This decadent chocolate cherry dump cake is a rich chocolate dessert perfect for Valentine's Day or any special occasion. This recipe takes an ordinary dump cake and makes it extraordinary with layers of cherries, chocolate with cream, and a cake with a subtle almond flavor.

If you have a few simple ingredients and 10 minutes to prep, you can make this delicious cherry dump cake dessert. 

Jump to:

• What Is A Dump Cake?
• The Perfect Dump Cake For Sweet Lovers
• A Twist On The Classic Cherry Dump Cake
• Recipe Ingredients Needed
• Tools you may need for this recipe:
• How To Make Triple Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
• Tips for making this Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
• Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake Recipe

What Is A Dump Cake?

A dump cake is a simple cake made by literally "dumping" your ingredients directly into a baking pan vs. mixing it in a bowl first. While you can add almost any ingredient you have around the house that might make the cake taste great, most often a dump cake is made with the following base ingredients: cherry pie filling, regular yellow cake mix, butter, and often crushed pineapple.

The Perfect Dump Cake For Sweet Lovers

If  you made a resolution to eat healthier for the new year, then turn around right now. This is not where you want to be today!

One bite of this dessert and you will be sold. This chocolate cherry dump cake is so decadent, so delicious, and so sweet. I had a friend coming over and I wanted to make us a treat, so I whipped this up.  The girls (somewhat) patiently waited for it to be done. While inhaling this dessert by the scoopful, everyone kept saying "ohhh this is good" the entire time they were eating it.  I would say that is a good sign.

I made my husband take the rest with him to work, because it's hard to keep this kind of goodness in the house. My heart loves sweet treats, but I  also know that my will power is lacking. Giving them away is really a win-win: getting to share delicious treats with friends and getting them out of our house.

A Twist On The Classic Cherry Dump Cake

This recipe is a twist on the classic dump cake. In this recipe, we're using a triple chocolate cake mix in place of yellow cake mix. The almond extract with cherries and chocolate is an amazing combination. Seriously, when you mix the almond extract with the cherry pie filling, just the smell is so good. Then, add the extra creamy goodness of sweetened condensed milk. And when the sweetened condensed milk bubbles through the cake mix topping, it creates almost a caramel on top.

This recipe really takes dessert to the next level. It is almost like a chocolate cherry cobbler or creamy chocolate cherry pie. It's amazing!

Recipe Ingredients Needed

• Chocolate cake mix (I used triple chocolate cake mix, this is my go to). You can also make the cake from scratch if you like using the cake part of my chocolate rainbow cake recipe 
• Cherry pie filling. You can make this from scratch but I'd recommend just buying it.
• Sweetened condensed milk
• Chocolate chips
• Almond extract
• Butter

Tools you may need for this recipe:

This recipe doesn't require any fancy tools. You will just need:

• A baking dish
• A silicon spatula (my favorite is here)
• A can opener

How To Make Triple Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Pour cherry pie filling into dish. Add almost extract and stir in. Or add almond extract into cans before pouring into baking dish.
3. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over cherry pie filling
4. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top and spread evenly
5. Sprinkle chocolate cake mix over top and spread evenly.
6. Melt your butter and pour it over the top. It helped to use a spoon to rub it over the cake mix.
7. Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Notes: If there is any dry spots in the cake mix after it has been in the oven for about 30 minutes, try to press it down a bit. 

Tips for making this Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake

• Use a double or triple chocolate cake mix, but if you can't find it, then just use regular chocolate cake mix. You can also make the cake part from scratch if you like by using my chocolate cake recipe here: 
• Stir the almond extract into the cherry pie filling. Mix it right in the can, or after you pour the cherry pie filling into the baking dish.
• You could probably swap out cherry pie filling with strawberry pie filling. I have not personally tried this, but it sounds amazing. Chocolate-covered strawberry dump cake? YES. Let me know in the comments if you try this.
• If there are any dry spots in the cake topping, press them down with a spoon. This may also help some of the filling bubble up over the top, creating spots with delicious caramel.
• Biggest tip of all: Eat this with a glass of milk handy, because it is decadent.

Need more dessert inspiration? These are some of my favorite!

• Chocolate Raspberry Angel Food Cake Trifles are delicious and perfect dessert for Valentine's Day.
• Oreo Cupcakes are one of our most popular recipes
• Red Velvet Heart Cake Cookies have Valentine's Day written all over it.

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