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Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe
If you love rich chocolate, juicy cherries, and easy desserts that basically bake themselves, this Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe is going to be your new “company’s coming” secret weapon.
Meet Your New Favorite Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe
This Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe is a shortcut spin on classic German Black Forest cake—without the layers, the fuss, or the frosting drama. Instead of baking a traditional black forest cake recipe from scratch, we use pantry staples like boxed cake mix, canned cherry pie filling, and melted butter to create a simple chocolate cherry dump cake that still feels special and festive.
It tastes like a warm, gooey chocolate cherry cake with that nostalgic cherry pie filling dessert vibe. I love serving this when I want something that looks like I spent all afternoon in the kitchen, but I really threw it together in about 10 minutes. It’s perfect for holidays, potlucks, or those Sunday dinners when you want a cozy german black forest dessert without breaking out a stand mixer.
I started making this for my kids when they were teenagers and constantly bringing home “just a few” friends. You know what? Teenagers will devour anything with chocolate and cherries, but the adults always go back for seconds too. Top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and suddenly this easy dump cake becomes the star of the table.
Why You’ll Love This Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe
- Ridiculously easy: This is true “dump cake” style—no mixing bowls, no electric mixer, very little cleanup.
- Just a few ingredients: You can make this as a 3 ingredient dump cake (cherry pie filling, cake mix, butter) or add a couple of easy extras for even more flavor.
- Uses pantry staples: Canned cherry pie filling and boxed cake mix mean you can keep everything on hand for dessert emergencies.
- Crowd-pleasing flavor: Think classic black forest dessert recipe—chocolate, cherries, and cream—but with a rustic, spoonable twist.
- Flexible and forgiving: Overbake it a bit? It’s still good. Don’t spread the cake mix perfectly? It still works. This recipe loves you back.
- Easy to scale: Double the recipe in a larger pan for potlucks, or halve it for a smaller family dessert.
- Great make-ahead dessert: Tastes even better after it sits and the flavors mingle; reheats beautifully.
- Customizable: Gluten-free cake mix, sugar-free pie filling, or dairy-free butter substitute all work well.
Ingredients for This Easy Dump Cake
Here’s everything you’ll need for this simple chocolate cherry dump cake. I’ll add notes and suggestions as we go, like we’re chatting across my kitchen island.
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2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling
- Look for a good-quality brand with lots of whole cherries. If the filling seems very thick, you can stir in 1–2 tablespoons water.
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2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional but highly recommended)
- This deepens that chocolate flavor so it leans more “black forest cake” than “cherry cobbler.” Hershey’s cocoa powder works great.
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1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
- Devil’s food cake mix gives you rich chocolate flavor. Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker, or Pillsbury all work.
- You can also use a regular chocolate or dark chocolate fudge cake mix.
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1/2 cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
- These melt into little pockets of chocolate, giving you that moist, fudgy chocolate cherry cake texture.
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3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks / 170 g) unsalted butter, melted
- Salted butter works too—just skip any extra salt. Melt it and let it cool slightly so it pours easily.
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
- Stirred into the cherry pie filling, this adds a nice warm bakery flavor.
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Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
- Traditional Black Forest cake often uses whipped cream, but honestly, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on warm cake? Heaven.
Substitution ideas:
- Use gluten-free chocolate cake mix for a gluten-free version.
- Try sugar-free cherry pie filling if you’re watching sugar.
- Swap in vegan butter and a dairy-free cake mix for a dairy-free version.
Step-by-Step Directions (So Easy, It Feels Like Cheating)
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Preheat the oven and prep your pan.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. This keeps the edges from sticking and makes cleanup a lot easier. -
Build the cherry layer.
Open both cans of cherry pie filling and spoon them into the baking dish. Add the vanilla extract (if using) and gently stir right in the pan to blend. Spread the filling into an even layer, all the way to the corners. -
Add a little extra chocolate.
Sprinkle the cocoa powder evenly over the cherry layer. It doesn’t need to be perfect—just dust it across the top. The cherries will bake up with a deeper chocolate-cherry flavor that feels closer to a traditional black forest cake recipe. -
Sprinkle on the cake mix.
Open the box of chocolate cake mix and sprinkle the dry mix evenly over the cherries. Try to cover all the fruit, but don’t stress if a little cherry peeks through. No mixing—just sprinkle. That’s the “dump cake” magic. -
Add chocolate chips for gooey goodness.
