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
NEVER MISS A RECIPE!
Follow me on social for more recipe ideas & inspiration!
PINTEREST / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM
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.
Recipe 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.
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Nutrition Information
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out!
If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and leave me a comment. I love hearing from you! Share a picture on Instagram and hashtag it #homecookedharvest.
Leave a Reply