Blackberry Dump Cake

In the summertime, the abundance of fresh fruit calls out to be made into a scrumptious dessert. But who wants to work in the kitchen all day when it’s gorgeous outside? This recipe for blackberry dump cake is the perfect solution. It calls for just five ingredients and a foolproof, unfussy baking method that doesn’t require a stand mixer. You won’t even need a spoon! The ingredients are simply “dumped” into the baking dish one layer at a time.

It’s one of our favorite fruity summer desserts that are easier than pie, especially considering how simple it is to modify. It tastes fantastic with blackberries and yellow cake mix, but you can add different fruits and flavors to suit your tastes.

Blackberry Dump Cake Ingredients

• Fresh blackberries: Ripe, juicy blackberries are the star ingredient of blackberry recipes like this easy dump cake. It tastes best with in-season blackberries that are tender and plump. That said, the heat and sugar will soften and sweeten the berries, so you can really make this cake any time of year.
• Sugar: There’s no need to seek out fancy sugars. Plain white granulated sugar is all you’ll need for this recipe.
• Lemon juice: A squeeze of lemon adds a bright acidity to the sweet berries. You can squeeze fresh lemons or use bottled lemon juice.
• Yellow cake mix: Pick up a regular-sized box of your favorite boxed cake mix.
• Butter: Butter adds richness to the cake, but meltable vegan butter also works.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the berries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Evenly spread the blackberries across the bottom of a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle them with sugar and lemon juice, and stir gently to mix.

Step 2: Layer with cake mix

Sprinkle the cake mix across the top of the berries.

Step 3: Finish with the butter

Evenly arrange the butter over the top.

Step 4: Bake

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Bake until the cake is golden brown and the berries are bubbly, about 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm, with ice cream if you like.

Recipe Variations

• Make it gluten-free: Swap in gluten-free cake mix to make this an easy gluten-free dessert recipe.
• Change the cake mix: Try another flavor of cake mix, such as white cake mix or butter cake mix.
• Use another type of fruit: Most fresh berries would taste great in this dump cake. Think raspberries, blueberries, pitted cherries or a mix. Chopped apples or peaches would be delicious, too. You can even use thawed frozen fruit or drained canned fruit like pineapple or cherries. Just avoid watery fruits like fresh strawberries or watermelon.

How to Store Blackberry Dump Cake

Store leftover blackberry dump cake in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Can you freeze blackberry dump cake?

You can freeze blackberry cobbler dump cake for up to three months. Once the cake is cooled completely, freeze it directly in the baking pan by wrapping it in a layer of storage wrap and foil. Or transfer the cake to a freezer-safe container. Defrost the cake in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in the oven or microwave.

Blackberry Dump Cake Tips

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What mistakes should you avoid when making a dump cake?

Most dump cake recipes are pretty foolproof, but it would be a mistake to stir or mix the ingredients. Remember that dump cake isn’t made like a traditional cake: It’s layered rather than mixed. Instead of stirring in the boxed cake mix, just sprinkle over the fruit. As the oven heats, the butter topping will melt down, and the fruit juices will bubble up. All that liquid will make the boxed mix puff up into a tasty cake.

Another common dump cake mistake involves the butter topping. Unevenly distributing the butter can result in dry patches of cake. Take extra care when placing the pieces of butter across the top.

What can you serve with blackberry dump cake?

This dump cake is delicious with ice cream. Plain vanilla is classic, but don’t be afraid to experiment with butter pecan, caramel, butterscotch or pistachio flavors. You can also top it with homemade whipped cream or serve the fruity cake alongside a scoop of plain yogurt to enjoy dessert for breakfast!