Easy Orange Cranberry Dump Cake

If you love the tart flavor of fresh cranberries, the sweetness of mandarin oranges, and the buttery crunch of an old-fashioned fruit crisp, you're going to love this easy Orange Cranberry Dump Cake!

Made with orange cake mix, fresh cranberries, mandarin oranges, brown sugar, oats, and chopped nuts, this simple holiday dessert is a cross between a traditional dump cake and a fruit crisp.

And friends, this is not your grandma's dump cake! But I have a feeling Grandma would ask for seconds.

Five Bags of Cranberries and a Baking Adventure

Last week I went shopping for fresh cranberries and couldn't find them anywhere. I had several cranberry recipes on my mind, but apparently the cranberries weren't ready for me.

Then, this week, I happened upon a sale at my local H-E-B.

Fresh cranberries were just 98 cents a bag!

Well, what was I supposed to do? I bought five bags, of course!

I used one bag to make an old-fashioned cranberry fluff salad, and then I started thinking about what to do with the others.

I've made plenty of cranberry-orange desserts over the years, including muffins, cookies, cake, bars, and bread pudding. But this time I wanted something different.

Something easy. Something festive. Something that would be right at home on the Thanksgiving dessert table.

And that's how this Orange Cranberry Dump Cake came to be.

A Dump Cake with a Twist

I love a good dump cake. I've made all sorts of them over the years, and I even have a tutorial on how to turn a boxed cake mix into a dump cake.

The basic concept is wonderfully simple: fruit on the bottom, dry cake mix on top, and butter to bring everything together in the oven.

But this time I wanted to experiment.

I started with the idea of adding oats and chopped nuts to the cake mix. After all, cranberries and oranges are delicious with a crunchy topping.

Then, as I stood in the kitchen putting everything together, I had another thought.

Why not add brown sugar and make something closer to a fruit crisp?

Instead of stirring everything into the dry cake mix, I combined brown sugar, oats, and chopped nuts in a separate bowl. I sprinkled that mixture over the cake mix, arranged slices of butter across the top, and popped the whole thing into the oven.

I wasn't entirely sure what would happen.

That's half the fun of baking, isn't it?

Thirty-five minutes later, I had a beautiful dessert with a crunchy, buttery topping, a luscious orange cake layer, and a tart cranberry filling that had worked its way up into the cake.

What a delightful surprise!

What Is Orange Cranberry Dump Cake?

A dump cake is an easy dessert made by layering fruit, dry boxed cake mix, and butter in a baking dish. As it bakes, the fruit juices and butter moisten the cake mix, creating a tender, cobbler-like dessert.

This version starts with a homemade filling made from fresh cranberries, mandarin oranges, and sugar.

A box of orange cake mix goes directly over the fruit. Then comes a crunchy topping made from brown sugar, oats, and chopped nuts, finished with sliced butter.

The result is a combination of three wonderful textures:

• A sweet-tart cranberry and mandarin orange filling.
• A soft, moist orange cake layer.
• A crunchy, buttery oat-and-nut topping.

It's part dump cake, part fruit crisp, and completely delicious.

Ingredients You'll Need

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here's a peek at what you're going to need. These are simple ingredients you might already have in your pantry or refrigerator.

For the Orange Cranberry Filling

Fresh cranberries (12 ounces): You'll need one standard bag of fresh cranberries. Their tart flavor is the star of the filling.

Mandarin oranges (15-ounce can, with juice): These add sweetness, citrus flavor, and moisture to the filling. Don't drain them!

Granulated sugar (¾ cup): Fresh cranberries are naturally tart, so sugar helps balance their sharpness. I recommend starting with ¾ cup, but you can add a little more if you prefer a sweeter filling.

For the Cake and Crisp Topping

Orange cake mix (15.25 ounces): I used Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake mix. The orange flavor is wonderful with the cranberries.

Light brown sugar (½ cup): Adds caramel-like sweetness and helps create that delicious crisp topping.

