Fruit Cocktail Dump Cake
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This fruit cocktail cake is a classic dump cake that is so easy to make and gives you melt-in-your mouth flavors whether served warmed or at room temperature.
This recipe comes from Keri over at Shaken Together! Her fruit cocktail cake is such an easy dessert recipe and tastes amazing. You will definitely want to add this easy fruit cake to your list of canned fruit cocktail recipes after you try it once.

Dump Cake Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dump cake? A dump cake is a simple dessert that involves combining all of the ingredient into a baking pan and baking. Texture wise it is similar to a cobbler but with a cake topping. Dump cake is typically a traditional cherry pie filling and crushed pineapple. This fruit cocktail cake replaces the usual pie filling with canned fruit cocktail for a serious flavor bump! The mix of peaches, pears, pineapple, grapes and cherries in a lightly sweet syrup is the perfect compliment to the golden buttery crust! It is an awesome way to feed a crowd and super easy cake recipe because the steps are so simple.ย
Can you make the cake the night before? Yes, you can bake this fruit cocktail cake the night before and then store it in the refrigerator. I actually prefer a dump cake the next day because it gives the flavors more time to meld together.
Can I cook a dump cake in the slow cooker? Yes! The preparation is the same and then cook the cake for about 2 hours.
How do you know when dump cake is done? There are no raw ingredients in this fruit cocktail cake recipe to cook but you’ll want to watch for the cake batter portion to set and turn golden brown.

Tropical Dump Cake Ingredients
- Yellow Cake Mix: You could also use white or coconut cake mix.
- Canned Fruit Cocktail: I like the extra cherry version.
- Butter: I usually use salted butter here but unsalted works equally as well.
- Pecans: You can use chopped walnuts or almonds here or omit the nuts entirely.
How to Make Fruit Cocktail Cake
For this fruit cocktail cake recipe, you add the canned fruit to a baking dish, cover it with cake mix and melted butter before baking in the oven. I also top with chopped pecans before baking but you can use almonds or omit the nuts entirely. It is a foolproof fruit cocktail cake with cake mix for sure!ย

That bubbly fruit filling is SO good – see how it snuck out around the edges of the pan? YUM! With cool weather, fall parties and get togethers right around the corner, you can add this easy fruit cocktail cake to your potluck recipe list!

More Recipes for Dump Cake
- Chocolate Pumpkin Dump Cake
- Crockpot Apple Cake
- Cherry Dump Cake
- Triple Berry Dump Cake
More Canned Fruit Cocktail Recipes
- Ambrosia Salad
- Texas Tornado Cake
- Fruit Salad Cheesecake
- Mixed Fruit Cobbler
- Better than Sex Fruit Salad
Great Recipes from Shaken Together:
- Harvest Spice Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Raspberry Poke Cake
- Grandma’s Apple Cake
- 3 Ingredient Banana Nut Muffin Cake

Fruit Cocktail Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 3 15 ounce cans very cherry fruit cocktail
- 1 16.5 ounce box of yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 3/4 cup pecan pieces chopped
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 โ. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- Drain two cans of the fruit cocktail. In a bowl, mix together the two cans of drained fruit cocktail and the third can (fruit + light syrup). Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer.3 15 ounce cans very cherry fruit cocktail
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the fruit and spread into an even layer.1 16.5 ounce box of yellow cake mix
- Drizzle the top of the cake mix with the melted butter, trying to cover as much of the top of the cake mix as possible. Sprinkle with nuts.1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup pecan pieces
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until the top of the cake is golden brown and the filling is gently bubbling around the edges. (Test with a toothpick to make sure there is no liquid cake batter.)
Notes
- You can mix the fruit directly in the baking dish if you don’t want to use a bowl. Using a bowl helps prevent mixing in the nonstick cooking spray but isn’t required.
- This cake can be baked the day before and refrigerated until ready to eat.
Nutrition

