Chocolate Dump Cake

The best part about this super rich chocolate dump cake is its easiness. This recipe calls for only four ingredients! Much like our four-ingredient caramel apple dump cake, this dump cake will be ready to pop in the oven faster than the oven can preheat.

And there’s no need to crack eggs or measure sugar, baking powder or butter. You simply layer the ingredients into a cake pan, give everything a quick stir and bake the cake until set.

Tons of dump cake recipes we love don’t require stirring, but this recipe does. That’s so the milk can blend consistently throughout the instant pudding and cake mixes and leave no powdery bits at the top of your cake. We promise it’s worth the extra bit of effort.

Ingredients for Chocolate Dump Cake

• Chocolate cake mix: There are quite a few recipes that use chocolate cake mix, and this chocolate dump cake recipe is no different. Use any regular-sized chocolate cake mix brand. Dark chocolate fudge and devil’s food cake aren’t off-limits.
• Chocolate pudding mix: If you take any tip from this recipe for chocolate dump cake, let it be this one: Double-check that your box of chocolate pudding mix says “instant” and not “cook and serve.” You won’t get the same results with the latter.
• Semisweet chocolate chips: We’ll use any excuse to grab a bag of one of the best chocolate chips.
• Milk: Feel free to use whole milk, heavy cream or 2% milk for this chocolate dump cake recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.

Step 2: Layer the ingredients

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Evenly sprinkle the dry cake mix into the dish.

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Then, layer the cake mix with the dry pudding mix.

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Top those two layers with 1-3/4 cup chocolate chips.

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Drizzle the milk over the top of the chocolate chip layer.

Step 3: Gently stir the ingredients

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Stir to combine everything. The mixture will look thick and lumpy.

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Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips over the top of the combined ingredients.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Bake your chocolate dump cake until the top appears set and the edges pull away from the dish, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake slightly on a wire rack and serve warm.

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Recipe Variations

• Make a Black Forest-inspired dump cake: Our chocolate dump cake recipe is two simple ingredients away from becoming a Black Forest dump cake. Stir in fresh pitted cherries, and top the finished cake with whipped cream.
• Stir in mix-ins: We love a good mash-up of dump cakes and candy, as with this Oreo dump cake. Stir in chopped-up chocolate bars, fruits, mini marshmallows or nuts as desired. If you want to take this chocolate dump cake into Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup territory, top it with creamy peanut butter.
• Add a touch of caffeine: One of our favorite ways to make a boxed cake mix taste homemade is by adding caffeine. You can dissolve instant coffee granules into the milk before pouring it into the pan. This doesn’t create a coffee or espresso flavor but instead enriches and deepens the chocolate flavor.
• Try it in the slow cooker: Assemble the dump cake in a slow-cooker insert just as you would in a 13×9-inch baking pan. Place the lid back on the slow cooker and cook the cake on high for two hours.

How to Store Chocolate Dump Cake

While this cake is best served fresh, room-temperature leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you don’t want to enjoy it chilled, warm it up in the microwave for that freshly baked effect.

Can you freeze chocolate dump cake?

If you’d like to freeze your chocolate dump cake, cut it into serving-sized portions before freezing.

Chocolate Dump Cake Tips

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What do you serve with chocolate dump cake?

Once your cake finishes baking, it will definitely be rich enough to serve alone, or you can top it with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Of course, chocolate ice cream is always an option too. When a chocolate craving hits, it’s hard to resist!

Can you use other pans to bake this chocolate dump cake?

Absolutely! Not everyone has a 13×9-inch baking pan at the ready, and that’s OK! This recipe for chocolate dump cake can be baked in a 12-inch skillet, two 9-inch round pans or two 8-inch square pans.