Dessert

Cherry Chocolate Comfort Dump Cake

The easiest dessert here. Dump it in, walk away, come back to cherry chocolate cake.

Prep 3 min HIGH 2–2½ hours Serves 8

Cherry Chocolate Comfort Dump Cake, finished and plated — Serving suggestion

A dump cake is exactly what the name says. Fruit on the bottom, dry mix over it, butter on top, no stirring, no mixing bowl. It's the least amount of work that still produces something people describe as homemade.

The no-stirring rule is structural, not lazy. The dry mix has to sit as a layer on top of the fruit so it can absorb moisture from below and butter from above. Stir it and you get a wet, uniform paste that never sets.

There's almond extract powder in the packet, which is the traditional partner for cherry. It's why this tastes like cherry pie filling rather than just cherries.

Why you'll love it

Three minutes of prep.

The fastest thing in this book by a wide margin.

No bowl, no mixer, no stirring.

Everything goes straight into the pot.

Almond and cherry, properly paired.

The combination that makes cherry desserts taste like cherry desserts.

Impossible to get wrong.

As long as you don't stir it.

What's already in the packet

Chocolate cake mix baseGranulated sugarBrown sugar powderDark cocoa powderCornstarchAlmond extract powderBaking powderFine sea saltVanilla powder

A chocolate cake base with cocoa and a little almond extract powder — the traditional partner for cherry.

Choose your setting

This one cooks on HIGH

HIGH · 2–2½ hours

Desserts cook on HIGH. Put a paper towel under the lid to catch condensation.

Done when

Top is dry to the touch and set after 15 minutes uncovered.

You'll Need

1 packet Cook SLO Cherry Chocolate Comfort Dump Cake
2 cans (21 oz) Cherry pie filling
½ cup Butter, melted

What you add

2 cans

Cherry pie filling

½ cup

Melted butter

Desserts cook on HIGH. Paper towel under the lid

Toppings & mix-ins

Vanilla ice creamWhipped creamChocolate chipsSliced almondsFresh cherries

A handful of chocolate chips scattered on top in the last 15 minutes melts into the surface beautifully.

Tonight's Plan

1
Pour the cherry pie filling into the crock pot and spread it flat.
Straight from the can. Both cans.
2
Sprinkle the whole packet evenly over the cherries and do not stir.
The dry layer has to stay on top. That's what becomes cake.
3
Drizzle the melted butter over the dry powder.
Cover as much of the surface as you can. Uncovered powder stays floury.
4
Put the lid on.
Paper towel underneath to catch the steam.

Right before you serve

Finishing touches

Take the lid off for the last 15 minutes.

This sets the top and dries the surface.

Let it stand 10 minutes, then spoon into bowls.

Straight from the pot it's molten.

Stirring

Do not stir once the lid is on

Cakes, cobblers and puddings set in layers. Stirring collapses the separation between the cake and the sauce underneath, and you end up with one uniform wet layer instead of two good ones.

Swaps and add-ins

Use a different filling.

Blueberry, peach or apple all work the same way.

Add chocolate chips.

Half a cup on top in the last 15 minutes.

Add sliced almonds.

Over the top before cooking. Cherry and almond is the classic pairing.

Make it black forest.

A splash of kirsch over the cherries before the powder goes on.

Tips for success

Never stir a dump cake. This is the entire technique. The layers must stay separate.
Cover the powder with butter as evenly as you can. Any dry patches stay powdery and floury after cooking.
Paper towel under the lid. Fruit filling steams heavily and it will drip onto the top.
Drop in a liner before anything else. Smooth it against the sides and fold the edges over the rim. When you're done, lift it out and throw it away — the crock never needs scrubbing.

Finish it right

Vanilla ice cream, while it's warm.

Warm fruit and cold ice cream. That contrast is the point.

Toasted sliced almonds.

They reinforce the almond in the packet and add crunch.

A little whipped cream.

Lighter than ice cream if the dessert already feels rich.

Serve it over

Warm with vanilla ice creamWith whipped creamWith sliced almonds on top

Tomorrow night

Warm it up.

Twenty seconds and it's nearly as good as fresh.

Dump cake parfaits.

Layered with whipped cream in a glass.

Over pancakes.

Spooned on top with a little cream.

Milkshake.

Blended with vanilla ice cream.

Keeping it

Fridge

Covered, up to 3 days

Freezer

2 months, though the topping softens.

Reheating

Microwave 20–30 seconds.

Questions people ask

Recipe card