Jim it's no joke!

You just dump a can of cherry pie filling in a 9x13 pan. The dump in a reg lg can of crushed pineapple (in syrup). Dump a yellow dry cake mix...well, actually sprinkle...over the filling and drizzel a stick of melted butter over the whole thing. Don't stir it up or anything like that. Bake in a 375 oven...about 30-40 min. I'm doing this by memory.

There are all kinds of variations but that the basic recipe. I've liked it forever. It's really more like a crisp than anything. I make my own cherry pie filling and sometimes don't even bother with the pineapple. It's the only reason you will fine a cake mix in the pantry.

Nancy

OK. I've found anyone named Nancy to be absolutely reliable. So I will try again, following your instructions exactly.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Replies from Kathies, Pams, Glorias, Susans and others are also welcome.

Jim

When I saw this, it reminded me of this pumpkin dessert that someone brought into work a few weeks ago. I haven't made it - but I've eaten it, and it's pretty good! From Southern Living, I think.

Pumpkin Crisp
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (18.25-ounce) package butter-flavored yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture; sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drizzle butter evenly over pecans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream and nutmeg, if desired.

Jim, I've done dump cake just like Nancy, but we usually bake it in a dutch oven, it's camping food. My girls liked anything cooked over a fire and served outdoors!

We liked peach filling and spice cake mix....

Annie

Jim, take heart this recipe is easy and delicious! We prefer using sliced peaches in our recipe.
1 29 oz jar sliced peaches w/juice(we also may add more peaches if it looks skimpy in the pan)
1 stick butter-melted
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Dump peaches and juice into 9X13" baking pan. Shake dry cake mix evenly over peaches. Drizzle melted butter over cake mix. Shake coconut over melted butter, next comes the nuts. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. Serve cake warm with ice cream or whipped topping. Enjoy! NancyLouise

I made an apple spice dump cake a couple years ago. I will not make another again. It was way too sweet. I'd rather make an apple crisp. I tried another dump cake, didn't like that one either.

Oooh, Virginia, I think that recipe is from the Food Network, Paula Deen? I've made it with bananas and pineapple too. Absolutely decadent. Never made the dump cake, but I think my kids would like it.

another Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

I wouldn't call it a "cake." It's more like a gooey cobbler. It looks like a "crisp" but should more appropriately be called a "mush." I still like it. It's best warm from the oven or cold with whipped cream. Diabetic coma to follow! (I haven't had it since I worked at a camp in the '80's.)

Like khandi, it is not my favorite. I find it too sweet also. But, lots of people like really sweet sruff. All in know is, I have eaten at Nancy's kitchen table many times, and whatever recipe she posts is a guaranteed recipe. I would definitely give hers a try. Those pumpkin recipes that are posted I have had also. They are good too. :-)

Keep it up Sherry, you'll get invited again!!! TY!

Perhaps my expectations were off target. I was expecting something more resembling cake. Also, perhaps my recipe was not the best.

On the rare occasions when I have dessert, I do like somethin sweet and gooey. For example, a very sweet and tart apple crisp fills the bill. So I will try again, using one of the recipes above. Thanks for the help everybody.

Jim

If a bar cookie would be acceptable instead of a cake, Seven Layer cookie bars are an easy "dump" type recipe with a chewy result. They aren't overly sweet and I like them a lot. I'm not a great fan of coconut but it really works in this recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seven layer cookie bars

I took a class in NYC a couple years ago and we made this version of dump cake. A bit different technique than just dumping (we did use a whisk!) this recipe was made with Plum's - the class was a Greenmarket Class and the plums were lovely that day, so that's what we used - Anyway, this is what I wrote down that day... but I've made it with peaches and berries, too.

Dump Cake
From Peter Berley, Natural Gourmet Market Cooking class
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg(s)
1 large egg yolk(s)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1/4 pound butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp almonds
8 small plum(s)

instructions
Whisk sugar, egg, milk, salt, baking powder and vanilla together in one bowl.

Melt 1 stick of butter and let cool.
Gradually add butter to egg mixture.
Grind almonds.
Whisk in flour and ground almond to equal 1 cup.

Pour into 9 in cake or tart pan and put ripe fruit on top, completely covering the batter.
Bake 45 minutes at 350 (40 minutes in our oven!)

Notes
You can use any fruit you want... plums, peaches, berries... etc. In class we had peaches and blueberries. If you use harder fruit like apples or pears, steam them to soften before adding to the batter. Season this cake anyway you like. Add citrus zest, or cinnamon or nutmeg, depending on the fruit.

in class we used 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and 1/2 unbleached white flour.

Peter Berley, our instructor, has a couple of great looking cookbooks out as well. I've got his Flexitarian cookbook on my wish list The Flexitarian Table: Inspired, Flexible Meals for Vegetarians, Meat Lovers, and Everyone inBetween :)