🍍🍒 Dolly Parton’s Cuppa-Cuppa Cake
A simple, comforting fruit cake made with yellow cake mix, sour cream, buttery sweetness, pineapple, and cherry pie filling.
This easy dessert is perfect when you want something warm, fruity, and crowd-pleasing without complicated baking techniques. The pineapple keeps the cake moist while the cherries add beautiful color and a sweet-tart contrast.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 45–55 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour
Servings: 10–12
Difficulty: Easy
🛒 Ingredients
- 1 box (about 15–16 oz / 425–450 g) yellow cake mix
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (240 g) sour cream
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 can (21 oz / 595 g) crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 can (21 oz / 595 g) cherry pie filling
Optional for Serving
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Toasted chopped pecans
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
🍰 2. Make the Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, melted butter, sour cream, and granulated sugar.
Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and a thick, smooth batter forms.
Don’t worry if the batter is thicker than a traditional cake batter.
🍍 3. Add the Pineapple
Pour the undrained crushed pineapple into the batter.
Fold gently until the pineapple is evenly distributed.
The pineapple juice adds moisture and fruity flavor to the cake.
🍒 4. Add the Cherry Pie Filling
Spoon the cherry pie filling over the batter.
Use a spatula to gently spread it across the surface.
You can leave some distinct cherry pockets for a rustic appearance or lightly swirl the filling into the batter.
Don’t overmix.
🔥 5. Bake
Place the baking dish in the center of the preheated oven.
Bake for approximately 45–55 minutes, or until:
- The top is golden brown.
- The edges are set.
- The center looks baked through.
- A toothpick inserted into an area without cherry filling comes out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil for the final portion of baking.
❄️ 6. Cool
Remove the cake from the oven.
Allow it to cool in the baking dish for at least 20–30 minutes.
The fruit filling will be very hot immediately after baking and will firm slightly as it cools.
🍨 7. Serve
Cut the cake into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
For the ultimate comfort-food dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
The warm fruity cake and cold, creamy ice cream make an irresistible combination.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Don’t Drain the Pineapple
The juice is an important part of the moisture and flavor of this dessert.
Use Full-Fat Sour Cream
Full-fat sour cream gives the cake a richer, more tender texture.
Don’t Overmix
Once everything is combined, stop stirring. Overmixing can make the cake heavier.
Watch the Center
Because the cake contains fruit and pie filling, the center can take a little longer to set than the edges.
Let It Rest
Giving the cake time to cool allows the fruit juices to settle and makes it easier to serve neatly.
🍒🍍 Easy Variations
Peach Cuppa-Cuppa
Replace the cherry pie filling with peach pie filling for a juicy peach version.
Blueberry Version
Use blueberry pie filling instead of cherry.
Tropical Cake
Add ½ cup shredded coconut and replace some of the pineapple with drained mandarin oranges.
Nutty Fruit Cake
Sprinkle ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts over the top before baking.
Extra Buttery Finish
Brush the warm cake lightly with a little melted butter immediately after baking.
🍨 Serving Suggestions
Serve warm with:
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Powdered sugar
- Caramel sauce
- Toasted pecans
- Fresh cherries
- A drizzle of warm chocolate sauce
A cup of coffee or black tea makes the perfect accompaniment.
🧊 Storage
Cover the cooled cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 4 days because of the fruit and sour cream.
Reheat individual portions gently in the microwave before serving if desired.
❄️ Freezing
Allow the cake to cool completely.
Wrap individual portions tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat before serving.
🍍🍒 Final Result
Dolly Parton’s Cuppa-Cuppa Cake is wonderfully simple and comforting, with a moist, buttery yellow-cake base, juicy pineapple, and sweet cherry filling baked into every bite.
It’s the kind of easy dessert that’s perfect for family gatherings because it requires very little effort but delivers plenty of homemade-style flavor.
Buttery cake + juicy pineapple + cherries + vanilla ice cream = pure comfort-food bliss. 🍒🍍🍰