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Dump Cakes: A Cathy Mitchell Recipe Book with an Unfortunate Name

Tired of pretentious cookbooks trying to convince you to prepare elegant gourmet dishes favored by snooty European chefs? Now slatternly housewives everywhere can rejoice, as Cathy Mitchell brings the low-rent cuisine of the trailer park to the masses with her new book, Quick and Easy Dump Cakes:

Nothing says class quite like a recipe that requires you to crack open a can of diet soda!

My first thought on seeing this infomercial was that the name “Dump Cakes” is so obviously terrible that it must have been deliberately chosen to generate publicity, much the same way the name Tiddy Bear did for its product. But it turns out that “dump cake” recipes have in fact been around for some time. Nonetheless, it is an awful name for a food because the word “dump” brings two, equally unpleasant, things to mind:

1) A garbage dump. When a homeless guy does dumpster diving, it’s a real treat for him to find the leftover remnants of a cake in the midst of all the rotting garbage and refuse, but that doesn’t mean anyone else wants to eat something fished out of the trash.

2) Taking a dump. This meaning becomes even more problematic when making a chocolate dump cake recipe. Cathy Mitchell has many devoted fans, but even her most ardent devotee doesn’t want to eat the woman’s dump. (The intersection between GILF lovers and coprophagia enthusiasts must be so narrow as to defy even Rule 34.)

Order Dump Cakes now and as a free bonus get Cathy Mitchell’s exciting cookbooks, Decayed Desserts and Rancid Rice Recipes.

Comments

  • 34 Responses to “Dump Cakes: A Cathy Mitchell Recipe Book with an Unfortunate Name”

  • What? My mom has been making dump cakes for years (just not all those different kinds, it’s a recipe has apples, raisins, walnuts, yellow cake mix etc, no soda though, yuck)! This is nothing new, and something you can make easily at home for less! Plus, I have a feeling the homemade from scratch soda-less stuff tastes much better. At least my mom’s does.

    Comment by Jay on October 4, 2013 at 2:04 pm

  • I’ve never heard of dump cakes before today. Are they a regional food item like po’boys or Minnesota hotdishes?

    Comment by Thomas on October 5, 2013 at 12:18 am

  • Mmm, clumps of unmixed cake batter drenched in soda, delicious.

    Comment by Giddeon on October 6, 2013 at 11:23 am

  • With a good quality stand mixer, making truly from scratch goodies wouldn’t take that much longer. I hardly consider dumping a can of soda into cake mix “homemade”. Call me pretentious if you must.

    Comment by Deb on October 7, 2013 at 5:08 pm

  • The technical term is “drop batter”, the most common form being carrot cake.

    Good Lord, I love this site. As someone who can’t sleep, it is nice to have people who articulate the thoughts I am too lazy to commit to paper.

    Comment by Uncle Pork on October 11, 2013 at 2:01 am

  • I love the somewhat sinister black and white clips in informercials that depict the “old way” of performing a simple task as some monumental challenge. The people in it are always completely frazzled and inept, so much so that you wonder how they even get dressed in the morning. Note how the woman in this clip is stirring the batter with a spatula AND mixing it with an electric beater. If you’re that stupid, you shouldn’t be in the kitchen let alone making any food for human consumption.

    Comment by Kyla on October 14, 2013 at 3:09 am

  • We used to call this kind of thing a “wacky cake”. Much more appealing than “dump”.

    Comment by Robbie on October 28, 2013 at 8:29 am

  • Actually, the original dump cake recipe calls for cherry pie filling, pineapple chunks, butter, yellow cake mix, and walnuts – fixed in the same manner as the rest of the dump cakes in the book. And the yellow cake mix cooks all the way through unless you are an idiot, since these recipes are supposed to be idiot-proof.

    Comment by Southern on November 30, 2013 at 6:40 pm

  • If you think “Dump Cake” sounds bad, I guess you’ve never heard of “Diaper Cakes”.

    Comment by Brian on December 24, 2013 at 6:42 pm

  • This commercial makes me sick to my stomach. This would make Jack Lalanne turn over in his grave. These really are processed toxic waste recipes. This product must be funded by the government for population control.

    Comment by Randy on February 17, 2014 at 11:51 pm

  • Just another stupid person trying to make money off of something completely disgusting. She should be sued.

