Dump Cake

Family reunion time....I scan the invitation to see that most folks asked to bring a dessert will not be attending.  This is blasphemy, pure and simple.  And it must be fixed.  Cannot have an empty (or even nearly empty) dessert table.  So, I decide that I'll do my part and make something.  Something....but what?!  Brownies?  Easy enough, but already being made.  Cookies?  Yeah, but what kind?  I could buy some, right?  But then it hits me...DUMP CAKE!

 I know; it doesn't sound super yummy, does it?  Trust me on this one---it's so easy, so delicious and you'll have people asking you how you made it.  Up to you if you let on just 
how simple it is!!

So Abby and I got to work!  When I tell you this is so easy a 4 year old could do it, I'm not lying.  Kiddo made this from start to finish with a little assist here and there from Mama.


Tropical Dump Cake
2 20 oz cans of crushed pineapple; 1 drained, one not
1 package of cake mix (I use yellow; you could use white, vanilla, pineapple...)
1/2 cup of butter cut into pieces
2 cups of toasted pecans
Ice cream or whipped cream

Dump both cans of the pineapple and spread it on the bottom of a 9x13 pan
Sprinkle with the dry cake mix
Top with pieces of butter
Sprinkle with pecans
Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbly
Serve warm with ice cream/whipped cream

The result is somewhere between a fruit cobbler, a fruit crisp and a fruit bar.  And one of the best parts (besides the fact that the dish you bake/take this in is totally cleaned out by the time you're ready to leave the party!) is that you can put your own twist on it.  Use apple pie filling and a spice cake mix.  Cherry pie filling and a chocolate cake mix.  Go for it!