If you’re looking for a delicious and super easy dessert packed with tropical flavor, you’re going to love this Orange Pineapple Dump Cake.
Dump Cake Recipes are my go-to dessert idea when I want to make something for a crowd and don’t want to spend a bunch of time baking.
The sweet mandarin oranges and the fruity crushed pineapple are a match made in heaven for this fun potluck dessert idea.
This post was originally published on January 30, 2020 and has now been updated with more tips and better directions to make this tropical dump cake perfectly every time.
I love dump cakes SO much! There really isn’t anything easier. This Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake is one of my favorite treats EVER!
Sometimes you really want something sweet. But I cook dinner at least 4 nights a week and the last thing I want to do is spend any extra time in the kitchen.
Why This Recipe Works
When the weather is warm, a tropical dump cake is a delightful dessert idea. With mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple, you get a fruity flavor that will remind you of vacation.
Adding shredded coconut to the buttery cake mix crust adds more texture and flavor to the basic dump cake recipe.
And I love that you can easily customize this recipe to suit your taste. If coconut makes you gag, skip it. If you love it, add extra!
And all of these ingredients can be kept on hand for those dessert emergencies that pop up.
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If you want to dive deeper into my favorite dessert category I have answered all your questions here: Everything You Need to Know About Dump Cakes.
Don’t miss some of my other dump cake favorites: Chocolate Caramel Dump Cake, Strawberry Shortcake Dump Cake, Blueberry Dump Cake and Pumpkin Dump Cake (a seasonal favorite!)
Ingredient Notes
With just a few ingredients, you’ll have a delicious dessert, made from pantry items, in no time!
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- 2 cans Mandarin Oranges
- 1 can crushed pineapple, not drained
- 2 sticks butter
- ½ cup shredded coconut
I like to use yellow cake mix instead of white cake mix because it has more of a buttery flavor. But if that is all you have, give it a try! Orange cake mix might even work although I’ve never tried it. I freaking love cake mix dessert recipes.
You could easily leave out the crushed pineapple if you wanted to make this only an orange dump cake. Add a 3rd can of mandarin oranges in that case (but drain the juice from the third can).
Do You Drain the Pineapple for Dump Cakes?
There is no need to drain the pineapple when you’re making dump cake. You need all the juices from your canned fruit to add moisture to the cake.
Since this orange dump cake recipe doesn’t contain eggs or oil, you can’t skip the juice from the cans or your cake will be too dry.
Instead, add all the fruit and juice to the pan. As the dump cake bakes, the juice will mix with the butter and cake mix to create a delicious crust on top of your dessert.
Also, did you know that you can mix a can of crushed pineapple with angel food cake mix to create a tasty treat?
And when you use the coconut, too, the crust gets the best texture and a gorgeous golden brown.
How to Make Pineapple Mandarin Orange Dump Cake
To prepare your tropical Mandarin Orange Pineapple Dump Cake, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
Open the can of crushed pineapple and pour the entire can into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread the pineapple so it covers the entire dish.
Top the crushed pineapple with a layer of mandarin oranges. As you pour the oranges into the pan, remember to include the juice along with the fruit.
And remember, this is super easy. You don’t even need to mix it. Just make sure it’s spread out in the bottom of the pan.
On top of the fruit will go the dry cake mix. Sprinkle the cake mix in an even layer over the top of the fruit.
Don’t mix the dry cake mix into the fruit – just create a layer of mix resting on top of the fruit and juice.
After sprinkling your cake mix into your orange dump cake, add a layer of coconut to the dessert.
Finish by topping the entire pineapple orange dump cake with a layer of melted butter. Bake the cake for around an hour until it’s a beautiful golden color.
This dump cake is better when it has cooled a lot. While some are delicious warm, this one is very runny when it’s warm.
There is something about butter and dry cake mixed with tender, fruity fruit! SO yum!
Cold, leftover cake tastes pretty good too.
It’s a quick and easy dessert that you literally throw together in a pan. The hardest part about making this orange dump cake recipe is waiting for it to bake!
I prefer to serve my dump cake plain but I know many people like them with ice cream or whipped cream.
Tips and Tricks
- Because this cake doesn’t rise like a typical cake, this recipe is a great option for vacation (especially high altitude!).
- Don’t want to melt butter? Just cut the butter into pats and lay them evenly across the top of the dry cake mix. It will melt as it bakes!
- If there are little spots of dry cake mix after removing this tropical dump cake from the oven, you can use a small spray bottle and spritz that area with a little water.
- Looking for another way to customize this dessert? Add toasted, chopped pecans on top of the cake mix layer before baking. YUM!
- To make this feel even more tropical, you can add sliced maraschino cherries to the fruit layer or on top of the cake mix crust for a cute presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
This tropical dump cake is best served at room temperature. You can serve it plain, with whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream!
Make sure it’s cooled completely before storing. Put leftover dump cake in the fridge in an air-tight container. It will last for about 2 days. Since this one does have extra juice, it will get watery faster than some other flavors.
More Easy Dump Cake Recipes
Need even more ideas? See all my Dump Cake Recipes.
Mandarin Orange Dump Cake with Pineapple
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix (1 box)
- 30 ounces Mandarin Oranges (2 cans, not drained)
- 20 ounces Crushed pineapple (1 can, not drained)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- ½ cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preaheat oven to 350 degrees.
- To a 9 x 13 baking dish add crushed pineapple and spread it out.
- Top with Mandarin oranges as evenly as possible. (You don't need to mix them together).
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of the fruit layer.
- Top with coconut, then melted butter.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour. (Until it's golden brown).
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Because this cake doesn’t rise like a typical cake, this recipe is a great option for vacation (especially high altitude!).
- Don’t want to melt butter? Just cut the butter into pats and lay them evenly across the top of the dry cake mix. It will melt as it bakes!
- If there are little spots of dry cake mix after removing this tropical dump cake from the oven, you can use a small spray bottle and spritz that area with a little water.
- Looking for another way to customize this dessert? Add toasted pecans on top of the cake mix layer before baking. YUM!
- To make this feel even more tropical, you can add sliced maraschino cherries to the fruit layer or on top of the cake mix crust for a cute presentation.
Nutrition
Whether you’re heading to a summer party or just need a sweet treat for your family to enjoy this weekend, I’m sure this easy, tropical Orange Pineapple Dump Cake will be a big hit.
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