Now, before you start thinking this is just another dessert trend that’ll have you running to the store for a dozen obscure ingredients, let me stop you right there. The beauty of a dump cake, especially when you bring frozen fruit into the mix, is its simplicity. It’s the kind of recipe that whispers sweet nothings to busy weeknights and last-minute dessert panics. It’s the superhero of the dessert world, coming to your rescue when you’ve forgotten about the school bake sale or the office potluck until the eleventh hour.
But wait, it gets better. Using frozen fruit not only adds a burst of flavor and a sneaky serving of fruit (shh, we won’t tell if you don’t), but it also means you can whip up this masterpiece any time of the year. Who says you can’t enjoy a taste of summer in the middle of winter?
Table of Contents
How to make Dump Cake With Frozen Fruit
Dump cake with frozen fruit is a simple dessert recipe where you “dump” various ingredients into a baking dish and then bake it. The base typically consists of a cake mix, like a yellow cake mix or white cake mix, which is sprinkled over the frozen fruit.
Ingredients
- Frozen fruit (about 4 cups): Think berries, cherries, or a tropical mix. Whatever tickles your fancy or, frankly, whatever’s lurking in your freezer.
- 1 box of cake mix: Vanilla, white, yellow, or even spice cake mix. Choose your adventure.
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup): Because butter makes everything better, right?
- Optional extras: A sprinkle of sugar or cinnamon over your fruit, or maybe some chopped nuts or chocolate chips sprinkled over the cake mix for an extra surprise.
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). You and your oven need to be on the same page here. A good relationship with your oven means a good bake.
- Grease your baking dish: Either a deep 9×13 inch pan or something similar. Let’s not have any of that cake sticking, shall we?
- Spread the frozen fruit onto the bottom of your dish. No need to thaw it; just spread it around like you’re painting a fruity, colorful masterpiece.
- Sprinkle the cake mix directly over the fruit. That’s right, just dump it on. No mixing bowl needed. We’re breaking the rules and it feels good!
- Dot the butter: Cut your stick of butter into small pieces and distribute them evenly over the cake mix. Think of it as buttery confetti.
- Bake: Slide your masterpiece into the oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the top is gloriously golden and bubbly.
- Cool and serve: Give it some time to cool down before you dive in. It’s going to be tough, but it’s worth the wait. Serve it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for maximum joy.
Pro Tips:
- Mix it up: Feel free to get creative with your fruit and cake mix combinations. Peach and yellow cake? Berry and chocolate cake? The world is your oyster.
- Get saucy: For an extra juicy cake, splash a bit of fruit juice or even soda over the cake mix before baking. It adds moisture and zing.
- Crunch factor: Want a bit of a crunch in your crust? Sprinkle some oats or crushed nuts on the top before baking.
What to serve with
When you pull that warm, fragrant dish out of the oven, a stand-alone slice is delightful, but why not jazz it up a bit? After all, life’s too short for naked cake!
Ice cream
A scoop of good vanilla on the side of your dump cake is basically the stuff of legends. It’s like a warm hug and a cool high-five at the sublime same time. As that ice cream starts to melt, lazily meandering through the valleys of the fruity, crumbly cake, get ready for your tastebuds to start high-fiving each other.
Greek yogurt
For those of you who lean towards the tangy side, a spoonful of Greek yogurt could be your ticket. It adds a little sass to your sweet and your gut will be nodding in approval. We’re talking about that good balance of indulgence and a nod to health.
Sauce
If you’re thinking, “But wait, there’s more,” well, you’re right. Because there’s always room for sauce. Caramel, chocolate, or even a berry coulis can turn your dump cake into a masterpiece of flavors and textures. Drizzle or pour, artistically or with wild abandon, it’s your masterpiece after all.
Nuts
why not throw in some nuts for crunch? Toasted pecans or slivered almonds can add a bit of ‘oomph’ to each bite. Get them in a skillet for a couple of minutes until they’re singing with toasty goodness before you sprinkle them over the cake.
Ingredients Substitutes
Let’s face it, sometimes our pantries throw us curveballs, and we’ve got to swing with what we’ve got. So, whether you’re out of a key ingredient or just feeling like a kitchen rebel today, I’ve got the deets on how to swap ingredients in your dump cake without causing a culinary catastrophe.
The Cake Mix Switch-Up
Staring at your shelf and the yellow cake mix box is MIA? No sweat! Any cake mix can take center stage here. Chocolate, spice, even lemon – they’re all ready to step up and shine. The cool part? Each one brings its own vibe to the party, changing the flavor tune of your dump cake. Just imagine a cherry chocolate dump cake. Yep, it’s as dreamy as it sounds.
Frozen, Fresh, or Canned Fruit
So, the idea revolves around frozen fruit, but guess what? Fresh or canned fruit (drained, of course) can waltz right into that baking dish, no questions asked. If you’re whipping up this dessert on the fly and all you’ve got is a can of peaches or a bunch of fresh berries begging to be used, you’re all set. The magic of dump cake is its no-fuss, all-flavour attitude.
Butter
Butter’s the classic choice—dots of it melting into the cake mix, creating pockets of golden goodness. But let’s say you open the fridge, and it’s a butter-free zone. Time for Plan B: oil. Yep, a drizzle of vegetable oil over the cake mix can work in a pinch. Or you could get fancy with melted coconut oil, adding a subtle, tropical twist to your creation.
Final Thoughts
Making a dump cake with frozen fruit is as easy as well dumping ingredients into a pan. It’s a foolproof way to satisfy your sweet tooth and impress your friends — without breaking a sweat.
More Dump Cake Recipes:
Ingredients
- Frozen fruit (about 4 cups
- 1 box of cake mix
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
- Optional extras
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). You and your oven need to be on the same page here. A good relationship with your oven means a good bake.
- Grease your baking dish: Either a deep 9x13 inch pan or something similar. Let's not have any of that cake sticking, shall we?
- Spread the frozen fruit onto the bottom of your dish. No need to thaw it; just spread it around like you're painting a fruity, colorful masterpiece.
- Sprinkle the cake mix directly over the fruit. That's right, just dump it on. No mixing bowl needed. We're breaking the rules and it feels good!
- Dot the butter: Cut your stick of butter into small pieces and distribute them evenly over the cake mix. Think of it as buttery confetti.
- Bake: Slide your masterpiece into the oven for about 45-50 minutes or until the top is gloriously golden and bubbly.
- Cool and serve: Give it some time to cool down before you dive in. It's going to be tough, but it's worth the wait. Serve it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for maximum joy.
