3-Ingredient Strawberry Dump Cake

A dump cake is the dessert you make when you want something warm, fruity, and buttery without thinking too hard. You just layer a few ingredients, slide it into the oven, and let it turn into a jammy cobbler-like dish with a crisp golden top.

This one leans on strawberry pie filling, yellow cake mix, and butter. That’s it. No bowls, no mixing, no fuss.

Why This One Stays in the Rotation

The top cracks into shards that taste like shortbread and the fruit underneath stays soft and sweet. You don’t stir anything, so the butter melts through the dry mix in the oven and creates its own crust.

It takes about five minutes of hands-on work. I keep a box of cake mix and a couple cans of pie filling in the pantry just for nights when a dessert needs to happen fast.

Ingredients

• 2 (21 oz) cans strawberry pie filling: any brand works; look for one with whole berries if you can.
• 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix: just the dry mix, do not prepare it.
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter: sliced into thin pats so it melts evenly over the top.

Variations / Substitutions

• Swap the cake mix: white, vanilla, lemon, or even a butter pecan mix all taste great here. Stay away from mixes labeled “pudding in the mix,” they can turn gummy.
• Add a crunch: scatter ½ cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds over the dry cake mix before the butter.
• Use fresh berries: toss 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries with ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, then let them sit for 10 minutes before spreading in the pan.
• Go dairy free: use a dairy-free yellow cake mix and swap the butter for a plant-based butter stick or melted coconut oil.

If you like no-fuss fruit desserts, try my Peach Cobbler Dump Cake.

How to Make Strawberry Dump Cake

Step 1: Spread the Strawberry Filling

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Dump both cans of strawberry pie filling into a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer with a spatula. The glossy red filling should cover the bottom from edge to edge.

Step 2: Sprinkle the Cake Mix

Sprinkle the entire box of dry cake mix evenly over the fruit. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to break up any large clumps, then let the mix sit right on top without stirring it in. The dry layer will absorb juice and butter as it bakes, forming a cobblery top.

Step 3: Dot with Butter

Place the thin pats of cold butter all over the dry cake mix, covering as much of the surface as you can. A few bare spots are fine because the butter melts and spreads. The cold butter hitting the hot oven is what creates the crackly crust.

Step 4: Scoop and Serve Warm

Bake the dish for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the fruit is bubbling hard around the edges. Let it cool for about 10 minutes so the filling sets a little, then scoop big spoonfuls into bowls. Serve it warm, with vanilla ice cream if you have some.

Tips for the Best Dump Cake

• A 9×13-inch dish gives you a nice ratio of crust to filling. If you use a smaller pan, the cake layer will be thicker and take longer to bake.
• Do not stir the layers at all. The whole point is that the butter drips through the dry mix, leaving behind a crisp top and a thick, jammy bottom.
• If the top browns faster than you want, lay a piece of foil loosely over it in the last 10 minutes.
• Let the baked cake rest before serving. Scooping straight from the oven gives you a thin, runny filling; waiting those 10 minutes makes it spoonable.

Bake times by pan size:

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Refrigerate any leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. The crust will soften, so reheat individual portions in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes to bring back some crispness, or microwave them for a warm, softer version. Cold spoonfuls straight from the fridge are actually pretty good too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use fresh strawberries instead of pie filling?

Yes. Toss 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries with ½ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch, then use that as your fruit layer. It will release more juice, so expect a slightly softer bottom.

What other cake mix flavors work?

Almost any boxed mix tastes great. White, vanilla, lemon, and strawberry all stand out. Just skip mixes that contain pudding, they can turn dense and gluey under the butter.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can bake it a day in advance. Let it cool, cover, and refrigerate. Warm it back up in a 300°F oven until heated through, which takes about 20 minutes.

Strawberry Dump Cake Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 420

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 (21 oz) cans strawberry pie filling
• 1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread strawberry pie filling evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the fruit, breaking up any clumps, but do not stir.
3. Place butter pats all over the cake mix, covering as much surface as possible.
4. Bake 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbly. Cool 10 minutes, then scoop and serve warm.

Notes

The top will look dry in spots when it goes into the oven, but the butter melts through and creates a crisp crust as it bakes. Let the finished cake rest before serving so the filling thickens.