Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake Recipe

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake is a quick American dessert featuring canned fruit and boxed mix. This gooey treat combines dark cherries and fudge cake with melted butter and crunchy pecans for an easy family sweet.

This is one of those recipes that looks harder than it is. The whole thing comes down to how you layer the ingredients without stirring them together. If you give in to the urge to mix everything, you’ll end up with a strange, muddy batter instead of that distinct bubbly fruit and cake crust. I’ve seen people try to incorporate the butter into the dry mix first, but that’s a mistake. You need the butter to sit on top so it slowly works its way down through the powder as it bakes.

The pecans are doing more work than you’d think here. Without them, the texture is a bit one-note and soft. They provide a necessary crunch that breaks up the richness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the cherry filling. I always use salted butter to help balance out the sugar in the canned fruit too. It makes the final result taste like you spent much more time on it than you actually did.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake Ingredients

• 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling
• 1 box (15.25 oz) chocolate fudge cake mix
• 3/4 cup (170g) salted butter, sliced into thin pats
• 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans

How To Make Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

• 1. Prep the oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grab a 9×13 inch baking dish and make sure it’s clean and dry before you start. You don’t need to grease the pan because the fruit filling and the butter provide plenty of moisture to keep things from sticking to the bottom.
• 2. Layer the fruit: Dump both cans of cherry pie filling into the dish and spread them out into an even layer with a spatula. Use the back of a spoon to push the cherries into the corners so every bite has fruit. If you see any large clumps of gel, break them up slightly so the cake mix can settle evenly on top later.
• 3. Add the cake mix: Sprinkle the dry chocolate cake mix over the cherries, covering them completely from edge to edge. Use your hands or a spoon to level the powder, but do not push down hard or stir it into the fruit. You want a flat, even blanket of dry mix sitting right on top of that cherry layer.
• 4. Arrange the butter: Place the thin slices of butter in rows across the top of the dry cake mix, covering as much surface area as possible. Space them out so the melting fat hits every part of the chocolate powder.
• Any spots left completely dry won’t cook properly and you’ll end up with mouthfuls of raw flour. It’s better to use more small slices of butter rather than a few thick chunks to get better coverage across the whole pan.
• 5. Top with nuts: Scatter the chopped pecans over the butter slices and the cake mix. These will toast in the oven while the cake bakes underneath. If you aren’t a fan of pecans, you could use walnuts or even some chocolate chips, but the nuts give the best texture.
• 6. Bake the cake: Put the dish in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the edges are bubbling and the center is set. The top should look like a soft, brownie-like crust. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving so the fruit filling thickens up and doesn’t run all over the plate.

Recipe Tips

• Check for dry spots. About halfway through the baking time, look through the oven door for any large patches of dry white cake mix. If you see a spot that the butter hasn’t reached, you can carefully place a tiny extra bit of butter on that area to help it along.
• Keep the butter cold. It’s much easier to slice thin, even pats of butter if it’s straight from the fridge. Warm butter gets greasy and clumps together, making it hard to distribute it across the top of the chocolate mix.
• Use the right pan size. Stick to a 9×13 inch dish to ensure the layers aren’t too thick. If the dish is too small, the center won’t cook through before the edges start to burn.
• Toast the nuts properly. Since the pecans sit on the very top, they can brown quickly. If they look like they’re getting too dark before the cake is done, loosely tent a piece of foil over the pan for the last 10 minutes.
• Let it rest. Resisting the urge to scoop into the cake immediately is the hardest part. Giving it those 10 minutes on the counter lets the sugars cool down and “set” the structure so it’s not a liquid mess.
• Swap the fruit. While cherries are the classic choice, this method works with almost any pie filling. I’ve tried it with blackberry and it’s fantastic with the chocolate.

What To Serve With Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

A big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is almost mandatory with this warm dessert. The cold cream starts to melt into the chocolate crust and creates a sort of sauce that’s hard to beat. If you want something a bit lighter, a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream works just as well.

For a bit of extra fruit flavor, a handful of fresh raspberries on the side adds a nice tartness. A glass of cold milk or a hot cup of coffee is also great for cutting through the heavy sugar.

How To Store Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

• Fridge: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or move the leftovers to an airtight container. It’ll stay fresh and tasty for up to 4 days.
• Reheat: The oven is the best way to get that slightly crisp top back. Put a serving in a small oven-safe dish at 350°F for about 10 minutes. A microwave works for 30 seconds if you’re in a hurry, but the crust will stay soft.
• Freeze: You can freeze this cake for up to 3 months in a sealed container. Just keep in mind that the nuts might lose some of their crunch after they’ve been frozen and thawed.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 12):

• Calories: 385 kcal
• Protein: 3g
• Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 54g
• Sugar: 32g
• Sodium: 410mg

FAQs

Do I need to stir the Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake?

No, you must never stir the layers together or you’ll lose the specific texture of the fruit bottom and cake top. The butter is designed to melt down into the dry mix naturally while it’s in the heat of the oven.

Can I use a different flavor of cake mix?

Yes, a yellow or white cake mix works perfectly if you want a version that’s less heavy on the chocolate. Some people even use a spice cake mix with apple filling for a more autumnal flavor.

What happens if I use unsalted butter?

The cake will still bake just fine, but it might taste a little flat because there’s so much sugar in the processed ingredients. Salted butter provides a tiny bit of contrast that makes the cherry flavor pop more.

Can I make Pioneer Woman Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can follow the same layering process in a greased slow cooker and cook it on high for about 2 hours. Just be aware that the top won’t get that same slightly crispy finish that you get from the oven.

Why is my dump cake still powdery on top?

This usually happens because the butter wasn’t spread out enough to cover the dry spots. Make sure your butter slices are thin and cover as much of the surface as you possibly can.

Try More Pioneer Woman Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Molten Chocolate Cake Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe