Dump Cake! Hey, now... don't judge.

Today is St. Patrick's Day, and I can't believe I didn't make something deliciously Irish to at least commemorate it in some fashion.  I'm pretty sure that chili and Dump Cake don't qualify as Irish fare.  Shame on me!

Speaking of Dump Cake, until recently, I had never heard of it.  And recently, on Pinterest, I found a picture and, ultimately, a recipe for it.  I had everything I needed to make it without going to the store, so that's exactly what I did.  And, boy, was I completely surprised at how absolutely delicious it is!!!  Wow, is it good!

So, the original recipe for this Dump Cake can be found at 12tomatoes.com. 

The site didn't specify pan size, so I opted to make mine in two 8" round cake pans which worked just dandily. 

Ok.  This picture doesn't do it justice.  I'm gonna go take another one right this minute!!!!
Maybe this one will be a more enticing shot.  Here, have a bite!  (And, yes, I ate it after I took the picture!)

Did I already say how easy this is?  Very few ingredients and easy, easy!  I would even venture to say that this is a very kid-helper friendly recipe. 

Here's what you need:

1 can (large one) of crushed pineapple (I drained mine, but by scooping it out of the can with a slotted spoon - so the pineapple wasn't bone dry, it was still a little wet)
1 can cherry pie filling
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 stick of butter, cut into slices

Place the pineapple in the bottom of the pan.

Spoon the cherry pie filling on top of the pineapple.  Don't mix it with the pineapple - just create layers.

Place the yellow cake mix into a bowl and add the 1/2 stick of melted butter.   Oh, shoot.  This reminds me that this step resulted in a butter explosion in my microwave that I still need to clean up.  And when I say explosion, I mean butter ALL over the inside of the microwave.  It was impressive, in a way...

Anyway, focus, focus!  Combine the cake mix and the melted butter until the cake mix is crumbly. 

Sprinkle this evenly over the cherry pie filling.  Again, don't mix it in - just create a layer. 

Slice up a stick of butter (yes, an entire stick) and place the pats evenly distributed on top of the cake mixture. 

That picture makes the butter look HUGE!  Goodness gracious. 
Moving on...

Then sprinkle, if you'd like, with chopped nuts on top.  I love pecans, so that's what I used.  Then bake for about 30 minutes, or until set, at 350 degrees. 

Let it cool for about an hour, and then dig in, topping off with ice cream, or not.  I don't have any ice cream, and still, this cake is so delightful! 

A special message for my Padre:
So, Dad, if you managed to read all the way down to this, you should definitely print this one for Mom to make!  It's like a combination of cherry pie and cherry cobbler with a little pucker up from the pineapple.  And you really do want to add the chopped pecans on top.  You'll like it even more that way. 

I hope you all have a safe and wonder St. Patrick's Day!  And I hope you give this fabulous little cake a try!

Enjoy!

"With the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible."- Julia Child