You Pinspire Me
Prepare yourself. This is the easiest and fastest ‘cake’ recipe you will ever find. As the title would suggest, this is a dump cake. Meaning, you grease your pan, dump your ingredients into it, and stick it into the oven. You don’t even have to dirty a spoon for this!
I can’t tell you where this recipe originated – all I know is that my mom has been making it for years and years, and now that I have a rhubarb patch in my back yard, this is my go-to recipe whenever I have to bring a treat to work, church, potlucks, etc., in the summer.
It’s so easy that my 5 year old son made it all on his own last week – with a little help pouring the butter & water and putting it into the fridge!
- 5-6 cups of fresh, raw rhubarb, chopped (~1" pieces)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 package of strawberry Jello mix, unprepared
- 1 yellow or vanilla box cake mix, unprepared*
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan.
- Spread rhubarb on bottom of prepared pan.
- Sprinkle sugar and then Jello powder evenly over the rhubarb.
- Spread the dry cake mix over the rhubarb/sugar/jello.
- Pour water and then butter evenly over the cake mix.
- Bake in 350 oven for 45-60 minutes, until cake top is golden.
- If you can wait, cool before serving (the jello will thicken and set as it stands). If you can't wait, let it sit at least 15 min and serve warm with ice cream.
- The original recipe called for 1 cup of sugar, but we found that to be way too much. I typically use between 1/3-1/2 cup sugar.
- Raspberry Jello powder also tastes great with the rhubarb - try it out for a different take on the dessert!
- *I often use much less than 1 box of cake mix - sometimes about 1/2 - to cut down on the sugar - but some have found that they need the whole box to make it set properly.
- For a very fresh summer taste, my friend Kim's favourite is raspberry Jello powder with Lemon boxed cake mix!
I have not yet personally met anyone who dislikes this cake – even rhubarb haters can’t hate this concoction!
Rhubarb lovers: pop on over to this No Bake Rhubarb Torte for another simple, easy & delicious spring recipe!
Jenn vanOosten
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What is the package size of the jello?
That’s a great question – I don’t know that I’ve ever looked at the package size of jello – in the stores that I shop at, there’s really ever only one size option! However, it looks like the size box I used was 3oz (85 g).
Thanks! I made this today and was so yummy!! My whole family liked it, even my 4yr old son who ate 2 pieces in one setting!
Glad everyone liked it so much!
Mmmm I had this at Marya’s Norwell party ..was going to ask her for the recipe..Thanks for sharing!!! Now to go pick some rhubarb. Judy
Glad you liked it! Enjoy!
Have you ever used frozen rhubarb? I cut up 24 cups of rhubarb yesterday and didn’t feel like dealing with it so I just put it in the freezer.
I’ve used frozen lots of times – no need to thaw or anything. Seemed to work just as well. 24 cups??!! Wow!
Anyone ever used sugar free jello?
I’ve used sugar free jello before, and works and tastes the same! Enjoy!
I used regular in one batch.. and sugar free in the other.. they both turned out great!!!
I’m adding strawberries too.
Great idea! How did it turn out?
Have you ever tried to freeze the cake after it is made?
I haven’t, but I can’t see why it would be a problem! Let us know how it goes!
I made this today and it stayed really runny. I think I would use the whole box of cake mix for 1 cup of water. Anyone else have this problem?
Mine was far from runny, it turned out hard, gooey and yucky
I use the whole box, and it works great!
this turned out really bad for me.
Really?! It was awesome! Followed the recipe to a “T”
Oh no! I’m so sorry that the cake didn’t turn out well for you guys! I’ve never had it turn out runny or hard – I don’t know what to tell you. I’m sorry that you wasted delicious rhubarb on it, then! 🙁
I made this for my sister as she loves rhubarb. I also made one for my family. We all loved it. I have no complaints at all. I followed your directions and it was so good. My sister has terminal cancer and it was so nice to see her enjoy something that she was able to eat. I will make again.. thanks for the great recipe.. Brenda Lee
Made this today despite some bad reviews. Well the reviews (bad ones) are right. Followed the directions to a tee and usually don’t have many issues with desserts turning out bad but this one SURE DIDN’T TURN OUT!
* A 1/3 cup is way too little for the sugar..alot of the pucker factor going on too tarty still.
* Let it sit for 15 mins to attempt to reduce runny factor…didn’t work now trying to get it to set in the fridge.
* This is not a “cake” this is a crisp, guess I should have used the whole cake mix.
Lesson learned.
Thanks for the tips! I think that the whole box would be a good idea – that’s what I usually use.
Made this today and it turned out wonderful! Thanks for the recipe – I’ve been giving it out to all my friends!
I love rhubarb! Going to try this!
It really is SO easy! And delicious – enjoy!
I’m so loving all these rhubarb recipes I have been seeing lately and this one looks so yummy. Thanks for linking up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party. I’ve pinned your post to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Board
can u use 2 boxes of the small jello?
Yes, that’s just fine, Sue! 🙂
Butter or margarine?
My mom always used margarine, I use butter… it doesn’t seem to matter too much!
I live in Texas and it doesn’t get cold enough to grow fresh rhubarb so am wondering if I can use strawberry rhubarb pie filling for the bottom of the cake
First of all, what a shame! I am so sorry for you!!
Second, Huh. That is an excellent question. My mom is over right now and she has made the cake literally HUNDREDS of times. 🙂 She says, “Yes, I expect it would work just fine!”
Let us know if you try it out and how it works!
Thanks for posting this LOW SUGAR version along with your additional comments about sugar and flavour variations!
I make this every year for my boss’s birthday. But I also add some fresh strawberries to it and it’s a HUGE hit. Even people who say that don’t like rhubarb will come back for seconds!
i make this all the time i use 2 cups of strawberres, and 4 cups of rhubarb, small box of strawberry jello (3oz), my recipe doesn’t call for the butter though just pour the water over the cake mix put in over and then enjoy