    Comment by Jacqueline Wright on May 26, 2014 at 7:08 am

  • What the Sam Hello is wrong with you people? These fine dinning formulas have been around for longer than any of us. Known by different name like DIAPER CAKES. Must because she has the mass to put a collect up n togather for those that are to damn lazy to do themselves they want to lock her sue her burn her at the stake. Why not break out the bbq saucer and call it a family reunion. Geez eat your heart out Jacque, Giddion and the other nah Sayers. She must beat you to the bucks. Get over yourselves

    Comment by John W on May 29, 2014 at 10:04 am

  • I ordered the dump cake book from tv ad and understood that the dump dinner book came with it ,both for $10.00 + $7.99 s&h I got the dump cake book but not get the dump dinner book so they tell me know to pay $10.00 more for that book and a pan I dont want to pay anymore and I don’t want the pan.

    Comment by elaine rounds on July 16, 2014 at 7:47 am

  • I have seen this commercial in my opinion she is trying to make money off of something that been around for along time. there are so many dump cakes recipes on the web who need to pay for her cook book when they can find them for free. In my opinion a dump cake is a easy way to make a cobbler. The Guy Thomas who wrote about the Minnesota hotdishes lol I live in Minnesota; however, i still cannot grasped the Idea of a hotdish. The most famous Hotdish in Minnesota is the Potato Tot Hotdish, and it is gross, all they do is throw anything into a baking dish and call it a hotdish.

    Comment by Angie on September 4, 2014 at 7:04 pm

  • After reading the comments left for this book & Lady, I can only conclude that most are either jealous they didn’t come up with this idea or they are just plain outright ignorant morons.

    Comment by George on October 25, 2014 at 9:44 am

  • Why do people even publish cookbooks anymore? Just Google “dump cake recipes” and you will get all the info you need for free. Sad but true for cookbook authors, great for home cooks.

    Comment by Scott Mercer on November 13, 2014 at 11:47 am

  • It’s sad how Cathy Mitchell and Rachael Ray are using recipes that are not even new, but they seem to make it look that way. It’s pathetic most of the recipes in dump cakes and dinners are items I make myself I call it dinner or dessert improvised.

    Comment by Nafeesah on November 15, 2014 at 1:38 pm

  • I love to cook but anything that will get me in and of the kitchen especially on week nights I am all for it. Ths way I can have it all done in 30 minutes and then set and relax with my family.
    And these cook books do the trick,and so far I have’nt made 1 thing from any of them my family has not liked.

    Comment by Linda on November 16, 2014 at 1:28 am

  • I dont buy cookbooks any more but the concept interested Me.
    I made several cakes and a pork chop dinner do far. All were delicious and very well received.
    My only problem is when asked for the recipe I get embarrassed because they are so east to make and with so few ingredients. I never made a cake where someone did not ask how I made it. I am totally in love with kathys Xpress redi set go machines too. The lady has something good going on.

    Comment by Maria T Caroppoli on December 2, 2014 at 8:56 am

  • Let’s just pray that she doesn’t take this a step further and release the dreaded sequel “Urinal Cakes”.

    Comment by Steve on December 30, 2014 at 11:18 am

  • Muck, slop! Diet soda is sweetened with aspartame because big soda corporations want to stuff as much money as possible in their investors greedy pockets, and aspartame is CHEAP! Aspartame also loses it’s sweetness when heated, so it will not work in any bake requirement recipe! And how the hell is it “guilt free”? It is still full of sugar, and carbohydrates! Anyone knows that if you do not brown beef, you will end up with raw chunks throughout your finished dish, and what does cook will be like pink slime,yuk! Don’t make this old gypsy shyster rich,get off your azz, and either do it right, or go to a bakery. Anyone who thinks this mixture of overcooked,and undercooked slop with big sections of dry flour mix is ‘GOOD’, must have grown up on foodstamps,which will buy you carbs., pasta, candy, pop, bread, and ‘DUMPCAKES’ Yum!!!

    Comment by William Biller on January 16, 2015 at 12:13 am

  • So the genius of dump cakes is that they’re “economical,” if by economical you mean that you bypass the three seconds it takes to mix flour, sugar and baking powder, all which sell for 40 cents a pound, and use a boxed cake mix that costs $9 per lb.

