Blueberry Dump Cake

This Blueberry Dump Cake is a real crowd-pleaser.

Get ready to wow your guests with a scrumptious dessert that requires only 3 simple ingredients! This is a great recipe when you want to make an easy dessert and are pressed for time. 

Growing up German, I’d never heard of a dump cake. It just wasn’t a thing. But a few years ago, I visited my friend’s house, and she served a delicious blueberry dessert. 

Each bite was moist, tender, and loaded with blueberry flavor. When I asked her about the dessert, she laughed and said. It’s a dump cake! 

Huh? A what? I grew up with recipes like a Cherry Crumble, a yeasty Butterkuchen, or Bee Sting Cake. But a dump cake? What’s that?

The name comes from the concept of this cake. Dump and Bake!

Quite literally, you take the ingredients and ‘dump them’ into the baking dish. Turn on the oven, and about 45 minutes later, you’ll have the most delicious summer dessert.

The immigrant in me thought, “Americans. They are brilliant!” And that’s why I became an American myself. 😉

Some of you might think this isn’t a “real cake,” and you might be right. But don’t judge till you try!

Ever since, I’ve added a few more ‘dump cake recipes’ to my repertoire. And let me tell you, I’ve never had a single guest/family member complain. 

If you’ve never made a dump cake. Do try this one. It’s so simple, so good.

BLUEBERRIES – I highly recommend using fresh blueberries for this recipe. But you can use frozen ones if fresh ones aren’t available. There’s no need to defrost frozen blueberries. But you will have to adjust the baking time.

YELLOW CAKE MIX – There are so many great cake mixes out there. Use whichever one you have on hand. And if you live near Trader Joe’s, try their Trader Joe’s Vanilla Cake & Baking Mix.

BUTTER – As always, use unsalted butter for your cooking and baking. Salted butter is great for making sandwiches but shouldn’t be used for baking. Make sure your butter is cold. You’ll cut the butter into thin slices, which is much easier to do when it is cold.

More Popular Dump Cakes

Variations and Additions

PINEAPPLES – A cup of fresh pineapple adds crispiness and a tropical flavor to the dump cake.

LEMON – Blueberry and lemon are a delicious flavor combination. Substitute the Yellow Cake mix with Lemon Cake Mix, and for an extra boost of lemony flavor, toss the blueberries in the juice and zest one lemon.

COCONUT – Shredded coconut adds another layer of taste and texture. Try sprinkling about ½ cup of sweetened shredded pineapples on top of the layer of thinly sliced butter. Yummy.

VANILLA ICE CREAM – adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream just before serving the blueberry dump cake adds another layer of deliciousness. 

WHIPPED CREAM or COOL WHIP – Same as with ice cream, it adds extra yumminess.

How To Make A Blueberry Dump Cake

Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed measurements and instructions.

1. BLUEBERRIES – Add blueberries to a lightly greased 9×13 glass baking dish.
2. CAKE MIX – Sprinkle the yellow cake mix evenly over the fresh blueberries. 
3. BUTTER – Layer sliced butter on top of the cake mix.
4. BAKE – at 375º Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes. When the Blueberry Dump Cake looks golden brown, use a wooden toothpick to check for doneness. Serve warm.

Recipe Success Tips

For this recipe, make sure to use cold butter. Slice the butter very thinly. You’ll want to layer the butter all over the cake. While the Blueberry Dump Cake is in the oven, the butter will melt and “activate” the cake mix.

If the butter doesn’t cover the entire baking dish, you can add a few additional (thinly) sliced pieces of butter.

You might have noticed that I am not adding sugar to this recipe. I don’t because the cake mix already has plenty of sweetness.

If you love extra sweet desserts, sprinkle a ¼ cup of granulated sugar over the blueberries. Again, I don’t think it’s necessary, but it sure won’t hurt.

SERVING TIP: I like to serve this Dump Cake in small mason jars. First, it’s great for portioning, and second, it’s great for easy transport to parties or picnics.

ICE CREAM: Serving a scoop of ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream is optional but highly recommended.

STORAGE: Once cooled, you can store your dump cake covered with saran wrap or aluminum foil in the fridge for up to 7 days.

FROZEN BLUEBERRIES: Yes, you can use frozen blueberries. Place the frozen blueberries in a large colander and rinse with cold water. Drain and transfer onto a paper towel and pat dry.

BLUEBERRY PIE FILLING. If you don’t have fresh or frozen blueberries, you can also substitute the fresh blueberries with 2 cans of blueberry pie filling.