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Strawberry Dump Cake is the easiest summer dessert there is, made with a layer of fresh juicy strawberries, a box of strawberry cake mix, and butter that bakes into a jammy, golden, cobbler like treat. I make this all strawberry season long because there is no mixing bowl and barely any effort, just dump, layer, and bake. If you love simple fruit desserts, you will also love our strawberry earthquake cake.
It uses real fresh strawberries instead of canned pie filling, so every bite tastes like summer in a pan.
Strawberry Dump Cake Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour
- 🍽 Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 302kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Sweet, jammy strawberry, buttery cake
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a true dump and bake dessert like our strawberry earthquake cake
Quick Answer
To make Strawberry Dump Cake, spread fresh quartered strawberries in a baking dish and toss them with sugar and flour. Evenly sprinkle a box of strawberry cake mix over the top, then drizzle everything with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and bubbling, then serve warm with ice cream.
Jump to:
- Strawberry Dump Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Dump Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Strawberry Dump Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Dessert Recipes
- Fresh Strawberry Dump Cake Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Fresh strawberries make it taste bright. Real fruit beats canned pie filling for true strawberry flavor.
- Sugar and flour thicken the juices. They turn the berries into a jammy filling as the cake bakes.
- The cake mix forms a crisp, buttery top. Dumped on dry, it crisps wherever the butter hits it.
- Drizzling the butter evenly is key. It moistens the cake mix so there are no dry, powdery spots.
- No mixing bowl needed. Everything just layers right in the baking dish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The easiest dump and bake dessert, with no mixer required.
- Made with real fresh strawberries for the very best flavor.
- Perfect for potlucks and cookouts, like our strawberry cheesecake bundt cake.
Key Ingredients
- Fresh strawberries: The juicy, jammy heart of the cake, no canned filling needed.
- Strawberry cake mix: Doubles down on the flavor and forms the crisp, buttery top.
- Butter: Melted and drizzled over the top to crisp the cake mix.
- Sugar and flour: Sweeten and thicken the fresh strawberry layer.
- Serve it with: A scoop of vanilla ice cream, just like our key lime eclair cake.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different fruit: Swap in mixed berries, peaches, or cherries.
- Different cake mix: Yellow, white, or vanilla cake mix all work.
- Pie filling shortcut: Use canned strawberry pie filling when berries are out of season.
- Add crunch: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the top.
- More easy cakes: Try our lemon blueberry poke cake next.
How to Make Strawberry Dump Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish. Spread the quartered strawberries evenly in the dish.
- Sprinkle the sugar and flour evenly over the strawberries.
- Stir until the strawberries are evenly coated in the sugar and flour.
- Evenly spread the dry cake mix over the strawberry mixture.
- Drizzle the melted butter all over the top as evenly as possible.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes, then serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use ripe, sweet strawberries for the best flavor.
- Quarter the strawberries so they soften evenly as they bake.
- Spread the cake mix evenly and break up any clumps.
- Drizzle the butter to cover as much of the cake mix as possible.
- Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too fast.
- Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes so the juices set before serving.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Strawberry Dump Cake is best served warm, scooped right out of the pan with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream or a cloud of whipped cream melting over the top. It is the ultimate easy summer dessert for backyard cookouts, potlucks, and strawberry season gatherings.
It fits right in on a dessert table full of fruity favorites. Serve it alongside our strawberry cheesecake bundt cake or a lemon blueberry poke cake for a berry filled spread everyone will love.
Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge and reheat beautifully, so it is a great make ahead treat. Add a fresh scoop of ice cream each time, the same way we do with our key lime eclair cake.
Strawberry Dump Cake FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries for Strawberry Dump Cake. Do not thaw them first, just add a couple extra minutes to the bake time. Fresh strawberries give the brightest flavor and texture, but frozen work in a pinch year round.
Yes. If fresh berries are out of season, you can make Strawberry Dump Cake with a can or two of strawberry pie filling in place of the fresh strawberries, sugar, and flour. The texture will be a bit softer and sweeter.
A powdery top on Strawberry Dump Cake means some of the cake mix did not get coated in butter. Be sure to drizzle the melted butter as evenly as possible over the entire surface, and gently spritz or dab any dry spots so all the cake mix can crisp up.
A strawberry cake mix doubles down on the fruit flavor in Strawberry Dump Cake, but yellow, white, or vanilla cake mix also work beautifully and let the fresh berries shine. Use whatever you have on hand.
Store leftover Strawberry Dump Cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for a few seconds, and add a fresh scoop of ice cream to bring it back to life.
Strawberry Dump Cake is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream melting over the top. It is a perfect potluck and cookout dessert all summer long.
Other Recommended Easy Dessert Recipes
If you make this Strawberry Dump Cake, please leave a star rating and a comment below. I love hearing how it turned out, and it helps other readers find the recipe too!
Fresh Strawberry Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds strawberries stems removed and quartered
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 box strawberry cake mix
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place the strawberries in the baking dish.2 pounds strawberries
- Sprinkle the sugar and flour on top, stir until the strawberries are coated in the sugar and flour.¼ cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Evenly spread the cake mix over the strawberry mixture.1 box strawberry cake mix
- Drizzle the melted butter all over the top as evenly as possible.12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top starts to brown and the cake is cooked through.
- Let cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes then serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Avoid dry spots: Make sure the melted butter covers the top of the cake mix as evenly as possible.
- Keep it from sticking: Spray your baking pan with cooking spray so the bottom of the baking dish won’t get messy.
- Check the cake cool time: Let the cake rest for about 10 to 15 minutes after baking so it sets up a bit before serving.
- Experiment with flavors: Add lemon zest to the strawberry layer or try mixing in leftover dump cake from another fruit flavor for a fun blend.
- Dress it up: A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream is the perfect topping for this simple strawberry dump cake.
Nutrition
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