Making dump cake in the Instant Pot sounds completely wrong…until you taste it.
Somehow, a box of cake mix, canned cherry filling and a few pats of butter turn into a warm, gooey dessert that tastes like a cross between cobbler and cake.
This Instant Pot dump cake is one of my favorite last-minute desserts because it requires almost zero effort, just 3 ingredients and a few minutes of prep. And yes, it actually works.
Why Dump Cake Works So Well in the Instant Pot
Some desserts are easy. And then there’s Instant Pot dump cake.
This recipe almost feels like cheating because the Instant Pot does ALL the heavy lifting. You layer a few simple ingredients into a pan and somehow end up with a warm, gooey dessert that tastes like a cross between cobbler and cake.
Here’s why I love this recipe so much:
- Only 3 ingredients required
- Minimal prep and almost no cleanup
- The Instant Pot creates an incredibly soft, cozy texture
- Perfect last-minute dessert for gatherings or busy nights
- Easy to customize with different cake mixes and pie fillings
- Feels homemade despite being ridiculously simple
The first time I tested this recipe, I fully expected it to fail. Dry cake mix straight from the box? In the Instant Pot? It sounded questionable at best.
But this is exactly why I love experimenting with Instant Pot desserts. The pressure cooker somehow transforms simple ingredients into cozy desserts like Instant Pot Chocolate Pudding and Pressure Cooker Cake that taste surprisingly rich and comforting!
Ingredients You Need
You need just a handful of simple ingredients to make this cozy Instant Pot dump cake:
- Cherry pie filling – Cherry is my favorite for this recipe, but you can easily swap in apple, peach, blueberry, strawberry or any canned pie filling you love.
- Yellow cake mix – Classic yellow cake mix creates the perfect buttery topping, but white, chocolate, spice, lemon or funfetti cake mix all work great, too.
- Salted butter – Adds richness and helps create that soft, buttery cake texture on top. I always use salted butter for extra flavor.
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream – Highly recommended for serving. The warm dump cake with cold creamy topping is SO good.
How to Make Instant Pot Dump Cake
- Prepare the pan
Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot insert and place a trivet inside.
Coat a 6- or 7-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
I use a 6-inch round cake pan for this recipe and it fits perfectly inside my Instant Pot. This is my favorite pan for Instant Pot desserts because it cooks evenly and is easy to lift in and out of the pot.
- Layer the ingredients
Spread the cherry pie filling evenly into the prepared pan.
Pour the dry cake mix evenly over the top. Do not stir!
Place the pats of butter evenly over the surface of the cake mix.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil or parchment paper and place it on the trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook
Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing.
Cook on high pressure (pressure cook setting) for 38 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 8 minutes to build up pressure before the cook time begins. - Serve
When cooking is complete, do a quick release and allow the float valve to drop completely.
Carefully remove the pan from the Instant Pot and uncover.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the ultimate cozy dessert.
Best Cake Mixes for Dump Cake
One of my favorite things about Instant Pot dump cake is how easy it is to customize. Changing the cake mix completely changes the flavor and vibe of the dessert.
Here are some delicious options to try:
- Yellow cake mix – Classic, buttery and always a safe choice
- White cake mix – Light, soft and perfect with berry fillings
- Chocolate cake mix – SO good with cherry or strawberry pie filling
- Lemon cake mix – Bright and delicious with blueberry or strawberry filling
- Spice cake mix – Perfect for apple or peach dump cake
- Funfetti cake mix – Fun, colorful and great for birthdays or celebrations
- Red velvet cake mix – Rich and decadent with cherry filling
Mix and match flavors depending on the season, holiday or whatever sounds good in the moment. It is honestly hard to go wrong with dump cake.
Recipe Tips
- Do not stir the layers. Dump cake works best when everything stays layered during cooking.
- Spread the butter evenly over the surface for the best texture and even cooking.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil or parchment paper to prevent excess moisture from dripping onto the cake.
- Cherry pie filling is classic, but apple, peach and blueberry are all delicious variations.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate cozy dessert experience.
- A 6- or 7-inch round cake pan works best inside most 6-quart Instant Pots.
Instant Pot Dump Cake FAQs
Absolutely! Cherry is a classic option, but almost any canned pie filling works great in dump cake.
