Pineapple Dump Cake contains tangy pineapples topped with a yellow, buttery cake crust. Pairs very well with cold vanilla ice cream or real whipped cream. This the #1 recipe on this blog.
EDITOR’S NOTE (June 14, 2020): To watch video demonstration, see link in Recipe Notes. PIN here on Pinterest.
DISCLOSURE: General Mills provided the Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix used to make this recipe. I emailed a request to the company for complimentary boxes of cake mix. Products arrived a few days later.
The ingredients I used.
Pineapple Dump Cake is my creative twist on Betty Crocker’s famous dump cake.
Although I love homemade from scratch cakes, I also love desserts made with a cake mix because they’re quick and easy to make with a few ingredients.
What is a dump cake?
A dump cake is made by dumping fruit or pie filling into a buttered pan and dumping cake mix on top. Dots of cold butter are scattered over the top before baking. Usually served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Perfect dessert for holiday dinners, potlucks and family gatherings.
A boxed cake mix combined with fruit is easy to make and soooo good!
Sprinkling lemon juice over the pineapples decreases sweetness and adds a pleasant tang.
Who invented dump cake?
A dump cake is made with simple pantry ingredients.
The earliest dump cake reference is from a Duncan Hines holiday baking brochure published in 1980.
In August 2018, I photographed this Pinterest page which is only visible to me. Photo confirms recipe received 164,000 impressions! It is the most popular (#1) recipe in my collection.
I love creating and sharing recipes. Ingredients do cost money. It’s a blessing to receive complimentary products.
Reading a recipe is an important life skill. It starts with knowing how to read a recipe’s ingredients, follow the instructions, prep ingredients, and knowing what equipment to use.
The following tips and strategies will help beginners or experienced cooks create a delicious dish as intended in the recipe.
Start with clean hands and organized kitchen. Wash hands thoroughly. Make sure kitchen and countertops are clean before making a recipe.
Create a relaxing environment. Play favorite music while in the kitchen. I love listening to classical or gospel music.
Read the recipe. Don’t just quickly skim it. Thoroughly read from start to finish. Visualize doing each step which will help you avoid missing a step.
If you see ingredient that you and your family don’t use for whatever reason, use a substitutions or omit the ingredient.
My recipes are packed with helpful tips like shortcuts and serving sizes which save time and help with meal planning.
Pay attention to the order in which ingredients are prepped. For example, 1 cup of chopped pecans is not the same as pecans, chopped (measure whole pecans and then chop).
Know the assumptions. For example, when my recipe calls for “sugar,” use granulated sugar. If brown sugar is an ingredient, it will be written as such in the recipe.
Figure out the timing. Check the listed “prep time” and “total time” to be sure you have enough time to complete the recipe.
Look for hints, such as the words “meanwhile” or “at the same time,” which indicate two or more steps can happen simultaneously.
For example, my prep time doesn’t include bringing cold butter up to room temperature. Be sure to include in your timetable.
Watch Recipe Videos. If you’re a visual learner (like me), watch recipe videos. Perfect for when you’re learning a new skill or just want to see how a recipe is made.
Mise en place is a super time saver. This French cooking term translates as “putting in place.” It means prepping/measuring ingredients and chopping food before you start cooking. It’s the perfect way to get organized and avoid missing an ingredient or missing a step in the instructions.
Organize your tools and kitchen equipment. Mise en place isn’t just for ingredients. Before starting, make sure you have parchment paper, aluminum foil, measuring cups, measuring spoons, the right pans, mixing bowls, and other equipment.
Make notes in your recipe. Note any special prep instructions and highlight cooking times. Make note of ingredients omitted, favorite substitutions and creative twists. The notes will be very helpful the next time you make this recipe.
Enjoy!
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Pineapple Dump Cake
This dessert contains tangy pineapples topped with a yellow cake crust. Excellent served with vanilla ice cream or real whipped cream. Easy to make with a yellow cake mix. Recipe and photography by Beverly Davis for CornbreadMillionaire.com.
Dump pineapples with juice into a 9x13 buttered baking dish. Stir in vanilla extract and lemon juice.
