chas53/istockphoto
Though the name doesn't inspire much confidence, dump desserts actually taste quite lovely. They get the name because most recipes include dumping the ingredients into a pan and baking without even mixing anything. The end result, which is typically a cross between a scoopable pudding and a cake, is impressive for such little effort. With only a few ingredients, you can make all kinds of unique desserts full of fruits, chocolate, and nuts.
This is the simplest dump cake on the list, with only two ingredients. It's a classic recipe at this point: just angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple. Mix them together and pour them into a pan. This version uses a 9-by-13-inch pan, but you can also use a tube pan like you would for a regular angel food cake.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
For more great recipes and cooking tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.
There's a lot going on in this cake, but it's deceptively simple to put together — and s'mores lovers will adore it. A bottom layer of chocolate cake mix and butter acts kind of like a soft crust to hold all the other ingredients, including graham crackers, chocolate pudding, and two kinds of marshmallow. It's messy and scoopable when it's done, just like campfire s'mores.
Recipe: What's Gaby Cooking
Dump cakes often take the format used in this recipe: Canned pie filling goes into the bottom of the pan or casserole dish, followed by dry cake mix, and melted butter on top. Blueberry and lemon is a classic combination that's bright and fresh, so this recipe is great for spring and summer.
Recipe: Julie's Eats and Treats
If you're one of those people who uses their Instant Pot for everything, you might already know you can make cakes in it. They turn out extra moist and gooey, which works especially well in this chocolate and strawberry dessert. Garnish it with a fresh, chocolate-covered strawberry and it'll be great for a special occasion or date night.
Recipe: Dukes and Dutchesses
Related: 50 Simple, Cheap, and Delicious Instant Pot Recipes
It's hard to resist any peanut butter and chocolate dessert. This one uses instant chocolate pudding mixed into a box of cake mix for an extra gooey, scoopable treat. Mini peanut butter cups are sprinkled on top while the cake is still hot so they get gooey and melted, while pretzel pieces add some crunch and saltiness to this rich dish.
Recipe: Betty Crocker
This recipe is more like a crisp than a cake thanks to the addition of walnuts and oats on top of the yellow cake mix for a crunchy layer. Using frozen fruit is an economical way to ensure that your berries are sweet and ripe, but you can replace them with fresh berries (or other fruit) if you have them.
Recipe: Food Network
A slow cooker is a great way to cook these cakes that are supposed to be moist and pudding-like, since the pot keeps moisture in. While this is super chocolatey, it's got an added bonus: Nutella. The chocolate hazelnut spread adds another layer of flavor, and only one more step of spooning it on top of the other ingredients.
Recipe: Cutefetti
There's more ingredients in this recipe than in most of the others on this list, but the payoff, which is essentially a pumpkin pie in cake form, is worth it. Mix canned pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and spices together, then spread dry cake mix on top. When it bakes, it's like custardy pumpkin pie on the bottom, and crumble on top.
Recipe: Southern Living
Related: 22 Classic Pie Recipes
Inexpensive canned pears help stretch cherry pie filling in this slow cooker recipe. Almond extract gives depth to the fruit, and sliced almonds and oats in the topping add crunch. Though the recipe has you mix the dry ingredients with the melted butter, you can probably just sprinkle them on top of the fruit and drizzle the butter over like other recipes.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Related: 30 Cheap and Easy Recipes From Canned Foods
The tropical flavors in this dessert start with a whole lot of canned crushed pineapple and end with a layer of sweetened coconut on top. As the cake bakes, the coconut toasts and becomes nutty and crunchy. Add a splash of rum to the pineapple layer to make this even more like the drink.
Recipe: The Life Jolie
Unlike many dump cake recipes, this one incorporates the cherry pie filling and the angel food cake mix, so you end up with a more homogeneous, bright pink cake at the end that would be perfect for a kid's birthday party. A splash of almond extra and some sliced almonds complement the cherries well.
Recipe: The Spruce Eats
If you've ever tried to find a recipe to use up a bumper crop of apples in fall, this is one to add to your list. It uses fresh apples instead of canned fruit, so it has a great texture. Caramel ice cream topping is an easy, rich addition. The recipe calls for yellow cake mix, but spice cake would work well too.
Recipe: Snappy Gourmet
Related: 25 Creative Caramel Apple Recipes
Banana splits make everyone smile, but they're not great for feeding a crowd. This cake version combines all the same flavors — strawberry, banana, pineapple and chocolate — into a scoopable dessert that begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Banana pudding mixed with the cake mix gives it an extra boost of fruit flavor.
Recipe: My Baking Addiction
Another slow cooker recipe, this one is simple but a bit different than some other dump recipes. For this one, you combine the cake mix and the melted butter first, then crumble it over the top of the cherry pie filling. That makes the texture a little less cake-like and similar to a cobbler.
Recipe: Cincy Shopper
Related: 52 Recipes to Keep Your Slow Cooker Bubbling While You're Busy
Frozen strawberries create the fruity base of this recipe. They're topped with white cake mix for a strawberry shortcake-like dessert. But this one also includes a super simple, creamy topping made with strawberry yogurt and Cool Whip. Spoon a bunch on top of each serving for a dessert that's extra special but deceptively easy.
Recipe: Tablespoon
Related: 30 Easy Frozen Desserts to Enjoy This Summer
The end result of this pecan cobbler is a dish that's gooey, sweet, and sticky, like the insides of a good pecan pie with a biscuit top. Pecans and butter go into the pan first, followed by a quick batter. Brown sugar is sprinkled on top, then hot water is poured over the whole thing without stirring. That water is what will make the sauce on the bottom.
Recipe: Dinner Then Dessert
There's a lot of room for customization with this recipe for a tropical cake. Mangoes, either fresh or frozen, make up the fruit base. Then they're topped with pineapple cake, buttery macadamia nuts, and a can of orange soda, of all things. While that's a great combination as is, you can swap the cake mix, soda, and nuts out for anything you want. How about orange cake and pineapple soda?
Recipe: Debbiedoo's
When you cook this apple cobbler in the Instant Pot, you need to add water in the bottom so it doesn’t run dry. That means the cobbler comes out extra moist, but also without browning. So, this recipe calls for a short time under the broiler at the end, to get the topping browned and a little crunchy. It's a quick trick that's worth the time.
Recipe: A Pressure Cooker
This recipe is different: It's not a cake at all, and doesn't use cake mix. To make s'mores for a crowd without a bonfire, just layer graham crackers, chocolate chips (or bars), and marshmallows on a baking sheet, then bake until the chocolate is melted and the marshmallows are browned.
Recipe: Food Network
Related: 20 Cheap Campfire-Friendly Meals
Chocolate and cherries are a match made in dessert heaven. A can of cherry pie filling is used, along with a can of pitted sweet cherries, which gives it more of a fresh cherry taste. A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream on top is a great addition to this rich dessert.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Peach cobbler is a classic Southern dish, and everyone has their secret recipe for it. This one is uncomplicated and easy to make year-round, even when peaches aren't in season — because it uses canned. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt added to the yellow cake mix give it more flavor and a wonderful aroma when it bakes.
Recipe: Southern Living
Related: 20 Cheap, Delicious Peach Recipes
