How Dump Cakes Got Their Rather Unappealing Name

Dump cakes have been around for what feels like forever. With a history rooted in the American South, these delicious, hearty, and fruity cakes have accompanied many a tea party and served as the sumptuous end to plenty of dinners. But the name isn't really all that appealing as sweet treats go, is it? It's quite the opposite of how these treats taste — and how popular they have become as one of the quickest-to-make, yet most yummy desserts. In fact, the name actually came about because of this convenience and how easy these cakes are to make. 

You literally throw (or dump) all the ingredients into a dish and bake it. Et voila! A rewarding treat that is similar to a cobbler and really takes the least amount of effort to make. There isn't hard evidence as to when dump cakes were first developed, but the earliest mention seems to be in the 1920s when from-scratch recipes for dump cakes were believed to have been seen. It was the late 1950s, however, that drove them to fame and glory, where some of the first dump cake recipes started being featured on the back of cake mix boxes. 

In one of many creative ways to use boxed cake mix, you dump a box of dry, pre-made mix along with a few other ingredients into a baking dish (no mixing required) and shove it into the oven for about an hour. Newspapers raved about this miracle cake in the late 1960s and early '70s, driving its popularity across the nation with recipes that brought different twists to the original. And it has evolved from there, even taking modern-day awareness of health and calories into account.

Dump cakes have also been referred to as crazy cakes, Depression cakes, and wacky cakes, most likely because they don't have milk or eggs in them — two ingredients that are traditionally present in a cake. The age-old dump cake uses only four ingredients: a box of cake pre-mix, one can each of cherry pie filling and crushed pineapples, and one stick of butter. To make one, first preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Into a greased 9x13-inch oven-safe baking dish, scatter your can of cherry pie filling, followed by your can of crushed pineapples. Don't drain your pineapples, but use every delicious bit of what's in the can. 

Over that, evenly sprinkle your cake mix, then slice your stick of butter into chunks and distribute these over the top of your mixture. Chuck your filled baking dish into the oven for 40 minutes to one hour, and watch it transform into one of the most divine family desserts you'll ever taste. You can also mix things up by using different cake mixes or canned fruits, adding nuts, and serving it with ice cream. Give your dump cake a healthier vibe by replacing the cherry pie filling with cherry compote or fresh pitted cherries, and your crushed pineapples with the fresh version. Or, try some different flavor pairings — pumpkin and blueberries, rhubarb and almonds, caramelized apples with cinnamon, Oreos and cream, carrot and walnut, or even chocolate and cherry cola.