Review: Easy Cake-Mix-Based, Single-Layer Cakes Will Serve a Crowd
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 11, 2013
Although I'm a cake lover, I'd never heard of "dump cake".  Apparently it's a single-layer "cake" made by dumping ingredients in layers into a greased cake pan, and then baking the result.  The "cakes" are extremely fast and simple to make, but they're more like cobblers than cakes.  They don't need frosting, because the top layer (usually nuts, sugar, or fruit) forms the cake's sweet topping.  Sometimes the dump cake is served with a scoop of ice cream or Cool Whip for a final topping.As Chef Didier says in the Introduction, "most of the recipes call for canned fruits, pineapples, apples, cherries and white or yellow cake mix."  The book has a recipe for Chef Didier's Dump Cake (cherry pie filling, canned pineapple, nuts, cake mix--tastes good, but very sweet), and recipes for an additional 18 interesting variations (for example, Apricot Dump Cake made with cut-up canned apricots, cake mix, melted margarine).  The recipes are clearly presented, with ingredients lists followed by numbered step-by-step instructions.  Most of the cakes will serve at least 10 people.This recipe book is well done, and a good choice if you regularly require quick desserts for a big family or groups of friends.  Because the recipes are so large, and because I think the book is a bit expensive ($2.99) for what it is, I rate TOP 19 DUMP CAKE RECIPES at three stars ("It's okay" on the official Amazon scale).