Scatter the semisweet chocolate chips across the dry cake mix. They’ll melt as it bakes and give you that luscious, fudgy center, almost like a warm brownie meets cherry pie. -
Drizzle on the butter.
Slowly pour the melted butter over the cake mix, trying to cover as much of the dry mix as you can. Some little dry patches are okay; steam from the cherries will help hydrate them as it bakes. If you see large dry spots, you can add 2–3 extra tablespoons of melted butter. -
Bake until bubbly and golden.
Bake on the center rack for 35–45 minutes, or until the top looks mostly set and some areas are lightly browned. You’ll see the cherry pie filling bubbling up around the edges, which is what you want. The center should look dry on top but still feel soft when you lightly press it with a spoon. -
Let it rest (the hardest part!).
Remove the pan from the oven and let the black forest dump cake cool for at least 15–20 minutes. This rest time lets the cherry filling thicken a bit and makes scooping much easier. It’s still delicious if you’re impatient—but it’ll be a little messier. -
Serve with something creamy.
Spoon warm servings into bowls and top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A few fresh cherries or chocolate shavings on top make it look restaurant-fancy with almost no effort.
Servings & Timing
- Yield: About 10–12 servings (depending on how big you scoop)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Bake Time: 35–45 minutes
- Rest Time: 15–20 minutes
- Total Time: About 1 hour 10 minutes from pantry to table
This makes enough for a family gathering or small potluck; if you’re feeding a big crowd, you can bake two pans side by side.
Fun Variations on This Black Forest Dessert Recipe
You know what I love about an easy dump cake like this? You can play with it. Here are some of my favorite twists:
- “Adult” Black Forest Dump Cake: Stir 1–2 tablespoons of kirsch (cherry liqueur) or brandy into the cherry pie filling for a grown-up version.
- Extra-Chocolate Fudge Version: Use dark chocolate cake mix, add 1/4 cup extra chocolate chips, and drizzle warm hot fudge over each serving.
- Gluten-Free Black Forest Dump Cake: Use gluten-free chocolate cake mix and double-check that your pie filling is certified gluten-free.
- Nutty Crunch Topping: Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds over the cake mix for a crunchy, toasty top.
- Black Forest “Brownie” Dump Cake: Use brownie mix instead of cake mix; the texture will be richer and denser, like a brownie-cherry hybrid.
- Lower-Sugar Version: Choose no-sugar-added cherry pie filling and a reduced-sugar chocolate cake mix, then skip the chocolate chips or use dark chocolate with higher cocoa content.
How to Store & Reheat Your Dump Cake
This black forest dump cake recipe is wonderful fresh, but it also keeps nicely for a few days—great news if you like to bake ahead.
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Room temperature:
Let the cake cool completely, then cover the pan tightly with foil or plastic wrap. It can sit at room temperature for up to 1 day. -
Refrigerator:
For longer storage, refrigerate covered leftovers for 3–4 days. The texture will get a bit denser, but the flavor gets even deeper and more “black forest cake”-like. -
Freezer:
You can freeze portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm before serving. -
Reheating:
- Oven: Warm the whole pan, covered with foil, at 300°F (150°C) for about 15–20 minutes.
- Microwave: Reheat individual portions for 30–45 seconds, just until warm and soft.
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Make-ahead tip:
Bake earlier in the day, let it cool, and then reheat gently before serving. It holds up very well and still tastes homemade and cozy.
Notes From My Kitchen (Little Things That Matter)
- Don’t overthink the layers. Dump cakes are meant to be rustic. If your cake mix doesn’t look perfectly even, it’s okay; everything settles in the oven.
- Butter coverage is key. Dry pockets of cake mix can stay a bit powdery, so take a minute to drizzle the butter slowly and evenly. If you’re worried, you can gently press the cake mix with a spatula to help it soak up moisture.
- Let it rest. I know, no one loves waiting on dessert. But 15–20 minutes of cooling makes a huge difference in texture—it goes from soupy to spoonable.
- For prettier servings: Chill the baked cake in the fridge for 2–3 hours, then cut into squares and warm individual pieces. The edges will look cleaner.
