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Slow Cooker Strawberry Dump Cake

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The easiest dessert you will make all summer — sweet, jammy strawberries bubbling up through a golden, buttery cake topping made entirely in the slow cooker with almost zero effort. Three main layers, no mixing required, less than ten minutes of hands-on prep. Warm from the slow cooker over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this classic American dump cake is pure summertime comfort food at its most accessible and its most delicious.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8–10 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

The Strawberry Layer

  • 4–5 cups (about 1.5 lbs / 680g) fresh strawberries, hulled and halved (or frozen, do not thaw)
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar (reduce to 2 tbsp if strawberries are very ripe and sweet)
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 3–4 tbsp strawberry jam
  • Pinch of salt

The Cake Topping

  • 1 box (15.25 oz / 432g) yellow cake mix, dry and unmixed

The Butter Layer

  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter (1 stick), sliced into thin rounds or pats

For Serving

 

  • Vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream
  • Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  • Prepare the slow cooker. Grease the slow cooker insert lightly with butter or cooking spray.
  • Make the strawberry layer. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice (if using), vanilla extract, and salt. Toss gently until the strawberries are evenly coated. Pour the strawberry mixture into the bottom of the greased slow cooker insert in an even layer.
  • Add the jam. Dollop the strawberry jam evenly over the strawberry layer and spread it gently with the back of a spoon. Do not mix it into the strawberries — just spread it over the surface.
  • Add the cake mix. Open the box of dry cake mix and scatter it evenly over the strawberry and jam layer directly from the box. Do not mix. Use the back of a spoon to spread it into an even, level layer that covers the fruit completely.
  • Add the butter. Lay the thin butter slices evenly across the top of the dry cake mix in an overlapping, tile-like pattern, covering as much of the surface as possible. Every part of the cake mix that is covered with butter will cook into a golden cake topping. Dry patches will stay powdery — take the time to cover completely.
  • Set up the slow cooker. Lay 2 full sheets of paper towels flat across the top of the slow cooker opening. Place the lid on top of the paper towels, securing them between the lid and the rim to absorb condensation.
  • Cook. Set the slow cooker to HIGH. Cook for 2 to 3 hours without lifting the lid. The cake is done when the topping is set and cooked through (a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the topping comes out clean), the edges are golden and slightly pulling away from the sides, and the strawberry filling is visibly bubbling around the edges.
  • Optional broiler finish. For a golden-brown top, carefully scoop portions into an oven-safe dish or transfer the insert (if oven-safe) and broil on HIGH for 3–5 minutes, watching carefully. This step is completely optional.
  • Rest briefly. Turn off the slow cooker and let the cake rest with the lid slightly ajar for 10 minutes before serving.

 

  • Serve warm. Scoop directly from the slow cooker into bowls or onto plates — generous spoonfuls of cake topping and strawberry filling together. Top immediately with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve at once.

Notes

  • Do not mix the layers. The separate layers — fruit, jam, dry cake mix, butter — are what make a dump cake work. Each layer has a specific role in the cooking process. Mixing them together removes the mechanism that produces the distinct fruit and cake layers in the finished dessert.
  • Cover the cake mix with butter completely. Any area of dry cake mix that does not receive butter will remain as powdery, uncooked mix in the finished cake. Use thin pats of butter laid in a closely overlapping pattern across the entire surface.
  • Frozen strawberries go in frozen. Do not thaw frozen strawberries before using — thawed berries release too much liquid too quickly and can make the cake topping soggy before it has a chance to set. Frozen berries release their liquid gradually during cooking, which is the right pace.
  • Paper towels under the lid. Two sheets of paper towels secured under the lid absorb the condensation that forms during cooking, preventing it from dripping back onto the dry cake topping and creating wet patches. This applies to every slow cooker baked dessert in this series and it is non-negotiable.
  • Sweetness adjustment. In-season, very ripe fresh strawberries are already very sweet — reduce the added sugar to 2 tablespoons. Out-of-season or slightly tart strawberries benefit from the full ¼ cup. Taste a berry before deciding.
  • The topping will not brown on top without the broiler. Slow cooker dump cake toppers cook through and turn golden at the edges but do not brown on the surface. This is normal and expected. The 3–5 minute optional broil adds color if you want it.

 

  • Serve warm. This dessert is at its best warm. The strawberry filling continues to thicken as it cools and the cake topping firms up — both good changes, but the warm version over cold ice cream is the experience this recipe is built around.
  • Author: Elle
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (on HIGH)
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Slow Cooking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Find it online: https://slowcookerrecipes.us/slow-cooker-strawberry-dump-cake/