No gluten, eggs, or dairy are needed to make this Gluten-Free Dump Cake. With only 6 ingredients, this is the perfect dessert when you need something easy and delicious to serve for a special occasion or to satisfy a sweet craving.
Have you heard of a dump cake? This particular type of cake gets its name because you’re basically just dumping ingredients on top of each other before baking. Yes, the method is simple, but the results are delicious!
The most popular type of dump cakes call for fruit and boxed cake. In today’s recipe, I use gluten-free cake mix sprinkled on top of a combination of berries with a touch of lemon. The result is a super easy and delicious cobbler-like dessert that I know you will love.
Why You’ll Love This Dump Cake Recipe
- Amazing Flavor and Textures: The butter combines with the cake mix to create a rich crust on top of a gooey, sweet, and a slightly tart berry and lemon filling.
- Easy to Make: The prep requires a little mixing and then just dumping ingredients into a baking dish. This is the easiest cake you will ever make.
- Minimal Ingredients: You only need 6 simple ingredients.
- Egg-Free: There is no need for eggs in this cake, making it a great dessert option for anyone with egg-sensitives.
- Dairy-Free: Use dairy-free butter and this recipe is completely vegan.
- Easily Adaptable: Use the mix of berries you prefer or even use different types of fruits. Check out my variations section at the end of the post for some ideas.
The Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Yellow Cake Mix: There are many gluten-free cake mixes out there, but the one I have used repeatedly is one from Krusteaz. Other brands I recommend that make great gluten-free products include Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur. The sizes of the yellow cake mixes vary by brand, but just be sure not to get one that is less than 17 ounces.
- Mixed Berries: I recommend you use a mix of berries, either fresh or frozen. I have used a combination of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries which provide different textures, tartness and sweetness that make the cake even better. It is best if the berries are ripe for the best flavor. However, we will be adding sweetener so if they are not completely ripe that is ok too.
- Butter: Any type of butter will work for this recipe. However, since the cake does have limited ingredients a good quality butter will make the cake much tastier. My favorites are Kerrygold for a dairy option and Miyoko’s for vegan.
- Maple Syrup: Using maple syrup will also keep this recipe vegan. You could also use honey if you prefer, however I find the flavor of honey to be much stronger and overpowering. I like the subtle sweeteness that maple syrup adds to this recipe without masking the flavor of the berries.
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: My inspiration for using lemon juice and lemon zest actually came from a recipe for a blueberry pie I saw on America’s Test Kitchen years ago. In that recipe, lemon juice and lemon zest were used in the blueberry filling to complement the flavor of the berries and it has stuck with me ever since. Since the result of this dump cake is very much like a cobbler or pie, I knew I needed to add these ingredients in my recipe too.
How to Make Berry Dump Cake
1. Prepare Baking Dish
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray an 8×11 inch baking dish or a 9-inch pie dish or cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
2. Prepare the Berry Mixture
- In a medium bowl, mix the 5 cups of mixed berries, 1/3 cup of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 1 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the cake mix.
- Spread the berries on the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Add the Cake Mix
- Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the berries, making sure to cover as much of the fruit as possible.
- Use a spatula to help spread the cake mix evenly.
4. Add the Butter
- Melt 1/2 cup of butter. Drizzle the melted butter over the top.
- Carefully tilt the baking dish around so the butter can cover the cake mix as evenly as possible.
5. Bake
- Place in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until golden on top and the fruit is bubbly around the edges.
- However, be careful when you take the cake out of the oven. The berries will be bubbling and it’ll be extra hot.
- Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Special Tips
- Use frozen mixed berries – You can add the frozen berries without even having to defrost them. Sam’s Club sells a huge bag of mixed berries which comes with blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
- Omit the lemon – If you are not a fan of lemon flavor, you can leave it out and the cake will still be delicious without it.
- Add more lemon juice – Then again, if you really like lemon, use 2 tablespoons for an added citrusy flavor.
- Add vanilla extract – If you choose to leave the lemon out but still want to add a little something more to your cake, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
- 9×13 baking dish – You can use a bigger baking dish, but the cake won’t be very thick. The cooking time and the ingredients will be the same if you choose to use a 9×13 dish. However, you may want to use 3/4 cup of butter instead as there will be more surface area and a 1/2 cup will not be enough to cover it.
How to Serve
The cake is best served warm. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
For an added treat serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream (coconut whipped cream is great with this).
Storing and Reheating
Once the cake is cooled, cover tightly with plastic wrap or with a lid. The cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but do note that it is best the first day. As it sits, the cake will get softer and if it sits for too many days it will get mushy.
I prefer the cake warm but you can always eat it cold if you prefer. To reheat it, you can warm up a slice in the microwave for 15-20 seconds depending on your oven. You can also warm up the whole dish again in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or until bubbling.
Tips and Variations
- Make an amazing apple dump cake using this same method and fresh apples.
- I prefer the taste of fresh fruit, but you can also use fruit pie fillings, such as cherry, blueberry or apple.
- If you don’t have a problem with gluten, use this recipe with regular cake mix.
I hope you enjoy!
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW IF YOU MAKE THIS OR TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM @EVERYDAYLATINA.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Tres Leches Cake
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Light and Fluffy Gluten-Free Powdered Donuts
- Crispy and Chewy Coconut Flour Oatmeal Cookies
- Arroz con Leche Mexicano
Gluten Free Dump Cake
Equipment
- 8×11 baking dish (or 9-inch pie pan or cast iron skillet)
Ingredients
- 5 cups mixed berries such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries (either frozen or fresh)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (can substitute honey)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 17 oz -22 oz gluten-free yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mixed berries, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the cake mix.
- Spread the berry mixture in the bottom of the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the berries, making sure to cover as much of the fruit as possible. Use a spatula to help spread the cake mix evenly.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the top.
- Carefully tilt the baking dish around so the butter can cover the cake mix as evenly as possible.
- Place in the oven for 50-55 minutes or until golden on top and the fruit is bubbly around the edges.
- Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Notes
Originally published February 10, 2022. Updated post November 2022.
Looks good & so do the other recipes! I will make one of them soon. I like that they are not too complicated.
Hi Kat, that’s wonderful. I’d love to know what you think when you give them a try. This is such an easy cake and you can make it with other fruit too and it’s so good.