- Watch your oven. Every oven runs a little different (my 20-year-old one sure does). Start checking at 35 minutes; the cake is done when the top is mostly dry and the cherries bubble around the edges.
- Balance the sweetness. This is definitely a sweet dessert. Serving it with unsweetened whipped cream or a less-sweet vanilla ice cream helps balance everything nicely.
FAQs About Black Forest Dump Cake
1. What is a dump cake, exactly?
A dump cake is a super-easy dessert where you “dump” ingredients—usually canned fruit, dry cake mix, and butter—into a pan and bake, with no mixing bowls and minimal prep.
2. Can I use fresh cherries instead of pie filling?
You can, but you’ll need to cook them with sugar and a little cornstarch first to mimic the texture and sweetness of cherry pie filling. Using canned cherry pie filling keeps this an easy dump cake.
3. My cake mix stayed dry in spots—what happened?
Usually that means there wasn’t quite enough moisture or butter in that area. Next time, try adding 2–3 extra tablespoons of melted butter or gently pressing the dry mix into the cherry layer before baking.
4. Can I make this Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe ahead for a party?
Yes—bake it earlier in the day or up to one day ahead. Store covered in the fridge and warm it in a low oven before serving. Add whipped cream or ice cream just before bringing it to the table.
5. Is this recipe good with other flavors of pie filling?
It is! While cherries are classic for a black forest dessert recipe, you can experiment with raspberry, blackberry, or even a mixed berry filling for a fun twist.
6. Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Layer the ingredients the same way in a greased slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours, or until the top looks set and the edges are bubbly.
7. Does boxed cake mix recipe dessert really taste homemade?
Thanks to the cherry filling, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, this chocolate cherry dump cake tastes rich and comforting, with plenty of homemade flavor—most folks won’t guess how easy it was.
8. How do I keep leftovers from getting soggy?
Cool the cake completely before covering, and store it in the fridge. Reheating in the oven instead of the microwave helps revive the texture.
Final Thoughts & A Little Nudge to Bake
This Black Forest Dump Cake Recipe takes everything we love about classic black forest cake—the chocolate, the cherries, the cream—and tucks it into a fuss-free, family-friendly dessert that anyone can pull off on a busy weeknight. It’s cozy, nostalgic, and just a little bit fancy when you dress it up with whipped cream and a few chocolate curls.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out—tell me in the comments what you served it with and whether your crew liked it as much as mine does. And if easy desserts are your thing, make sure you explore more of my simple dump cake and cherry pie filling dessert recipes next; there’s a whole world of “mix, bake, and relax” waiting for you.
Black Forest Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cans (21 oz each) cherry pie filling good-quality, with plenty of whole cherries
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder optional but recommended, to deepen chocolate flavor
- 1 box (15.25 oz) chocolate cake mix devil’s food, dark chocolate, or regular chocolate
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted; about 1 1/2 sticks (170 g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional, stirred into cherry filling
- Whipped cream for serving
- Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional alternative to whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Spoon both cans of cherry pie filling into the prepared baking dish. Add the vanilla extract, if using, and gently stir right in the pan to combine. Spread the cherry filling into an even layer, all the way to the corners.
- Sprinkle the unsweetened cocoa powder evenly over the cherry layer. It doesn’t need to be perfect; just dust it across the top to deepen the chocolate-cherry flavor.
- Open the box of chocolate cake mix and sprinkle the dry mix evenly over the cherries and cocoa. Try to cover all of the fruit, but don’t worry if a little cherry filling peeks through. Do not mix.
- Scatter the semisweet chocolate chips evenly over the dry cake mix. They will melt into the cake as it bakes, creating gooey, fudgy pockets of chocolate.
- Slowly pour the melted butter over the surface of the cake mix, trying to cover as much of the dry mix as possible. Some small dry patches are fine; steam from the cherry filling will help moisten them. If you see large dry areas, drizzle on 2–3 extra tablespoons of melted butter if desired.
- Bake on the center rack for 35–45 minutes, or until the top looks mostly set and lightly browned in spots. The cherry filling should be bubbling up around the edges. The center should look dry on top but still feel soft when gently pressed with a spoon.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the dump cake cool for 15–20 minutes. This rest time allows the cherry filling to thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop clean servings.
- Spoon warm portions into bowls and top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Garnish with fresh cherries or chocolate shavings if desired, and serve immediately.