Quick oats (½ cup): Gives the topping its old-fashioned fruit crisp texture.

Chopped pecans or walnuts (½ cup): I used walnuts because I was out of pecans, but I think pecans would be especially delicious here.

Salted butter (¾ cup): Cut into thin slices and arranged across the top. The butter melts into the dry ingredients as the dessert bakes.

That's it! Just eight ingredients.

How to Make Orange Cranberry Dump Cake

This dessert comes together in three easy stages: making the fruit filling, layering the cake and topping, and baking.

Step 1: Prepare the Cranberry-Orange Filling

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

Rinse the fresh cranberries and remove any damaged berries.

Place the cranberries in a medium saucepan along with the mandarin oranges and their juice. Add ¾ cup granulated sugar.

Cook over medium heat for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to burst and the mixture comes together into a thick, juicy filling.

You don't need to cook it until it's stiff like cranberry jelly. A little liquid is actually helpful because it will moisten the cake mix during baking.

Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the filling to a bowl. Allow it to cool slightly.

I placed mine in the refrigerator for a short time while I prepared the other ingredients.

Step 2: Add the Fruit to the Baking Dish

Spread the cranberry-orange filling evenly across the bottom of your prepared 9×13-inch baking dish.

Don't worry if it looks like a fairly substantial layer of fruit. Some of that filling will bubble up into the cake as it bakes.

Step 3: Add the Dry Cake Mix

Open the box of orange cake mix and sprinkle the dry mix evenly over the fruit.

Do not prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.

And don't stir it into the filling!

We're using the dry mix exactly as it comes from the box.

Step 4: Make the Brown Sugar Oat Topping

In a separate bowl, combine:

• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup quick oats
• ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Stir until evenly combined.

Sprinkle this mixture over the dry cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible.

This is where our dump cake starts becoming something a little different!

Step 5: Add the Butter

Cut ¾ cup salted butter (1 ½ sticks) into thin slices.

Arrange the slices evenly over the oat-and-nut mixture, trying to cover as much of the surface as possible.

You don't need to melt the butter or work it into the topping.

Just let the oven do the work!

Step 6: Bake

Place the baking dish in your preheated 350°F oven.

Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crisp and the fruit is bubbling around the edges.

Ovens vary, so keep an eye on the dessert toward the end of the baking time. If the topping needs a little longer, continue baking in short increments.

Step 7: Cool Slightly and Serve

Remove the dump cake from the oven and let it rest for about 10–15 minutes before serving.

The filling will be very hot when it first comes out of the oven.

Spoon generous portions into dessert bowls and top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

What Does Orange Cranberry Dump Cake Taste Like?

Oh, my goodness. This dessert has such a wonderful combination of flavors and textures!

The cranberries are tart, even with the added sugar. But that tartness works beautifully with the sweet orange cake and brown sugar topping.

The middle layer has a luscious orange flavor, and some of the cranberry filling works its way into the cake during baking.

But the topping might be my favorite part.

It's crunchy and buttery, with just enough brown sugar sweetness and nutty flavor to remind me of an old-fashioned fruit crisp.

The finished dessert tastes like fall in a bowl!

I served mine with whipped cream, which added a lovely creamy contrast to the tart fruit and crunchy topping.

Fun Variations

There are several ways you could change this dessert to suit your tastes.

Use pecans instead of walnuts. I used walnuts in my original test because I was out of pecans. Both are good choices, but pecans would be especially lovely with the brown sugar topping.

Add a little orange zest. For an even brighter citrus flavor, add a teaspoon of fresh orange zest to the cranberry filling.

Try a touch of cinnamon. A little cinnamon in the oat topping would give the dessert an even warmer fall flavor.

Make it sweeter. If you prefer a less tart cranberry filling, increase the granulated sugar to 1 cup.

Serve with ice cream. Vanilla ice cream melting over the warm crisp topping would be absolutely delicious.

These are suggestions for future variations; the original recipe is the version I tested.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving Dessert

If you're looking for something a little different to serve at Thanksgiving, I think this Orange Cranberry Dump Cake deserves a place on your dessert table.