    Just make a damn cake…it takes less than ten minutes.

    Comment by Davey on February 9, 2015 at 10:30 pm

  • I would like to see this book, as well as DUMP DINNERS, published in large print or audio. This would be most helpful to those of us who have problems with regular print.

    Comment by JAN on February 13, 2015 at 1:31 pm

  • Dump cakes are nothing new and Cathy Mitchell didn’t create the name for these types of cakes. My mom made dump cakes and she learned from her mother. My mom grew up during the great depression. Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe dump cakes were created during WWII when people had to ration food and rely on what they had to get by. With that being said, since you are so humored by the name, because it reminds you of taking a poop or a garbage dump, you can thank WWII households for giving you the opportunity to make an uneducated immature idiot out of yourself. And by the way, housewives should be offended by your comparison of calling them “slatternly” – I suppose you are calling housewives everywhere untidy or dirty or better yet, characteristic of sluts or prostitutes. In the future you might consider your wording….you’re not funny….and comparing the name of a food to trailer park cuisine is nothing more than a cut-down to those few who still remain from the greatest generation of men and women who by the way, gave you your freedom of slanderous speech!

    Comment by Darrah on March 23, 2015 at 9:03 am

  • Kathy Mitchell will be replacing Mike Huckabee on Fox News. Her new show, “Where The Sharks Take A Dump” will be a flag waving, boot-scootin’ good time!

    Comment by Pipey on March 30, 2015 at 1:27 am

  • That Cathy Mitchell is one HOT looking lady!
    I’d let her do a dump on me.

    Comment by Keith on April 25, 2015 at 12:13 am

  • This looks GROSS. This is for poor lazy people who don’t want to cook REAL food. It’s a SCAM. I would NEVER try this crap.

    Comment by gemluvr on May 8, 2015 at 8:55 pm

  • I’m convinced this woman either works as an Executive disciple of Satan OR IS A VALUED member of WHO and is effectively trying to keep the global populous in check

    Comment by Stormsmile on October 24, 2015 at 1:46 pm

  • Roses are red, violets are blue….that maple syrup shit looks a lot like my poo.

    Comment by Ronnie on April 28, 2016 at 10:09 pm

  • For those who are wanting to order these books. Every local Dollar General, in my area, has them in the book section…if you want to call it that, since it consists of three rows, 6’x6′.

    Comment by Chuck on June 18, 2016 at 3:25 pm

  • D is for Dump Truck

    Comment by Charmin on October 12, 2016 at 11:46 am

  • FOR THOSE OF YOU BAD-MOUTHING THESE BOOKS…TRY THEM BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN OR MAKE RUDE REMARKS….

    WE BOUGHT THE DUMP DINNERS FOR 5 BUCKS AT GOOD WILL AND HAVE MADE MORE THAN 15 OF THE RECIPES FOR MONDAY DINNERS…EACH HAS BEEN EASY, CHEAP INGREDIENTS, AND VERY VERY TASTY…

    WORTH THE MONEY AND THE BOOK

    Comment by WENDY on January 19, 2017 at 10:24 am

  • I make dump dinners every evenning in my little ol’ potty. And ooooooo-baby what an aroma! An entire roll of TP ain’t enough to daub all the drippins!!!

    Comment by Sister Francinus Marie on April 10, 2017 at 9:14 pm

  • Ewwwwwww! This is third thing or product that I have tried of this womans. They all stink. She is a fraud. This dump cake I just tried couldnt even finish. I added some ice cream to improve it. I just wasted my ice cream. My mother bought a snack make, some veggie storage bags and now th i s stupid cookbook. I don’t even think she had this stuff tested. Garbage: The snack maker was 40 bucks and didn’t close right made cheaply. The food didn’t cook evenly and the grease came out. The bags didn’t keep the veggies fresh any longer either.I used to work in the food industry and worked in quality control. That dump was one of the worse things I have ever tasted. We all agreed in my family to throw it away. I can’t get the taste out of my mouth. I’m sorry I have never felt this way about anyone before. I feel all she cares about is making a buck. Test your stuff out lady before you put out on the market and if u really believe that they are great products then you shouldn’t be in the food business. I’m sorry.

    Comment by P Graceffa on July 16, 2018 at 7:31 pm