Dump (or sprinkle) cake mix evenly over fruit mixture in baking dish. Dot all over with pieces of cold unsalted butter (1 stick). Do not use margarine.
Bake 20 minutes. Carefully remove HOT baking dish from HOT oven. Use back of spoon to lightly spread melted butter evenly over cake mix until all of mix is coated with butter. Do this so entire top crust will be buttery (no dry cake crumbs). This step is optional.
Return to oven. Bake 20-25 more minutes or until bubbly and top cake crust is golden brown.
If desired, serve cold or hot with vanilla ice cream or real whipped cream.
NOTE: Refrigerate 2 hours up to overnight before serving cold.
Recipe Notes
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Pineapple Dump Cake Pudding Use 1-1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (not margarine). Follow baking instructions. The baked pineapple dump cake will be bubbly with a golden crust. It will also be thin and slightly runny. After it cools, refrigerate 2 hours up to overnight to form a pudding. The cold pineapple mixture and the cold cake crust reminds me of vanilla wafers in banana pudding. Delicious!
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38 thoughts on “Pineapple Dump Cake”
I am making this pineapple cake recipe now. My cake mix and melted butter is crumbly not sticky. Is that how its suppose to look. You said sticky in recipe. Well going with recipe exactly hope this is right.
Hi Marie! Melted butter should make it sticky. Here’s a great tip: Sprinkle crumbly batter evenly over fruit mixture in baking dish. Place in oven. It will bake nicely into a crumbly texture which is GOOD! To obtain a soft texture with “crumbly batter” simply remove from oven after 20 minutes. Smooth top crust with back of spoon. Return to oven and finish baking. Top crust will be soft (similar to a very tender cake). Thanks for asking! Enjoy your dessert.
I used lime juice (prefer over lemon juice) and a no sugar added white cake mix (my family is borderline diabetic). OHMYGOODNESS! This is out of this world great. Followed the recipe completely otherwise. Thank you for posting this recipe
Hi Lejuana,
Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapples. Dot all over with pieces of cold butter. Place in preheated oven.
Bake 20 minutes. Carefully remove HOT baking dish from HOT oven. Use back of spoon to lightly spread melted butter evenly over cake mix until all of mix is coated with butter. Do this so entire top crust will be buttery (no dry cake crumbs). This step is optional.
Bake 20-25 additional minutes or until top crust is bubbly and golden brown.
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance. Thank you for visiting. Please come again.
I only had key lime juice on hand. It came out awesome!!!!! More of a little Pina colada taste. Next time I’ll sprinkle some coconut on it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Angie! Thanks for your interest in my recipe! I’ve never tested with one can of pineapples.
I’m “guessing” it will be a moist cake with small pieces of pineapples. Worth a try!
I made an apple Dump cake a few days ago with just one can but I used a 9×9 pan and I used a half a box of cake mix. Turned out great, Hope that helps.
Thank you for asking! Remove from oven. Use back of spoon to “smooth” top of cake until cake batter and melted butter are combined. Return to oven for 20-25 more minutes until top crust is brown and edges are bubbly.
Diana, although I’ve never tried the almond extract, I’m feeling like it should be a tasty alternative. I would love to know how it tastes. I’ve added it to my “TRY LIST.”
I’m going to try a little different technique, wish me luck. I’m going to drain the juice off the pineapple and replace it with coconut milk. Somebody in your comments has me yearning for a pina colada taste.
I am making this pineapple cake recipe now. My cake mix and melted butter is crumbly not sticky. Is that how its suppose to look. You said sticky in recipe. Well going with recipe exactly hope this is right.
Hi Marie! Melted butter should make it sticky. Here’s a great tip: Sprinkle crumbly batter evenly over fruit mixture in baking dish. Place in oven. It will bake nicely into a crumbly texture which is GOOD! To obtain a soft texture with “crumbly batter” simply remove from oven after 20 minutes. Smooth top crust with back of spoon. Return to oven and finish baking. Top crust will be soft (similar to a very tender cake). Thanks for asking! Enjoy your dessert.
How many oz of pinnaple in total?, 20 or 40?
