This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Pineapple Dump Cake has all the flavors of a pineapple upside-down cake, without the hassle. Only 5 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time. Serve with ice cream and maraschino cherries for a nostalgic treat!
Love pineapple? Try my Fresh Pineapple Salsa and a Pineapple Margarita next!
Table of Contents
Dump cakes are such an easy dessert and perfect when you don’t have a lot of time to prep. You should also try my Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake and Pumpkin Dump Cake! Just as easy, and just as delicious!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Doctor Up a Boxed Cake Mix – This is one of those recipes that is such an impressive hack! Only a few ingredients make a boxed cake mix taste like it’s completely from scratch.
- Only 5 Simple Ingredients – Easy to find ingredients you may have already on hand.
- Super Moist and Flavorful – Adding crushed pineapple to a cake batter not only adds a fun tropical flavor but it makes it super moist and tender too.
- No Mixing Required – No need to mix up the batter, just dump and layer the ingredients in the pan and bake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Canned Crushed Pineapple – Buy the kind that is in 100% juice with no sugar added, not syrup. For other recipes using crushed pineapple try this Cranberry Fluff Salad or Hawaiian Monkey Bread.
- Vanilla Extract – This is a key ingredient to add flavor to many baked goods!
- Dark Brown Sugar – Be sure to pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup to get an accurate measurement. Light brown sugar can also be used instead.
- Boxed Yellow Cake Mix – Use your favorite brand!
- Melted Butter – I used salted butter, so if you use unsalted butter you may want to want to add a pinch of salt.
- For Serving – I love to pair with vanilla ice cream and maraschino cherries to take it over the top!
How To Make Pineapple Dump Cake
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Prep – Start by getting the oven preheating and grease a 9×13” inch baking dish. You can either butter and then flour the pan or I like to use the baking spray that has flour added.
Add Vanilla to Pineapple – Start by mixing the vanilla right into one of the cans of crushed pineapple. This ensures that the vanilla gets evenly incorporated. Then pour both cans of crushed pineapple into the bottom of the greased baking pan.
Dump Ingredients – Next, evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the pineapple layer followed by an even sprinkle of the cake mix. Finally, pour the melted butter over the top of everything. Make sure you get into the corners and edges. No need to mix or stir!
Bake – Pop the pan into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for about an hour. The cake is done when the top is golden brown around the edges.
Serve – I like to serve while the cake is still warm, with ice cream and cherries on top!
Variations
- Add Nuts – You can add in ¼ cup of chopped pecans with the brown sugar for an extra crunch! Walnuts are also great.
- Other Canned Pineapple – You can also use pineapple tidbits if you can’t find crushed pineapple. If you can only find pineapple in heavy syrup, omit the brown sugar.
- Other Cake Mix – You could sub spiced cake mix for the yellow cake mix for a version with warm spices. White cake will also work just fine.
Expert Tips
- Spread ingredients evenly – Make sure to evenly spread the pineapple into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle the cake mix on top for even baking.
- How do you tell when the dump cake is done? The best way to tell if your cake is done is to bake until it is golden brown, doesn’t jiggle when you shake the pan (a sign of wet batter in the middle). You can also try inserting a toothpick just into the cake layer and if only moist crumbs appear then it’s cooked all the way through.
- Grease the Pan – Whenever making any cake, it’s important to grease the pan well for easier slicing and serving. I like to either rub a stick of butter on the surface or use a nonstick cooking spray with flour.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Pineapple Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 40 ounces Crushed pineapple in 100% juice, no sugar added, 2 (20-ounce) cans
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup salted butter, melted 2 sticks
- Vanilla ice cream and maraschino cherries for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan.
- Mix the vanilla extract into one of the cans of crushed pineapple until well combined. Evenly pour the cans of pineapple into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the pineapple, followed by evenly sprinkling the cake mix.
- Evenly pour the melted butter over the top, making sure to get into the edges and corners of the pan. Place the pan in the oven, uncovered and bake for 50-60 minutes and the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling.
- Serve warm scoops of the dump cake with vanilla ice cream and maraschino cherries.