We all love our traditional holiday pies, but sometimes it's fun to introduce something new.

This dessert brings together so many wonderful fall flavors: tart cranberries, sweet oranges, brown sugar, butter, and toasted nuts.

And because it starts with a boxed cake mix, it's easy enough to make without spending hours in the kitchen.

I especially love that it's served by the spoonful. There's no need to worry about cutting perfect slices or decorating anything.

Just set out the baking dish, grab a serving spoon, and let everyone help themselves.

Who knows? It might become a new Thanksgiving tradition!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen cranberries?

Yes, frozen cranberries should work in this recipe. You may need to cook the filling a little longer to account for the extra moisture and colder fruit.

Can I use yellow cake mix instead of orange?

Yes! A yellow or vanilla cake mix would make a delicious variation. You might want to add a little orange zest to the fruit filling to bring out more citrus flavor.

Do I have to cook the cranberries first?

For this recipe, I recommend it. Briefly cooking the cranberries with the mandarins and sugar helps soften the fruit, dissolve the sugar, and create the juicy filling that moistens the cake mix.

Why is there dry cake mix in the recipe?

That's how traditional dump cakes are made! The fruit juices and butter moisten the dry cake mix as the dessert bakes. You don't need to add eggs or follow the instructions on the cake mix box.

Can I leave out the nuts?

Yes. You can omit the nuts if you prefer, although they add wonderful flavor and crunch to the topping.

Is this a dump cake or a fruit crisp?

A little of both! It has the easy layered method of a dump cake, but the brown sugar, oat, and nut topping gives it the texture of an old-fashioned fruit crisp.

Can I make this ahead for Thanksgiving?

You can prepare the cranberry filling ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to assemble the dessert. For the crispiest topping, I recommend assembling and baking the dump cake closer to serving time.

More Orange Cranberry Recipes You'll Love

If you love the combination of oranges and cranberries as much as I do, here are a few more recipes to try from Out of the Box Baking.

Simple Orange Cranberry Cake (Doctored Cake Mix): Another easy cake mix creation featuring this wonderful holiday flavor combination.

Orange Cranberry Bread Pudding: A comforting dessert that's especially delicious during the cooler months.

Orange Cranberry Cheesecake Bars: A rich, creamy dessert with a bright cranberry-orange twist.

Easy Orange Cranberry Muffins from Cake Mix: Perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch.

Orange Cranberry Slice and Bake Cookies: A wonderful addition to your Christmas cookie trays.

And don't miss my collection of The 12 Days of Cranberry Christmas Treats for even more festive ideas.

More Easy Dump Cakes

If you're a fan of easy desserts made with boxed cake mixes, you'll find plenty more inspiration here on the blog.

Start with my How to Turn a Boxed Cake Mix Into a Dump Cake tutorial for the basics.

You might also enjoy my Pecan Pie Dump Cake, Apple Snickerdoodle Dump Cake, or Pineapple Upside Down Dump Cake.

And for even more ideas, check out 12 Easy Dump Cake Recipes You'll Want to Make Again and Again.

Final Thoughts

I started this baking adventure with five bags of bargain cranberries and a whole lot of ideas.

I certainly didn't expect to end up with a dump cake that tasted like a fruit crisp, but I'm so glad I decided to experiment!

Sometimes the best things happen when you stand in your kitchen, look at the ingredients in front of you, and decide to try something a little different.

This Orange Cranberry Dump Cake is sweet, tart, buttery, crunchy, and full of wonderful fall flavor.

It's not your grandma's dump cake.

But I have a feeling Grandma would ask for seconds.

Happy baking! Before you go, why not pin some photos to your Pinterest boards?

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Janice Thompson is a professional baker, cake designer, and author with over 20 years of experience creating unique cakes and desserts. She’s the creator of Out of the Box Baking, where she shares her favorite doctored cake mix recipes, tutorials, and baking tips. Learn more →