From a name like gluten free Dump Cake, you might wonder why anyone would ever want to try this recipe. I agree. In fact, I really wanted to name it something else entirely (who names a recipe Dump Cake, after all!?) but that’s what it’s called and it’s not my fault.
Readers have asked me many times how to make a Dump Cake with my gfJules Flour, and I’ve never gotten around to trying it until now (maybe because it’s called a “Dump Cake”??!). It’s one of the world’s easiest desserts (a lot like my Easiest Gluten Free Dessert — which has a nice ring to it, actually), but more cake-y instead of more cookie-y.
The premise behind a Dump Cake is that you dump a cake mix on top of pie filling and call it a quick dessert. Since I don’t make a gluten free cake mix anymore, folks understandably were stumped as to how to make a gluten free dump cake from scratch.
I tried a couple variations (note: they were all good and all were eaten), and I don’t really think you can get this wrong if you use any of my gluten free cake recipes, treating the dry ingredients like a cake mix in itself.
What I’ve settled on as my favorite though, is the one I’ve shared below. You can double the topping if you like lots of cake, or leave it as is for a more fruit-forward approach.
It’s pictured in a 9×13 pan and I’ve doubled the cake mix/topping recipe for a higher cake/topping: fruit ratio, but you could easily just follow the recipe as written and use an 8×8 pan instead; move to the 9×13 if you like extra topping and decide to double the cake mix recipe below.
I’ve been excited to see lots of brands are now making pie filling without high fructose corn syrup, some even made with organic fruit! Here’s the one I found at my local grocery store. Of course, feel free to make your own pie filling instead.
Here’s my recipe for homemade cherry pie filling and my recipe for homemade apple pie filling.
However you decide to make it, whatever pie filling flavors you use, this is a recipe you’ll love to return to anytime you are short on time and need sweets for a crowd (summer picnics, BBQs, neighborhood get-togethers … so many great opportunities to show off this easy dessert!).
And … leftovers make delicious breakfast. But you didn’t hear that from me.
Easy Gluten Free Dump Cake
In only 10 minutes time, you could be sitting patiently by the oven waiting for this yummy gluten free dump cake / cobbler dessert to be bubbling and ready, hot out of the oven. Such an easy dessert with such yummy results!
Ingredients
Topping for 8x8 Pan
- 1 ½ cups (202.5 grams) gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1 cup minus 1 Tbs. granulated cane sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/3 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla powder or pure vanilla extract
Filling
- 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained (use 15 ounce can for 9x13 pan)
- 1 can (21 ounce) pie filling - cherry, blueberry, etc. - (I used Lucky Leaf)
- 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Oil pan or line with parchment paper.
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients for cake topping.
Empty full can of pineapple by dumping into prepared pan. Dump full can of pie filling on top with vanilla extract. Dump whisked dry ingredients on top.
Melt butter and drizzle on top of cake ingredients. Stir gently with a rubber spatula, if needed, to distribute evenly so the dry powder ingredients on top are mixed in at least slightly.
Bake for 1 hour or until fruit is bubbling and the cake is lightly browned.
Notes
The cake/topping recipe is easily doubled for 9x13 pan for a higher topping:fruit ratio.
Pin it for later!
I don’t like pineapple. Can something be substituted for it?
Hi Carolyn, check out some of the other comments for ideas. You can definitely make a sub with another fruit — it’s really mostly about adding an equal amount of moisture. Let me know what you end up using!
~jules
Thanks Jules. I read through the other comments. I think I will try 2 cans of peach pie filling since peach is my favorite. I love almond extract & cinnamon with baked peach creations so will probably add some & put pecans on top.
MMmmm almond extract with peach will be amazing!!! I can’t wait to hear how you like it, Carolyn!
~jules
Made the recipe with apples and no crushed pineapple (food allergy) and added in 1/4tsp of salt and it’s perfection.
Thank you so much for sharing your modification, Anneta! And so happy that it turned out so well!!! Perfection is, well, something that can’t be beat!!!!!
~jules
I’m confused… is the 1.5 cups of flour for 8X8 or 13X9 pan?
Hi – the 1 1/2 cups of gfJules Flour is for the 8×8 pan. If you’d like more topping, double the topping recipe and prepare a 9×13 pan instead. I hope that helps!
~jules
Thoughts on using over ripe fresh fruit along with the canned pineapple 🍍?
Hi Jennifer, it probably largely depends on which fruit you’re using, but as long as it tastes good on its own and there is liquid (or with some added sugar to help bring out the juices), in the same amount, it should work out!
~jules
Also I toppped my dump cake with a cup of whole pecans. Yummy.
Now that does sound good!
~jules
Ur comment section has grey text on white. Please change to black text for us older folk. Thanks.
Hmm, I’ll let our web developers know. Thanks Fran!
~jules
I’m so mad at myself. I baked a cherry dump cake for Fathers Day dessert but used a purchased cake mix with oat flour. It was awful. Nobody is eating it. I should know better by now. I’ve been using Jukes flour for years. The cake will be dumped into the garbage. Next time I bake ANYTHING I will
check out ur web site.
Aw Fran, so sorry that happened, but at least you know you can always come back here and grab great recipes and rely on my gfJules Flour for delicious results!!!! (there’s a silver lining!)
~jules
Hi Jules. If I want to try the dump cake but my son can’t eat pineapple, what can I substitute?
I’d try puréed canned fruit. All u need is something for the moisture.
Hi Linda – you can actually skip the pineapple and use more pie filling of another flavor or use about 12 ounces of another fruit juice. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe! Just so long as there’s enough liquid to wet the dry ingredients (no visible powder remains), you should be good.
