Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake

Looking for a mouthwatering dessert that’s easy to make? This strawberry rhubarb dump cake recipe is just what you need – filled with fresh juicy fruit, a tender cake mix layer, and a crumbly topping without jello that’s sure to impress. It’s so easy, even the kids can do it!

This Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake recipe was originally published on May 31, 2013, but has been updated and relaunched for your convenience. 🙂 

We are rhubarb enthusiasts! I look forward to rhubarb season every year! Some of my fondest memories of childhood are plucking a fresh rhubarb stalk, washing it, and then dipping it in a bowl of sugar and eating it raw! Ahh, the good simple life of living on a farm.

One of my favorite rhubarb desserts is a strawberry rhubarb pie! However, I don’t always have the gumption to go through the process of making a pie. That’s when I turn to this rhubarb dump cake recipe. It lets me indulge in the delicious flavors of a rhubarb pie but without all the work and time.

This recipe involves layering the same sweet and tangy filling, but it’s much quicker and easier to make. All you have to do is dump the ingredients in a baking dish, bake it, and then savor the deliciousness!

🧐 Why Is It Called A Dump Cake?

A dump cake is an American dessert similar to a cobbler but with a cake-like topping. The name comes from the method of “dumping” the ingredients directly into a cake pan without mixing them. Typically, the topping of the dump cake is made from a pre-packaged cake mix and is often combined with butter and sugar for added flavor.

🍮 With Or Without Jello, Which Is Better?

Recently I discovered that many people add strawberry jello to their rhubarb dump cake, but I found that is not needed. The purpose of the jello is to add color, add the flavor of strawberries, and thicken the filling.

But if you use ripe fruit and a little cornstarch (which you probably already have in your pantry) you don’t need the extra artificial flavors, colors, or thickeners at all. So save yourself the money and try this rhubarb cake without jello!

Mind you, I’m not anti-jello. I’m just not for adding an extra ingredient/step that isn’t needed in a recipe.

🔪Variations

Dump cakes are a favorite of mine due to their incredible versatility, allowing for an endless array of flavor combinations. Here are just a few examples of how to switch up this strawberry rhubarb dump cake recipe.

• Mix up the fruit. Rhubarb goes well with all kinds of fruit not just strawberries. You can try a combination of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, pears, apples, apricots, nectarines, and peaches! Or just make it with only Rhubarb! 
• Different Cake Mixes – you don’t have to use just a white cake mix. Try a yellow cake mix, or spice cake mix, birthday cake mix, or even Chocolate! 
• Different Sodas! We’ve made this recipe using various sodas like cream soda, orange cream soda, sprite, 7up, red cream soda, Sunkiss or Crush orange, and my favorite Dr Pepper. 

🥣 How To Make A Dump Cake

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The first thing you have to do is prep the strawberries and rhubarb. This is the part that takes the longest of the entire recipe. But it is also the most crucial. It really gets the flavors blended and provides a soft and juicy fruit filling.

Wash the strawberries and rhubarb. Discard the greens of the rhubarb and the stems of the strawberries.

Slice the Strawberries into thin slices. You can use an egg slicer or a strawberry slicer. This makes it go faster and makes the slices uniform. Plus the kids love to do this part!

Dice the rhubarb into thin slices.

Combine the fresh strawberries and cut rhubarb in a mixing bowl.

Add the sugar. Stir until all the fruit is coated. Marinate the fruit for 30 minutes up to an hour.

This allows the rhubarb juices to flow and softens the fruit. So you aren’t left with crisp chunks of rhubarb after baking.

After soaking the fruit, Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees.

Drain all but 1/2 cup of the juice from the strawberries and rhubarb.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup juice with the corn starch, pure vanilla extract, salt, and fruit.

Lightly spray a 9X13 pan with a nonstick cooking spray like Pam.

Spread the fruit filling evenly in the baking dish.

Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the fruit. Make sure to break up any chunks of the mixture.

Drizzle the top with the melted butter and 7up or Sprite soda.

Do not stir!

Bake the strawberry rhubarb dump cake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cook until the cake is golden, the filling is bubbling, and the rhubarb is soft.

🍰 Serving Suggestions

You can serve this dump cake hot or cold. Although if served warm the filling will run all over, so a bowl is advised.

We recommend adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top or a dollop of whipped cream.

You can also drizzle with a nice homemade rhubarb syrup.

🫙 Storing Leftovers

After allowing the dump cake to cool to room temperature, cover the pan with an airtight lid or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

When stored properly in an airtight container in the refrigerator, a strawberry rhubarb dump cake can last for up to 4-5 days. However, it’s best to consume it within the first 2-3 days for optimal freshness and flavor.

💡 Pro Tips

✅ I find it helpful to use strawberry huller tweezers for removing the stems and a strawberry slicer for slicing the strawberries when preparing them for this recipe. Doing so not only makes the process faster, but also easier.

✅ When slicing a large amount of rhubarb, I recommend a quality food processor. It goes so much faster! I sliced over 10 pounds of Rhubarb into perfectly even slices in less than 10 minutes.

✅ You can use either fresh or frozen fruit in this strawberry-rhubarb cake recipe. If using frozen fruit, do not thaw it before using it. The fruit will thaw as the cake bakes, and it will add a nice, juicy flavor to the cake. 

✅ Evenly distribute the cake mix over the fruit so that there are no large clumps.

✅ It can be tricky to tell when a dump cake is done. It’s normal to see some wet spots, some dry cake mix, and a crispy top. To make sure your rhubarb-strawberry cake is done, check that the fruit mixture is bubbling around the edges of the pan.

✅ Typically, I prepare this dump cake using a 9×13 inch pan. However, on occasion when this size is unavailable, I experimented with using a deep 10.5 inch pie pan and found that it worked well.

✅ To keep the oven clean, you can place an empty cookie sheet on the rack below the dump cake in the oven. This way, if it bubbles over, the cookie sheet will catch it and prevent it from sticking to the oven.

💭 FAQ’s

Please note: Every child is different, so it is important to use your own judgment when deciding which tasks are appropriate for your child. These are just suggestions, and you may need to adjust them based on your child’s individual abilities and needs. It is also important to remember that younger children will require more direct supervision than older children.

🥧 Other Rhubarb Recipes

• How to Freeze Rhubarb
• Easy Homemade Rhubarb Simple Syrup
• Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Chocolate Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake
• Low Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
• Raspberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe