Delicious Pineapple Dump Cake with gooey, sweet pineapple filling and buttery cobbler topping is one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make. With just a few minutes and a handful of simple ingredients, you can whip up this delicious cake mix dessert you'll be asked to make again and again.
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Pineapple lovers, this delightful pineapple dump cake recipe is the perfect dessert for YOU!
The sweet pineapple filling is perfectly spiced with ginger and cinnamon and the cobbler-like topping is rich and buttery with the right amount of crunch.
It's the perfect pineapple dessert. And super fast and easy to make.
Easy Pineapple Dump Cake Recipe
All you do is layer canned pineapple, brown sugar and spices, dry yellow cake mix, melted butter, and pecans right in the cake pan. No bowl, no mixing, no kidding.
About an hour later, you're rewarded with a warm, bubbling pan of yumminess that is absolutely delicious served warm with a scoop of ice cream.
Try these easy dessert recipes next: Red Velvet Cake Mix Brownies, Cake Mix Peach Cobbler, Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake
Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
- Super quick dessert for last-minute cravings or family gatherings
- Easy recipe you make right in the baking pan -- no bowls to dirty!
- Delicious dump cake recipe filled with sweet pineapple flavor
- Simple enough for every day, delicious enough for special occasions
Why Is It Called a Dump Cake?
Dump cake is kind of a strange name for such a tasty sweet treat. But they really do come by their name honestly.
This simple dessert recipe is made by dumping everything in a cake pan and baking it. There's no need to stir anything together!
Typical ingredients in dump cake recipes are canned fruit or pie filling, a box of dry cake mix, and cold or melted butter. From there, other ingredients can be added like fresh fruit, flavor extracts, seasonings, and nuts.
Dump cakes are sometimes referred to as cobblers because the cake mix topping leans more biscuit-like than cake-like. But in actuality, they're really neither cake nor cobbler.
They're dump cake.
Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full list of ingredients, exact measurements, and complete instructions.
Canned pineapple. The combination of canned crushed pineapple and pineapple chunks (or tidbits) adds texture and just the right amount of juiciness to the filling. You can use 2 cans of crushed pineapple or 2 cans of pineapple chunks -- just drain one of the cans, adding no more than about ½ cup of liquid.
Brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a rich caramel flavor to the filling. I use dark brown sugar for the deeper molasses flavor, but light brown sugar will also work well.
Ground cinnamon and ginger. Warm spices are natural flavor enhancers for the brown sugar pineapple filling. They're optional but please add them if you can.
Pecans. Nuts are optional, but I love the flavor combination of pecans and pineapple.
Variations
Fruit. Add maraschino cherries or a can of cherry pie filling for a pineapple upside down cake vibe. Or toss in a handful of frozen or fresh blueberries.
Cake mix. Instead of yellow cake mix, use any flavor of cake mix you love like white cake mix, spice cake mix, or carrot cake mix. If you can find it, pineapple cake mix or coconut cake mix would also be delicious!
Seasonings. Substitute your favorite warm baking spices like nutmeg, cardamom, or cloves. Or add a splash of vanilla or coconut extract.
Nuts. Walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, or coconut would all be delicious on pineapple dump cake.
How to Make a Pineapple Dump Cake
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 or similar baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread undrained crushed pineapple and drained pineapple chunks into the bottom of the baking pan.
Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger evenly over the pineapple.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix in an even layer on top of the pineapple mixture.
Slowly drizzle the melted butter on top of the cake mix, coating as much of the cake mix layer as possible.
Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Best served warm with whipped cream or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. But, honestly, it's also delicious cold ... or really at any temperature :).
Storage & Freezing
Cool leftover pineapple dump cake to room temperature, then cover or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze, place the cooled pineapple dump cake in a freezer-safe container and press a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the cake. Add a second layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil or the lid of the container. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating
Microwave: Place the pineapple cobbler in a microwave-safe dish. Reheat in 30-second increments until heated through. Be careful not to overheat so you don't cook the topping any further and cause it to become rubbery.
Oven: Preheat the oven to 350. Place the cobbler in an oven-safe dish and heat until the center is warm, about 10-15 minutes for a single serving.
Success Tips
Add the crushed pineapple undrained and the pineapple chunks drained to keep the filling from getting too juicy.
Cover as much of the dry cake mix with the butter as you can to avoid dry spots of cake mix on top of the cake.
Toast the pecans to add even more flavor.
FAQs
No, the fruit filling should be juicy, but not watery or runny. To avoid too much juiciness in the filling, use one can of drained pineapple tidbits and one can of undrained crushed pineapple.
Once the pineapple dump cake has completely cooled, it should be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Absolutely! Dump cake recipes are very versatile and can be made with all types of canned fruits or pie fillings. Canned peaches, pears, or apricots would be delicious -- I recommend adding no more than about ½ cup of the liquid. Apple pie filling, blueberry pie filling, or cherry pie filling would also be yummy.
Stuff I Use
These Snapware storage containers are microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe and stack perfectly in my fridge and pantry.
Pyrex measuring cups are perfect for melting butter in the microwave -- and for making microwave peanut brittle!
More Easy Cake Mix Recipes
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Pineapple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks (or tidbits), drained
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger optional
- 1 15.25 oz. box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup melted butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 or similar baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread the undrained crushed pineapple and drained pineapple chunks into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger over the pineapple. Sprinkle the dry cake mix in an even layer over the pineapple mixture.
- Slowly drizzle the melted butter over the dry cake mix. Coat as much of it as possible to avoid getting dry spots of cake mix. Sprinkle the pecans over the cake mix.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.
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