~jules
Thank you for the comment (fellow reader) and replies (fellow reader and Jules!)! My husband is also allergic to pineapple, and this sounds like a great option.
To help make up for the liquid from the pineapple (which I’m not going to be using), could I use 1 can of cherries – with juice – and then add the cherry pie filling? Would that make it too runnyi?
Hi Connie, yes you could certainly do that! The goal really is to get enough liquid to add so that all the dry ingredients are touching some of the dry ingredients so there’s no powder left when it goes into the oven, so if you can add enough cherry juice, that will work. Depending on the kind of cherries you add, you may need to add a touch more sugar to balance the flavor profile, but that’s going to be up to your tastes. Enjoy!
~jules
Thanks!
Sure thing!
Do you advise using any natural sugar substitutes such as honey or maple syrup or coconut sugar?
Hi Cynthia, this is a very forgiving recipe, so much of it is up to your taste. Just make sure you’ve added enough liquid so all the flour ingredients have been mixed in and there’s no dry powder going into the oven. I’m never going to be one to say maple syrup would hurt a recipe, so … 🙂
~jules
No one is going to buy your flute when they are trying to cook something this weekend
@laura I’m assuming flute is supposed to be flour. If so, when you find a good thing you always make sure to have some on hand. This is the best flour out there for gluten free and Jules is always available via email when you need help with a recipe.
Thanks so much, Patti! I’m thrilled that you love it and know you can rely on my gfJules Flour for great results!
~jules
I used pumpkin a can of evaporated milk 2eggs 1 cup sugar and pumpkin pie spices of your choice. Followed the rest of receipt above and it was a hit at my home. Thanks 😊☺️
Wonderful to hear, Mary!! Thanks for letting me know!
~jules
Absolute best flour. I’ve used it for years, and nothing else compares…
So glad you’re enjoying my gfJules Flour, Cecilia! It makes me happy to know folks are using it and having such rewarding results!! I appreciate you taking the time to drop me a note and let me know!
~jules
Is this supposed to be the texture of a cake? Mine came out powdery
Hi LaNae, Sounds like maybe it wasn’t mixed well enough? If it’s still powdery when the fruit is added, I usually go through it with a rubber spatula to integrate it more before baking, because if there’s powder left before baking it won’t bake properly without touching the liquid. I’m guessing that’s what happened with yours. Maybe next time mix it in the pan a bit to get all the powder touching liquid before baking. Hope that tip helps!
~jules
I’d like to do this with Apple Pie filling and sprinkle the top with Cinnamon? Maybe some Nutmeg? Or what about pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top of the “cake mix”?
Any or all! They all sound wonderful, Venetia!
~jules
I used to make these 40 years ago and they were always a hit at pot lucks and picnics- and so darn easy too. Even drained canned sliced peaches work with the pineapple. I can still remember making it with cherry pie filling and a chocolate cake mix topping it with vanilla ice cream. – almost any combination works . Seem to remember mixing the melted butter with the cake mix in a bowl f first and then dump it on the pie filling. Sprinkled the top with cinnamon sugar for the apple pie.
Hi Sybil, yes any combo seems to work! I stir the melted butter into the cake mix on top of the filling before baking, but you could probably mix it in a bowl first. Give it a try!
~jules
Can’t wait to try it even though I’m supposed to start losing weight. It just looks too delicious not to make it. Not too sure where I will find natural pie filling but heading to Toronto soon and will probably check out a Whole Foods. It hard to find certain gluten free and natural stuff since the fad has died out. My city or actually most of South Western ON aren’t interested in healthy eating, let alone gluten free. If they have gluten free in a restaurant cross contamination is not in their vocabulary.
It definitely can be hard eating out, Dawna. But this cake is SO easy! Use whatever pie filling you can find (as long as it’s gluten free) or just make your own with some frozen berries. ENJOY!
~jules
Looks delish! So happy you posted this recipe I can’t wait to make and top it off with some vanilla ice cream!
YES! The Best!!!
~jules
I’m also wondering about the pineapple. Two members of our household get stomach aches from pineapple.
Dump cakes can be made without the pineapple. Just add more cherry pie filling. (Or you can use the pie filling of your choice…blueberry, raspberry, apple, etc.) Sprinkling the top of the “cake” with chopped pecans or almonds is a great addition, too.
No need to add the pineapple, just use another can of pie filling instead!
~jules
Is the pineapple a necessary ingredient, or could extra pie filling be used? I have a confirmed pineapple hater to deal with!
You do not need to add pineapple. Just use more of the pie filling of your choice, such as 2 cans of cherry pie filling.
YES! Good note, Jane!
~jules
Extra pie filling is totally fine to use instead! You can’t really get it wrong!
~jules
Reading the directions, still need to buy a couple ingredients but I’m hoping to make this tomorrow for a friend. It says to lightly stir with rubber spatula so there’s not lots of dry ingredients in top. Does that mean to stir the butter into the cake mix lightly or stir all of it into the pie filling? I’m a little confused and just want clarification.
Sorry for my delay in responding – ive bermnout of town for a conference. Don’t know if you’ve made it yet, but I like to stir the butter into the topping a little before baking so there’s not a lot of dry flour mix on top because the butter & fruit don’t bubble all the way up & through to mix on their own. I hope that makes sense! Enjoy!
~jules
Used your recipe tonight using King Authurs Gluten Free Cake mix and peaches! Absolutely delicious!
Good to know it worked out with that mix, too!
~jules