Make this easy Slow Cooker Chocolate Dump cake for your next event, warm and gooey chocolate with tangy cherries. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Warm desserts are pretty rare nowadays. In the crockpot, you can make so many warm decadent desserts like this one, lemon spoon cake or even chocolate lava cake.
I’ve tried dump cake in the slow cooker a few times where you dump the cake mix then drizzle over butter. Doing that can leave dry spots and wet puddles in other spots.
Taking the time to mix the butter (I use 2 sticks) with the cake mix before adding on top of the fruit is the best way to ensure an even cakey layer.
This chocolate cherry dump cake is a great starter recipe to try. Imagine the possibilities!
How to make crockpot dump cake:
- Cake mix – I use a 15.25-ounce box of Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake.
- Salted butter – 1 cup (2 sticks)! Yes, I use one cup. If less is used the cake will be very dry.
- Cherry pie filling – 2 cans – be sure not to grab the sugar-free version for that can have an off taste if you are not used to the flavor.
MIX!
- Add the cake mix to a medium-sized bowl
- Melt the butter and add it to the mix.
- Stir until just combined.
Assemble:
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray.
- Add the cherry pie filling to the slow cooker and spread out to an even layer.
Spread:
- Spread over the chocolate cake mixture.
- I find this is easier if I put dollops of the mixture over the cherries, then spread out.
Cook:
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours.
- Don’t open the lid during the cooking time.
How do I serve dump cake?
- Serve warm chocolate cherry dump cake right out of the slow cooker.
- Top with whipped cream or ice cream.
- Place the leftover in the fridge. Reheat in bowls in the microwave.
Can I use a different type of fruit in this?
Yes! You can use berry pie filling in this recipe or add a drained can of pineapple along with the cherries.
What other warm desserts can be made in the crockpot?
- German Chocolate Spoon Cake – chocolate and coconut in a warm dessert.
- Lemon Spoon Cake – so much lemon zest in this!
- Berry Crumble – This recipe is on the healthy side!
- Crustless Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie – Who needs the crust anyway.
- Scalloped Apples – Like baked apples but a prettier presentation.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake – One of the most popular recipes here on the blog!
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Slow Cooker Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker- 6 quart or larger-oval
Ingredients:
- 42 oz. cherry pie filling (two 21-oz. cans)
- 15.25 oz. chocolate cake mix (I use Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake)
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) melt in microwave
Instructions:
- Spray the slow cooker with non stick spray or rub with oil or crisco.
- Add the cherry pie filling to the slow cooker, spread out to an even layer.
- In a medium-size bowl combine the cake mix and melted butter. Only mix until just combined.
- Add this cake mixture on top of the cherries in dollops, then spread out in an even layer.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours or until the cake is set.
- Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
I do this all the time. However I put the cake mix directly on the canned fruit and then add the cold butter on top of that cut up and placed directly on top. No melting butter. Turns out great everytime and no mixing bowl to clean.
The cake mix never cooked. I even cooked it longer. After 3.5 hours, it was very hot but the cake mix never cooked. It was like a chocolate sludge. I followed the directions exactly. Will not make again.
Made this today and was a big hit with my family! Served warm with vanilla ice cream. Delicious!
Absolutely delicious!
I made this for dessert last night using 2 jars of pitted Morello cherries in place of cherry pie filling, as we don’t have that in Australia, it was pretty darn good!
Forgot to spray the crock,but hoping with all the butter, it will come out fime
I soooo love this, takes no time at all. Some recipes you have to stand over the whole time adding stuff. That’s why I love this, fix in minutes and let the cooking do its shop! Your free to do other stuff!!! Love these kind of recipes! It makes you look like your a chief!!!!
Do you think that canned cherries could be used instead of cherry pie filling? We liked this but would like it just a bit less sweet. Thanks.
OK I MADE THIS YESTERDAY!! I ASKED IF I COULD USE APPLESAUCE INSTEAD OF BUTTER!! AND LET ME TELL YOU THE APPLESAUCE WORKED!! NO FAT!! TURNED OUT PERFECT.
GOING TO TRY SPICE CAKE MIX WITH APPLES, LEMON AND BLUEBERRY!! I’AM GOING TO HAVE FUN DOING DIFFERENT COMBO’S! THANKS SARA 🙂
Great to hear Jill! Thank you for letting me know.
This looks so good!! But can i use 1 cup of unsweetened Apple sauce instead of the Butter?
Can this be made in an InstaPot? If so what would the time ratio be?
Thanks for any info.
Mysty
Can I use a 2 qt it’s just me in the house and it sounds good but all I have is a 2 qt.
I’m unsure how it would fit! You could give it a try.
I think I would decrease the recipe by half for a 2 qt!
Use 1 can of cherries, 1/2 box of cake mix & 1/2 stick of butter.
Awesome!!!!
Can this be made in an oven?
You stated to spray the slow cooker after you added the cherries in #2 instructions. However, when you showed the video, you did not spray. I’m very confused. Please acknowledge. Thanks!
I forgot to spray in the video.
You spray after you add the cherries?
Before! Those instructions got put out of order. I will fix thank you.
It says it’s 456 thousand calories??
kcal is the same as calorie. it’s 456 calories.
Can this be made w/a boxed gluten free chocolate cake mix? I have Celiac disease and need to tweak this. Thanks for your help!
Not a fan. Will throw away.
I tried it too. Didn’t like how mushy it was.
Better to say nothing than something mean
Hubby isn’t fond of chocolate cake, so I will try this recipe using yellow cake mix with canned apple pie filling instead.
How did yours turn out?