4-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

Chocolate cherry dump cake may sound like a euphemism (trust me, I had to endure an hours-long riff-off between my husband and stepson while making one), but it is actually the perfect mash-up of cherry cobbler and chocolate lava cake. 

This impossible-to-mess-up dump cake calls for a box of dry cake mix, canned cherry pie filling, and two handfuls of freshly pitted cherries. The top is paved with “tiles” of cold butter, which melt slowly in the oven to meld everything together into a tender gooey cake with crisp brownie-like edges and a jammy fruit bottom.

It’s quite possibly the easiest (dangerously so!) treat I’ve ever made but its return on investment is through the roof. One bite and the family jokes stopped cold. All my husband could say was, “This thing has no business being this good.”

• The oven does all the work. And prep only takes five minutes, which consists of dumping a few easy-to-find ingredients into a dish and sticking it in the oven.
• Chocolate cherry dump cake satisfies every kind of dessert-lover. Whether they prefer a fruit-filled pie, bubbling cobbler, gooey cake, or chewy brownies, this dessert is perfect for any occasion.

You can make this super-simple dessert with just three ingredients. You can add the fourth when cherries are in season.

• Cherry pie filling: One of the smartest shortcuts in the grocery store, with pitted sour cherries, sweetener, and a thickener in every can. Make sure to pick up two cans for this dump cake. 
• Dark chocolate cake mix: Ignore the back of the box instructions. In this recipe, you sprinkle the dry cake mix over the cherry pie filling. If you can’t find dark chocolate mix, grab a box of devil’s food cake.
• Unsalted butter: Cut into thin slices to completely cover the cake mix. Don’t melt the butter in advance and drizzle it on top as that can create dry pockets of cake mix. The pats of butter melt into the cake mix and give it a crunchy topping.
• Fresh cherries (optional): Sweet or sour doesn’t matter, but if you’ve got some fresh cherries around, pit a handful of them, and add them to the cake. They’ll add pops of tartness and texture to the cake, along with a boost of cherry flavor.

1. Mix the fruit. Place 2 cans of cherry pie filling and pitted fresh cherries (if using) in a baking dish. 
2. Add cake mix. Sprinkle dark chocolate cake mix evenly over the top.
3. Top with unsalted butter. Cut the butter into thin slices and arrange to cover the entire surface. 
4. Bake & serve. Bake until the fruit is bubbling and the top is crispy and set. Scoop the fruit and cake into serving bowls and top with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Try (emphasis on try) to save some dump cake for the next day — when it somehow tastes even better.

We’re big fans of dump cakes around here, so if cherry’s not your flavor, here are some of our other favorite fruit-forward versions.

• Strawberry Dump Cake
• Blueberry Dump Cake
• Peach Dump Cake
• Apple Dump Cake