What's Baking: Dump Cake

The name may not be appetizing, but the resulting cake sure is. This recipe belongs firmly in the not-exactly-less-processed-well-okay-not-less-processed-at-all camp, but hey, I like to make exceptions every once in a while. This cake is firmly planted in my childhood, and commonly made an appearance when my parents hosted bridge at our house. I was always happy when there were leftovers after everyone had left for the evening. This super-easy-to-bake cake is yummy served on its own, or add a dollop of whipped cream to make it an extra-special treat.

Dump Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes 12-16 servings

1 package yellow cake mix
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 20-oz can cherry pie filling
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into thin slices

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Dump the undrained pineapple into the baking dish and spread evenly.
4. Dump the cherry pie filling into the baking dish and spread evenly over the pineapple layer.
5. Dump (does the cake name make sense now?) the dry cake mix over top the cherry pie filling layer; spread evenly.
6. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the cake mix layer.
7. Distribute the slices of butter evenly over the top of the pecans.
8. Bake for 48-53 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbly.
9. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream, if desired.

(recipe courtesy of my Mom)