Easy & Delicious Pina Colada Dump Cake

I don't know about you, but I grew up making dump cakes of numerous flavors. They were easy enough for a pre-teen to make, and were cheap too. This is all you need for a 9 x 13 pan:

Photo byTristin

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 2, 20 ounce cans crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 stick salted butter, sliced into 12 pieces, then halved to make 24
• Whipped cream, for topping (instructions below)
• Maraschino cherries, for topping

To make this pineapple dump cake, begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing a 9" x 13" baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray. Spread the can of crushed pineapple, including the juices, evenly over the bottom of the baking dish.

Next, take a box of yellow cake mix and sprinkle it evenly over the pineapple layer.

Next, sprinkle shredded coconut over the cake mix, which will add a tropical flavor and a slightly toasted, crunchy texture after baking.

Cut your butter into small pats and scatter them evenly over the coconut. As the butter melts in the oven, it will seep into the dry cake mix and coconut, creating a rich, buttery topping. Bake the cake for approximately 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the coconut while it’s baking—if it starts to darken too much, cover the cake loosely with foil to prevent burning. Once done, the cake should be golden and slightly crisp on top.

Allow the pineapple dump cake to cool slightly before serving to let the layers set.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream by pouring 1 cup of cold heavy whipping cream in a medium sized bowl with 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla or rum extract. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Dish up your cake and top with a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top, or some vanilla bean ice cream and enjoy!!

Leftovers and storage: Leftovers are super tasty and this lasts up to 4 days covered at room temperature or in the fridge.