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    Home » Recipes

    Fresh Cranberry Dump Cake - Quick Easy and Delicious

    December 11, 2020 by Patti Estep 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    Piece of cranberry dump cake on a black plate with sugared cranberries on the side and top.

    This fresh cranberry dump cake is an easy homemade dessert. The taste is both sweet and tart making it a wonderful end to any holiday meal.

    A slice of homemade cranberry dump cake topped with cream and more sugared cranberries.

    A while back I made my friend's mother's Peach Delight cake. This is actually just peach dump cake. However, I changed it up a bit by using fresh peaches and it was a big hit.

    In case this is new to you, a dump cake is just what it sounds like. A cake where you literally dump everything into a baking dish to create a yummy dessert.

    Since cranberries are harvested once a year during the fall I always love to try and find something delicious to make with them. So for Thanksgiving this year I thought I would make a fresh cranberry dump cake. Technically, my cake requires a little prep but the result is definitely worth it.

    Fresh cranberries in a metal mixing bowl.

    How to Make Fresh Cranberry Dump Cake

    Start with fresh cranberries. You do need to rinse them and pick out any stray stems or bad looking berries first.

    A layer of cooked fresh cranberries on the bottom of a dark 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

    Next, you need to cook them down with a little bit of water and sugar. This only takes about 5-10 minutes. If you wanted to make a true dump cake you would be using canned or jarred fruit in this step.

    The fruit base is then poured into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

    Then you take an entire box of cake mix and spread it evenly across the fruit. Technically not dumped but close enough.

    Cranberry dump cake before placing in the oven in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cake mix and slices of butter all over the top.

    The final step is placing butter slices over the top. I know it looks like a lot of butter. However, if you were to make the cake you would normally add eggs and oil, perhaps a buttercream frosting too? Also, I haven't tried it but I think you could cut back on the total amount of butter and slice it even thinner to get good coverage.

    Cranberry dump cake from the oven.

    The resulting cake is so beautiful, isn't it? It kind of looks like a cobbler or a buckle.

    Cranberry Dump Cake FAQs

    • Can I use frozen cranberries? --- Yes. Just make sure that you drain them well after defrosting.
    • Could this be made in advance? ---You could definitely make this cake a day or two in advance. Just cover it well with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. I'd also bring it back to room temperature before serving.
    • Can I use different kinds of cake mix? --- Yes, any kind of cake mix works with dump cakes. I used white but yellow or lemon would taste great.
    White bowl of sugared cranberries.

    For even more deliciousness, make some sugared cranberries to garnish each serving.

    A hand taking a forkful of cranberry dump cake from a black plate with a piece of cake with whipped cream and sugared cranberries on top.

    And, of course, don't forget the whipped cream.

    I really love this easy dessert idea. The tart taste of the cranberries made this a truly delicious dessert. And, isn't it so pretty?

    Patti signature

    More Great Cranberry Recipes:

    • Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
    • Cranberry Pear Galette
    • Cranberry Orange Quick Bread
    • Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
    • Cranberry Pistachio Cake Cookies
    Serving of cranberry dump cake topped with whipped cream and sugared cranberries.
    Piece of cranberry dump cake with whipped cream and sugared cranberries

    Fresh Cranberry Dump Cake

    Patti Estep
    This simple cranberry dump cake uses just a few ingredients for a fast and delicious dessert idea.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Additional Time 5 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 328 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups of fresh cranberries
    • 1/2 cup of fresh canberries for garnish
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 box 15 oz white cake mix
    • 3/4 cup butter sliced thinly
    • 2 tablespoons of superfine sugar
    • can of whipping cream

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    • Rinse cranberries and pick out any bad berries or stems.
    • Make some sugared cranberries for garnish by placing 1/2 cup of berries in a small bowl. Dust with 2 tablespoons of superfine sugar and set aside.
    • Combine the remaining 3 cups of cranberries, water, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a saucepan.
    • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
    • Remove pot from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
    • Place cranberries in a 9 x 13 inch non-stick baking pan or a greased pan.
    • Sprinkle the entire box of cake mix over the cranberry layer. Use the back of a spoon or offset spatula to even out the cake mix.
    • Place slices of butter evenly all over the cake mix.
    • Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
    • Remove cake from oven and cool.
    • Serve with whipped cream and sugared cranberries.

    Notes

    You can use different kinds of cake mix, such as yellow or lemon.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 328kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 411mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31g
    Keyword cranberry dump cake, fresh cranberries, homemade dump cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David Keeley

      December 01, 2021 at 7:29 pm

      Use half of the 3.5 cups cranberries for sugared garnish? Seems like the garnish would be a separate quantity from the basic content.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        December 01, 2021 at 7:51 pm

        David, that's a typo. It should say use 1/2 cup of the cranberries for garnish. And, I do see what you mean. I adjusted the recipe to make it easier to understand. Thanks for your input.

        Reply

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