Some delicious options include:
Apple
Peach
Blueberry
Strawberry
Mixed berry
Pumpkin
Lemon
You can also experiment with different cake mix flavors to create fun combinations.
This can occasionally happen if the cake mix is not distributed evenly across the top of the pie filling before cooking.
If you notice a small patch of dry or undercooked cake mix in the center after pressure cooking, simply cover the pan again and cook for an additional 5 minutes on high pressure. That usually fixes the issue right away.
To help prevent this:
– spread the cake mix into an even layer
– avoid large clumps of dry mix
– distribute the butter evenly across the surface
Even when this happens, the dessert still turns out delicious and cozy!
A slightly gooey texture is normal for dump cake, especially in the Instant Pot. It is meant to be soft, warm and somewhere between cake and cobbler.
If your dump cake turns out overly gummy, a few things may have happened:
– The butter was not evenly distributed over the cake mix
– The cake mix was packed too thick in certain spots
– Too much moisture collected inside the pan
– The cake was undercooked
Be sure to spread the cake mix evenly and place the butter pieces across the entire surface so everything cooks evenly.
This dessert is amazing on its own, but toppings make it even better.
Some favorites include:
Vanilla ice cream
Whipped cream
Chocolate chips
Sprinkles
Caramel sauce
Chopped nuts
Maraschino cherries
Powdered sugar
Warm dump cake with cold vanilla ice cream is especially hard to beat.
No! Dump cake works best when the ingredients are layered and left alone.
Simply spread the pie filling into the pan, top with dry cake mix and finish with butter. The Instant Pot works its magic while cooking.
A 6- or 7-inch round cake pan works best for most 6-quart Instant Pots.
Make sure the pan fits comfortably on top of the trivet with room for the lid to seal properly.
Store leftover dump cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warm. Add a scoop of ice cream on top and it tastes just as cozy the next day.
Instant Pot Dessert Recipes to Try Next
Instant Pot Cherry Dump Cake Recipe (Only 3 Ingredients!)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 21 oz cherry pie filling
- 15.25 oz yellow cake mix
- 6 tbsp salted butter cut into 1-inch chunks
- vanilla ice cream/whipped cream for topping
Instructions
- Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot. Coat a round 6- or 7-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
- Pour the cherry pie filling into the prepared pan and pour the dry cake mix over the top. Place the pats of butter in a circle over top and cover with foil. Place the pan on a trivet and lower into the Instant Pot.
- Place the cover on the pot and set timer to 38 minutes on high pressure (pressure cook setting). It will take the IP around 8 minutes to build up pressure before it begins cooking.
- When cooking is done, do a quick release and allow the float valve to drop.
- Remove cover and pull the trivet/pan out. Remove foil and serve with ice cream and whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
- Do not stir the layers before cooking.
- Spread butter evenly over the surface for best texture.
- If small patches of dry cake mix remain after cooking, pressure cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- A 6- or 7-inch round cake pan works best for this recipe.
- Swap the cherry pie filling with apple, peach, blueberry or strawberry for easy variations.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Megan Porta is a comfort food recipe creator who specializes in easy family meals and Instant Pot desserts, and the founder of Pip and Ebby. She has been cooking for three decades and developing recipes for over fifteen years, helping home cooks make reliable, cozy recipes for real life.
So disappointed…all I ended up with was powder and some fruit at the bottom. What did I do wrong??
Oh my, that would be disappointing. I’m so sorry that happened! I noticed my recipe omitted (and have corrected since!) the first step which creates the steam and allows the butter and cherries to help cook the cake into a delicious, crunchy topping. Step 1 was: Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot. Coat a round 6- or 7-inch cake pan with cooking spray. The only other thing I can imagine was maybe the cake was leveled out and the butter couldn’t melt across evenly. Let me know if you try it again because it is easy and delicious!
The same thing happened to mine. It’s somewhat cooked but not all the way. We weren’t supposed to level the cake? Should it have been in a heap in the middle?
You can level the ingredients as you add them to avoid this. While I didn’t have the result you did, it would help I think to just tap the pan side to side so it’s evenly spaced out. If you think that it’s under cooked, you can add it back to the IP for 0 minutes and it’ll just build up pressure and finish the cooking. So frustrating when you’re excited to have something and it doesn’t come out the first time but it is worth enjoying! Thanks for asking.