of a mix of frozen and one can of cherry pie filling.
- You could make this a cherry dump cake recipe with pecans or walnuts. I would add them on top of the butter layer. Broil right before taking cake out of the oven for just a minute or so.
- Add 20 oz undrained can of pineapple under the cherry layer (and only use 1 can of cherry pie filling no frozen cherries) to make a cherry pineapple dump cake.
Storage Instructions for Cherry Dump Cake
- How to Refrigerate Cherry Dump Cake: Let the cake cool and cover with a lid, plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The cake should last about 4 days in the fridge.
- How to Store Cherry Dump Cake at Room Temperature: Since this cake has cream cheese in it, it will need to be refrigerated and cannot be left out.
- Can you Freeze Cherry Dump Cake?: I do not recommend freezing. This is not a freezer friendly recipe.
- How to Reheat Cherry Dump Cake: Reheat cold cherry cake in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time until desired warmth is reached.
Try these other fruit dessert recipes!
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Raspberry Muffins With Streusel Topping
- Blueberry Buckle Recipe
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Cherry Cheesecake Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling
- 1 16-ounce bag frozen cherries
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 15.25-ounce dry yellow cake mix
- 1/2-3/4 cup butter one stick, sliced into very thin slivers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 13 x 9 glass pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour in the canned cherry pie filling and the frozen cherries.
- Add the cream cheese pieces on evenly over the cherries.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix on evenly over the cherries and cream cheese layers. Gently shake the pan to get the cake mix to lay flat.
- Layer on the 1/2 cup of butter slices, covering as much of dry cake as possible.
- Put baking dish into the oven for 45-50 minutes. Halfway through baking check on the cake. If there are any dry cake areas, just add some more thin slices of butter to cover. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with a few dry crumbs.
Notes
- Instead of thinly slicing the butter, you could grate the whole stick of butter with a grater or food processor to make smaller pieces to more thoroughly cover the cake.
- You could make this a cherry dump cake recipe with pecans or walnuts. I would add them on top of the butter layer. Broil right before taking cake out of the oven for just a minute or so.
- Do not stir any of the ingredients, just layer them.
- Use chocolate cake mix to make chocolate cherry dump cake.
Nutrition
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OMG! This looks great, going to make it this weekend!
Let me know what you think!!
Oh my goodness I’ve never seen anything like this and it looks like the most ingenuous cake recipe ever! Too bad there is no such thing as cake mix where I live, because I would love to try it. I could make a batter from scratch and add it to the cherry and cream cheese filling, but the dumping part is the fun part here. Well now I hope cake mixes soon become a thing in Sweden so I can also try my hand at this!
I’m so sorry you don’t have cake mix in Sweden, Eva! You could make a yellow cake mix from scratch to use in this, but you are correct in that it takes away from being able to just “dump” everything in. Thank you for your sweet comment!!
A fancy dessert, with only a few ingredients needed! I love cherry desserts, and this seems like the perfect recipe!
Awww thanks for calling it fancy☺️ I really hope you enjoy this cherry dessert Farrukh!
This cherry dump cake recipe was perfect. Easy to make, lovely ingredients, great flavor, and texture. I will be making it again, everyone loved it.
Glad that this was well received, Jenny! Thanks for commenting!
Oh my goodness, this cherry dump cake looks really delicious. Seeing this makes my mouthwatering. Yum, yum, yum!
Thanks so much Amy! Hope you make it and love it.
Love easy peasy desserts and this cherry dump cake looks perfect! Instead of frozen cherries, I might use fresh as we live in a cherry growing area and always have a big bowl in the kitchen when they’re in season!
Sounds delish Jacqueline! Thanks for your comment.
I love how few ingredients this has! And now I’m longing for summer. It’s still snowing here. ???? Nothing better than a good cherry recipe for summer!
It is such a simple summery recipe. One thing I love about this is that it can be made any time of year. Thanks Erin!
We won’t have fresh cherries here for maybe 3 months so this recipe is perfect for me! And I agree, sometimes you just need something super quick and easy because… time!
Yep, I love those quick desserts too, Alex
Oh this cake has my husband’s name written all over it! He LOVES cherries and this is something he can even whip up himself when I’m traveling! Thank you so much for sharing!
That’s great, I’m glad that this cake is easy enough for him Lori. Hope you all enjoy!
Totally in love with this cheery dump cake. Easy and amazingly delicious. Making this soon.
I hope you enjoy it Kushigalu!
Many thanks for sharing this recipe. It already is my favourite desert from reading it. And the pictures look really great, too. I have to try it very soon.
Thanks so much Kate! I really hope you like it once you try it.
I didn’t make it but I ate it, all of it! It’s Delish the entire family ❤️ it……Thank you Tristin for making while Chuck and I were visiting. I’ll be making it myself soon.
I’m really glad you liked it, Beth. Sorry that you didn’t get to eat more of it, lol. I’m happy to answer any questions you have about it when you make it. Thanks for your sweet comment!!
I plan to make the pineapple cherry dump cake for a sports event, but wonder how it would be if I use the cream cheese with it. I don’t want to waste ingredients so if you have tried this can you tell us how it turned out?
Hi Judy! I haven’t tried the pineapple version, but my friend likes it. If it was me, I would make the original recipe for the event because I know it’s good. Then maybe try the pineapple one for yourself to see if you like it at another time. Hope you love it!
I have made this so many times for all of the guests at my house!! I came on to this recipe because I am about to make it and just came on here to thank you for sharing this very special recipe. I just love it, and my friend (I made it for her) just asked me to share the recipe with her!!
Amanda, I am so so happy that you love this cherry dump cake. It is one that we also make a lot! You are so welcome and thank you for passing on my recipes!
Am I missing where you listed the temperature in the oven is mentioned?. I suspect it is 350° but anymore in cooking a lot of things have changed.
Thanks!
Hi Lori, If you click the jump to recipe button at the top of the post it will take you to the recipe card that has the full instructions with the temperature.
Should the frozen cherries be thawed? If Yes, then drained?
Hi Jean, that is a great question. The frozen cherries do not need to be thawed. They will thaw out while cooking! Hope you love this cake!