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Sweet and tangy blueberries burst with fresh flavor beneath the tender crumb of golden cake in this delightful Blueberry Dump Cake. And the best part? Aside from some fresh fruit, almost everything required to make this treat is likely already in your pantry.
With summer in full swing, I’ve been taking advantage of all of my easiest recipes. This blueberry dump cake saves me kitchen time, because all you have to do is “dump” the ingredients in the baking dish and pop it into the oven. My classic rhubarb dump cake follows the same method.
Blueberry Dump Cake
My friends, once you learn how easy it is to make this blueberry dump cake recipe, you are going to find yourself tempted to make it again and again. There’s nothing quite like the joy of throwing everything into the pan in just a few minutes, and then pulling a show-stopping dessert out of the oven.
And, if the lemon in this recipe seems odd to you, let me reassure you, this is not a “lemony” cake. The lemon juice lifts the heaviness of the dessert and brings out a tartness in the blueberry that keeps them bright instead of simply sweet. I’ve got tons of blueberry desserts, and you’ll find that most of them have some lemon in them for that reason. Try it once without, and you’ll be able to taste the difference!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Blueberry Pie Filling
If you already have store-bought or homemade blueberry pie filling, you can swap 21 ounces of that for the ingredients here.
Blueberries – Blueberries give the pie filling tartness and a juicy, tender bite.
Sugar – Everyone’s appreciate for sweetness varies, but I find that this is the perfect amount of sugar to enhance the natural sweetness of the blueberries.
Cornstarch – I use cornstarch to thicken the fruit juices into a rich syrup.
Lemon Juice – I use freshly squeezed lemon juice, and I strongly recommend that you do the same. Store bought lemon juice can work in a pinch, but I find the flavor too acidic.
Water – A little bit of water goes a long way in adjusting the consistency.
Blueberry Dump Cake
Blueberries – In addition to the pie filling you’ll make or use here, you will find that fresh blueberries bring a different set of textures and add some wonderful tartness to balance the sweetness.
Cake Mix – Cake mix is my shortcut to a simple, delicious crumbly crust. I usually prefer yellow or lemon cake mix, for their lighter flavor.
Butter – I always use salted butter in my baking.
Lemon Juice – You’ll need a bit more lemon juice for the cake, too.
Notes on Equipment
- Whisk
- Heavy saucepan
- Spoonula. This has to be one of my favorite kitchen tools that I use pretty much every day. It combines the best parts of a spatula and a spoon in one handy tool. Nothing sticks to it and it’s completely dishwasher safe. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s practically perfect in every way.
- Paring knife
- Citrus juicer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9×13 baking dish. It’s one of those kitchen staples that makes baking easier, sturdy and durable, and I’ve had some of mine almost 20 years. I love that it comes with a tight-fitting lid, which is exactly what you want when this cake is going somewhere with you.
How to Make Blueberry Dump Cake
As mentioned earlier, the section below assumes you’re making the filling from scratch. If you already have homemade blueberry pie filling on hand, just skip the first section below.
Making the Filling
Mixing the Dry Ingredients: To start, you need to whisk together the cornstarch and sugar in a heavy saucepan. Make sure there aren’t any lumps of cornstarch left.
Preparing the Lemon: I slice and juice the lemon.
Adding Wet Ingredients: Measure the water, blueberries, and lemon juice into the saucepan and stir to combine.
Thickening: We’re going to place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Stir until the mixture is thick, but still pourable.
Storing: I remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool completely.
Making the Cake
Preheating: I preheat the oven to 350° F.
Preparing the Pan: While the oven warms, you’ll need to grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter.
Pouring the Filling: I pour the cooling blueberry filling into the pan, add the fresh blueberries, and the remaining lemon juice. Give it a gentle stir to combine.
Sprinkling the Cake Mix: Using a spoon, I sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly across the blueberry filling.
Melting the Butter: Place the butter in a microwave-safe dish and heat in 20-30 second intervals, pausing to check on the butter at each stage.
Pouring the Butter: Once the butter is melted, you can pour it in an even layer across the pan. Try to completely cover the cake mix layer.
Baking: Let bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Serving: Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve warm. I love to serve it up with a scoop of fresh ice cream.
Expert Tip
Depending on how your oven is set up, cook times may vary. When the cake is done baking, the crust should be golden brown. The filling should be bubbling up around the edges and have a thick, syrupy consistency. And, you can use a toothpick to confirm that the crust has baked through. If the edges start to darken before the center has finished baking, you can loosely tent with foil to prevent it from burning.
Keep It from Clumping – As you whisk together the cornstarch and sugar for the filling, you want to make sure that the cornstarch has distributed through the sugar and isn’t clumping. It’s a bit harder to break those clumps apart after you’ve added the wet ingredients.
Adjust the Consistency – If your filling looks too thick when it’s removed from the heat, you can add a small splash of water to the saucepan as needed. It will thicken naturally as it cools, but if you think it needs to be thickened more, just let it continue simmering. As a last resort, you can sprinkle a little more cornstarch over the top and continue whisking.
Freeze For Later – Whenever I make the filling for this recipe, I almost always end up doubling or tripling the amount of the filling. That gives me plenty of leftovers to freeze out in portions for future desserts. Then, it’s as easy as thawing the filling to make it again in the future.
Serving Suggestions
Don’t overthink this one. Take a serving of this blueberry dump cake straight out of the pan while it is still warm and put a scoop of no churn ice cream on top. Cold ice cream running down into hot berries is a whole mood. And, I’m pretty much always in that mood.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: I definitely support making the pie filling in advance. You can keep it in the fridge for several days or freeze it for later use. This makes it possible to throw the cake together with just minutes of hands on work.
How to Store: The leftovers (what little there might be remaining) will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
How to Reheat: You can heat a portion of the cake in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it back up.
More Easy Cake Recipes
- Pumpkin Crunch Dump Cake
- Pineapple Angel Food Cake
- Easy Black Forest Cake
- Pig Pickin Cake
- Gooey Butter Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
Frozen blueberries will work nicely. I use frozen berries frequently when making this recipe. Just reach for whichever berry is most accessible at the time.
I don’t recommend using canned varieties of blueberries. Most canned fruits are packed with syrups and sweeteners that will affect the final product.
Fresh blueberries should have a deep blue, uniform color. They should be fairly firm (not squishy) to the touch.
Blueberry Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 2½ cups Blueberry Pie Filling or a 21-ounce can of store-bought pie filling
- 18 ounces fresh blueberries about 3 cups
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 1 box white, yellow, vanilla, or lemon cake mix approximately 15 ounces
- ¾ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter. Pour the pie filling in the baking dish along with the fresh berries and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the blueberry mixture in an even layer. Carefully pour the melted butter over the cake mix, try to cover it completely.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, the top has set, and the filling is bubbling. Scoop the warm cake into bowls and top with ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How long has this recipe been on-line?
Hi, Sandi. I’ve had this recipe on my site since September 5.