Crock Pot Tropical Dump Cake

Name: Crock Pot Tropical Dump Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 250 min
Ingredients: 21 oz cherry pie filling; 30 oz canned fruit cocktail in heavy syrup ((do not drain)); 1 box lemon cake mix ((15-16 oz)); 1.5 sticks butter; 7 oz sweetened coconut flakes

4.83 from 29 votes

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This 5-ingredient crock pot dump cake is one of the easiest desserts you can make in the slow cooker. Packed with tropical fruit flavor and topped with buttery cake and coconut, it's a simple, crowd-pleasing treat that's perfect for potlucks, family dinners, or summer parties.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

If you love easy desserts that practically make themselves, a crock pot dump cake is about as simple as it gets. Just layer a few ingredients in the slow cooker and let it cook into this warm, fruity dessert that's absolutely perfect with a big scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.

This tropical version is kind of similar to my pineapple dump cake, but cooked low and slow like my crock pot peach cobbler. It combines cherries, peaches, pears, and pineapple for a bright, fruity twist on a classic dump cake - with almost no effort required!

Ridiculously easy crock pot dessert. Just layer the ingredients in your slow cooker and let it do the work.

Always a crowd-pleaser. Warm fruit and buttery cake topping make it perfect for potlucks or holidays.

Easy to customize with different fruits. You can easily swap fruits or cake mixes to make different dump cake variations.

Set this to cook one summer afternoon and enjoy it by dinnertime. It's so simple, but a total flavor explosion!

Ingredient Notes

ingredients for tropical crock pot dump cake.

(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact ingredient measurements.)

Cherry pie filling: A standard 21-ounce can works perfectly here and adds sweetness and color to the dessert. No need to drain it - the filling helps create the syrupy base that makes dump cake so good.
Canned fruit cocktail in heavy syrup: Make sure you use fruit cocktail packed in heavy syrup, not juice or light syrup. The extra sweetness and liquid help the cake mix cook properly in the slow cooker and create that classic gooey dump cake texture.
Lemon cake mix: The light citrus-y flavor balances the sweetness of the fruit and gives the dessert such a bright, tropical flavor. Any standard 15-16 ounce box works well.
Butter: Use cold butter straight from the refrigerator and slice it into thin pats before layering on top of the cake mix. Cold butter is much easier to cut evenly and helps distribute the buttery topping across the dessert as it melts.
Shredded coconut: Sweetened shredded coconut adds a light tropical flavor and a little texture to the topping. It toasts slightly as the cake cooks, giving the dessert extra flavor.

Additions & Substitutions

Swap the cake mix: Yellow or butter cake mix works well if you don't have lemon cake mix.
Use different pie filling: Try blueberry, peach, or strawberry pie filling instead of cherry for a different fruit combination.
If you enjoy a little crunch in your desserts, you can add ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts, pecans, or walnuts along with the shredded coconut or sprinkle them on top of the cake mix before adding the butter. The nuts add texture and pair so well with the tropical fruit flavors.

How to Make Crock Pot Dump Cake

cherry pie filling and fruit cocktail mixed together in a slow cooker.

sprinkling lemon cake mix over the fruit mixture.

pats of butter placed over the cake mix in the crockpot.

sprinkling sweetened coconut flakes over the dump cake mixture before cooking in the crock pot.

Add the fruit to the slow cooker. Pour the cherry pie filling and fruit cocktail (with the heavy syrup, not drained) into the bottom of the crock pot. Stir gently to combine so the fruit is evenly distributed across the bottom.
Sprinkle the cake mix over the fruit. Evenly sprinkle the dry lemon cake mix over the fruit mixture, covering it as much as possible. Do not stir - dump cakes work best when the ingredients stay layered.
Add the butter and coconut. Slice the cold butter into thin pats (about ¼-inch thick) and place them evenly across the surface of the cake mix. This helps the topping cook evenly. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the top.
Cook the dump cake. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours, or until the edges are set and the fruit filling is hot and bubbling around the sides.
Serve warm. Scoop the dump cake into bowls and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the best flavor.

Leftovers & Storage

Storage: After the dump cake cools, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days after making it.

Reheating: Reheat leftover servings in the microwave for 30-40 seconds.

Freezing: I don't recommend freezing this dump cake. The texture of the cake layer can become kind of soggy when it thaws.

tropical dump cake in a crock pot, next to serving plate.

Leslie's Helpful Tips & Tricks

The most important rule of dump cakes: don't mix the layers together before you cook it! I promise, it will all bake into a gooey, buttery cake with each layer giving a distinct texture. Trust the process!
It helps to spray your Crock Pot with cooking spray before adding the ingredients.
Spread the cake mix evenly. Try to cover the fruit in an even layer of dry cake mix so the topping cooks consistently across the entire dessert.
Slice the butter thinly. Thin pats of butter melt more evenly over the cake mix. If large areas of cake mix stay dry, the topping may not cook properly.
Watch for bubbling fruit to know it's done. The dump cake is ready when the fruit filling is hot and bubbling around the edges and the topping looks set.
Let it rest before serving. Allowing the dump cake to sit for about 10 minutes helps the filling thicken slightly and makes it easier to scoop.
Serve it warm. Crock pot dump cake tastes best warm, especially with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.

FAQs & Troubleshooting

Most dump cakes cook best on low heat. Cooking on low helps the fruit slowly bubble and prevents the cake topping from drying out or burning around the edges.

No - you'll just use the dry cake mix as an ingredient in this recipe, no eggs/oil/water needed!

If the topping is powdery, it usually means the butter didn't fully cover the cake mix. Try slicing the butter into thin pats and spacing them evenly over the surface so it melts across the entire topping. You can also mix the powdery spots into the butter as it cooks, but be gentle - don't mix the fruit into the cake mix!

The dump cake is ready when the fruit filling is hot and bubbling around the edges and the cake mix topping looks set. This usually takes about 4 hours on low in most slow cookers.

Yes. You can make it a few hours ahead and keep it warm in the slow cooker. Leftovers can also be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave.

I don't recommend it - not only does it tend to be too much food for one Crock Pot, but the cake layer doesn't cook as evenly when there's too much cake mix cooking at once.

You can, but canned fruit works best because it contains syrup that helps hydrate the cake mix. If you use fresh fruit, you may need to add extra sugar or liquid so the cake mix doesn't stay dry.

More Summer Desserts

I can't wait to see what you think of this easy Crock Pot dump cake! If you give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments below.