Hi Maria! Thank you for asking! Two cans (20 ounces each). Total is 40 ounces. I’ve also updated the recipe. Enjoy!
I used lime juice (prefer over lemon juice) and a no sugar added white cake mix (my family is borderline diabetic). OHMYGOODNESS! This is out of this world great. Followed the recipe completely otherwise. Thank you for posting this recipe
Hi Tracy!
You are welcome! I greatly appreciate our positive comment. Made my day! Delighted to know you made this recipe work for you and your family to enjoy.
Do I mix the cake batter like I’m baking a cake before adding it on top or does the cake mix go on dry
Hi Lejuana,
Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapples. Dot all over with pieces of cold butter. Place in preheated oven.
Bake 20 minutes. Carefully remove HOT baking dish from HOT oven. Use back of spoon to lightly spread melted butter evenly over cake mix until all of mix is coated with butter. Do this so entire top crust will be buttery (no dry cake crumbs). This step is optional.
Bake 20-25 additional minutes or until top crust is bubbly and golden brown.
Please let me know if I may be of further assistance. Thank you for visiting. Please come again.
What if I don’t have the lemon juice or vanilla extract on hand what would be a good substitute
Hi Paris! Pineapple extract is a good substitute. Lemon juice adds a tasty tang. If you omit, the cake will be sweet.
I have made this recipe before and it is delicious. I add walnuts. Sprinkle chopped walnuts evenly over the cake mix then add the butter. YUM!
Hi Andi! Thank you for visiting and sharing your delicious recipe. Happy holidays!
I only had key lime juice on hand. It came out awesome!!!!! More of a little Pina colada taste. Next time I’ll sprinkle some coconut on it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Gloria, you’re welcome. Greatly appreciate you for visiting my blog and sharing your awesome experience. The shredded coconut sounds delicious.
Can you store out of refrigerator?
Jamie, I always store in fridge. Warm in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Better than microwave in my opinion.
Perfect cake for making while in quarantine! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Yep…I’m right here with ya…since I had the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a try! I prefer cakes like this over cakes with icing.
Yes, Wanda! I hope you enjoyed every bite. Dump cakes are far better than frosted cakes in my opinion. Stay safe!
Hi Krystal! Yes, it’s perfect for this quarantine. Enjoy every bite. Stay safe!
I only have one can crushed pineapple. Will this still work?
Hi Angie! Thanks for your interest in my recipe! I’ve never tested with one can of pineapples.
I’m “guessing” it will be a moist cake with small pieces of pineapples. Worth a try!
I made an apple Dump cake a few days ago with just one can but I used a 9×9 pan and I used a half a box of cake mix. Turned out great, Hope that helps.
Cindy, thank you for the helpful tip! Helps a lot. Making one soon.
How long did you cook it?
Thank you for asking! Remove from oven. Use back of spoon to “smooth” top of cake until cake batter and melted butter are combined. Return to oven for 20-25 more minutes until top crust is brown and edges are bubbly.
In quarantine in NC and making this today. Stay safe and healthy everyone.
Charlotte, I hope you enjoyed the Pineapple Dump Cake. Determined to stay safe!
Can I use salted butter
Argerta, although I’ve never used salted butter in this recipe, my “guess” is yes. I’ve used salted butter in other cake recipes and they were good.
Unfortunately the store only had salted butter so I’m giving it a try now! Very excited! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Katelynn, I’ve used salted butter a few times. Cake was still good. I hope you enjoy!
Hello, I used pineapple but added a can of apple sauce and it turned out great. Bakrd an extra 5 minutes.
Dorrlyn, that sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
I’m making today.My bottle of vanilla extract was empty. All I had was Almond extract so I’m trying it.Fingers crossed.
Diana, although I’ve never tried the almond extract, I’m feeling like it should be a tasty alternative. I would love to know how it tastes. I’ve added it to my “TRY LIST.”
I’m going to try a little different technique, wish me luck. I’m going to drain the juice off the pineapple and replace it with coconut milk. Somebody in your comments has me yearning for a pina colada taste.
This cake is in the oven. Made as directed but added chopped pecan over the pineapple. Can’t wait to taste. Need to get some ice cream. YUM!