Dump Cake Fruit Layers (Printable Version)

Layered dessert with fruit filling, cake mix, and butter baked to golden, bubbly perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit Layer

01 - 2 cans (21 oz each) fruit pie filling (e.g., cherry, apple, or blueberry)

→ Cake Layer

02 - 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow or white cake mix

→ Topping

03 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and sliced into thin pats

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
03 - Spread the fruit pie filling evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.
04 - Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the fruit layer without mixing or stirring.
05 - Distribute the cold butter slices evenly over the top of the cake mix, covering as much surface as possible.
06 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the fruit mixture bubbles around the edges.
07 - Allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, optionally with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It requires almost no actual baking skill—just a baking dish, three layers, and an oven.
  • The fruit filling caramelizes and mingles with the cake as it bakes, creating something far more interesting than the sum of its parts.
  • You can have warm, buttery, fruit-studded cake on the table in under an hour, stress included in the calculation.
02 -
  • Do not stir or mix the layers—this isn't a traditional cake batter situation; the magic happens when the butter melts down and the cake mix blooms in contact with the fruit's moisture.
  • Check your oven temperature with a separate thermometer if you suspect it runs hot or cold; underbaking leaves a gummy cake layer, overbaking dries everything out.
03 -
  • Keep your butter cold and slice it thin rather than cubing it—thin pats distribute evenly and create a more uniform golden crust.
  • If your oven runs hot, check the cake at 35 minutes; if it runs cool, you might need the full 45 minutes or even a few minutes more to get that bubbly fruit and golden top.
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