I'm not certain if it was the bacon-wrapped sausage links or the French onion soup "mushroom caps" that particularly stood out, but I couldn't not ask my friend/hostess-with-the-mostess, Meghan, where she got the recipe.  "The Pioneer Woman," she said, as if I was supposed to know who that was. 

So it's no surprise that, once again, I found myself unbuckle-your-belt full after Meghan's annual December holiday brunch.  Later that afternoon when I got home - barely able to breathe, thank you very much - I Googled "Pioneer Woman."  And, sure enough, I was directed to a fabulous website chock-full of unique, Southern-centric recipes and outstanding photography, among other topics.  I must have perused through her glossy photos and recipes for hours!   

With Christmas and Hanukkah nearing, my mom asked me to come up with a dessert for our Christmas dinner.  She was planning on serving Mexican food, and we both agreed that pecan or pumpkin pie didn't sound very compatible with tamales.  So, after scouring The Pioneer Woman for some ideas, I came across a recipe called "Dump Cake."  I'm sorry, but how can you not be just a little bit curious about a dessert recipe with the word "dump" in it?  Stop pretending like you're so polite. 

Giddy with excitement, I phoned my mom and told her that I had finally found our perfect dessert.  She asked me to read off the ingredients so she could add them to her grocery shopping list.  "Cherry pie filling - crushed pineapple - yellow or white cake mix - and butter," I said.  "OK, what else?  Hurry, I'm busy," she replied.  When I told her that these four items made up the entirety of the Dump Cake, she erupted with laughter.  So did I.

Ingredients

Serves 12

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

• 1 can (15 oz.) crushed pineapple, liquid drained

• 1 box (18 oz.) yellow cake mix

• 1/3 cup oats

• 2 sticks (8 oz.) butter, sliced

  • Note: I use salted butter.

• *Optional: Vanilla bean ice cream

Method

1. In a 13x9" baking dish, dump cherry pie filling and liquid-drained crushed pineapple.  Stir together. 

2. Dump the cake mix and oats on top of fruit filling, and spread evenly.  Top with sliced butter, distributed evenly (as seen below).

3. Bake at 400-degrees for 45-50 minutes; until topping is a rich, golden brown. 

4. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla-bean ice cream! 

Dump Cake Review 

This was a HUGE hit with my entire family - even with my father, who is not a "dessert" person.  Even with my uber-healthy sister, who fills up on kale shakes and salmon jerky. 

The fruit filling is not overly sweet and the topping...oh, the topping!  Who could have imagined the incredibly delicious outcome of cake mix + butter?  Seriously, this is the easiest, cheapest, tastiest, and naughtiest dessert recipe out there.

Make. This. Now.  Trust me, you'll thank me later.

…

Until we eat again,

Lindsay, The Lunch Belle