Slow-Cooker Dump Cake

Crockpot dump cake is our go-to dessert when we need something simple and sweet. It’s just as easy as any slow-cooker cake recipe (maybe even more so thanks to the dump cake method) and exudes the tropical, tart and sweet brown sugar flavor of pineapple upside-down cake.

All you need to do is layer the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it do its thing for two hours. Spoon servings of the pineapple upside-down dump cake into bowls and serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s just as effortless as it sounds.

Ingredients for Crockpot Dump Cake

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• Butter: You’ll need 1/2 cup melted butter for the bottom of the cake and 1/4 cup melted butter to drizzle on top of the cake mix.
• Brown sugar: Butter and brown sugar caramelize the pineapple in a classic pineapple upside-down cake.
• Maraschino cherries: No pineapple upside-down cake is complete without sweet, ruby-red maraschino cherries dotted throughout. Drain off the liquid before adding them to the slow-cooker dump cake.
• Pecans: Chop and toast the nuts before adding them to the cake. Toasting pecans brings out their natural sugars and nutty flavor.
• Canned pineapple: You may be used to buying canned pineapple slices for your pineapple upside-down cakes, but you’ll need crushed pineapple or pineapple tidbits for this recipe. The extra juice hydrates the dry cake mix.
• Yellow cake mix: Go for the best yellow cake mix you can find in the baking aisle. The taste, texture and quality make all the difference in this crockpot dump cake.
• Vanilla ice cream: Stick with a tub from the store or try your hand at homemade vanilla ice cream.

Directions

Step 1: Make the butter and sugar base

In a microwave, melt 1/2 cup of butter, then stir in the brown sugar. Spread the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a greased 5-quart slow cooker.

Step 2: Add the cherries and pecans

Sprinkle the maraschino cherries and toasted chopped pecans evenly over the butter and sugar mixture.

Step 3: Layer the pineapple

Add the entire can of the pineapple, with its juices, on top of the cherries and pecans.

Step 4: Add the cake mix

Sprinkle the top evenly with the dry cake mix.

Editor’s Tip: It will look a bit odd and unfinished not stirred with the other ingredients, but don’t worry! This is the tried-and-true dump cake method.

Step 5: Pour the butter

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter, and evenly drizzle it over the top.

Step 6: Slow-cook the cake

Cover the crockpot and cook the cake on high for two hours, or until the fruit mixture is bubbly.

Test Kitchen Tip: To avoid scorching, rotate the slow cooker’s insert a half turn midway through cooking, lifting carefully with oven mitts.

Step 7: Serve the cake

Turn off the slow cooker and let the pineapple upside-down dump cake cool, uncovered, for 30 minutes before serving. If you’d like, top each bowl with a scoop of ice cream.

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Recipe Variations

• Use your favorite cake mix: You certainly don’t have to stick with yellow cake mix here. There’s a whole world of boxed cake mix flavors to try. Not every flavor in the aisle will work (looking at you, spiced cake mix), but lemon, butter, French vanilla and pineapple can be used confidently.
• Mix and match fruits: Not a pineapple lover? Grab an equally sized can of pie filling to use in its place. Cherry, blueberry and strawberry are excellent alternatives.
• Replace the cherries: In place of the maraschino cherries, use fresh fruit like raspberries, peaches, apricots, strawberries, blackberries, rhubarb or blueberries.

How to Store Crockpot Dump Cake

First, let the slow-cooker dump cake cool to room temperature, then transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for up to four days. We love to reheat these leftovers in the microwave to warm up the buttery brown sugar goodness!

Crockpot Dump Cake Tips

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What size crockpot should I use?

Our slow-cooker dump cake recipe uses a 5-quart crockpot. However, you can use a 4-quart and bake the dump cake a bit longer than the recipe suggests. You could also get away with a slightly larger crockpot than a 5-quart and reduce the cooking time.

Can I make this without a crockpot?

You sure can! In fact, dump cake recipes are usually baked in the oven. Assemble this recipe in a 13×9-inch baking dish, then bake the dump cake in a 350°F oven until the cake is golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.