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Crushed Pineapple Dump Cake with Cake Mix and Brown Sugar

There’s something wonderfully comforting about a dessert that comes together with almost no fuss. Crushed Pineapple Dump Cake with Cake Mix and Brown Sugar is exactly that kind of recipe. It combines juicy crushed pineapple, buttery cake mix, and a caramel-like layer of brown sugar to create a dessert with a golden, crisp topping and a soft, fruity center.

The beauty of a dump cake is in its simplicity. There’s no need to prepare a traditional cake batter, cream butter and sugar, or worry about complicated decorating. Instead, the ingredients are layered directly into a baking dish and transformed in the oven into a warm, spoonable dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Pineapple Dump Cake

This recipe is especially useful when you want something homemade without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Minimal preparation: Most of the work involves opening, measuring, and layering ingredients.
No mixer required: Everything goes directly into the baking dish.
Sweet and fruity: Crushed pineapple gives the cake a bright tropical flavor.
Golden topping: Butter combines with dry cake mix and brown sugar to create deliciously crisp, caramelized areas.
Great for gatherings: The recipe can be served warm from the oven and easily scooped into individual portions.
Easy to customize: You can add coconut, chopped nuts, or a little cinnamon if desired.

Ingredients

For a standard 9-by-13-inch baking dish, you’ll need:

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 box (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

A Note About the Pineapple

The pineapple juice is important because it provides moisture while the cake bakes. Do not drain the crushed pineapple. The fruit and its juice form the moist layer underneath the cake mix.

If your can contains considerably more or less liquid than a typical 20-ounce can, avoid adding extra liquid unless the recipe specifically calls for it.

How to Make Crushed Pineapple Dump Cake

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Baking Dish

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Greasing the dish makes serving easier and helps prevent the fruit layer from sticking around the edges.

Set the prepared dish aside while you assemble the ingredients.

Step 2: Add the Crushed Pineapple

Open the can of crushed pineapple and pour the entire contents, including the juice, into the bottom of the baking dish.

Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the pineapple into an even layer.

There’s no need to mix anything into the pineapple. Keeping this layer undisturbed allows the fruit and juice to create the soft, flavorful base of the dessert.

Step 3: Add the Brown Sugar

Sprinkle the packed brown sugar evenly over the pineapple.

Try to distribute it from edge to edge rather than creating one thick pile in the center. As the cake bakes, the brown sugar melts into the pineapple juices, creating pockets of caramel-like sweetness.

If you’re using cinnamon, mix it with the brown sugar before sprinkling it over the fruit.