Before you even preheat that oven, make sure you have all your ingredients ready to go. Gather them on your countertop like a culinary artist preparing for a masterpiece. Trust me; this little bit of preparation saves a lot of scrambling later!

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). A warm oven is essential for a properly baked dessert, so don’t skip this step!

Grab a 9x13-inch baking dish and grease it lightly. You can use cooking spray or a bit of butter to help prevent sticking. A solid layer of non-stick protection goes a long way!

Take your two cans of sweet cherry pie filling and pour them into the prepared baking dish. Spread the cherry filling evenly across the bottom. This is the foundation of your dump cake—a tasty one at that!

In a separate bowl, combine the dry cake mix, melted butter, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Don’t stir too vigorously; mix just until combined. You want it smooth but don’t worry about lumps—this is a dump cake, after all!

Now, dollop the cake batter over the cherry filling. Use a silicone spatula to gently spread the batter out, but keep in mind that it doesn't have to be perfect. It's all going to meld together beautifully in the oven.

Once your cake batter is spread out, sprinkle the coarsely chopped pecans evenly across the top. This adds texture and crunch that complements the soft cake and juicy cherries.

Pop your baking dish in the preheated oven and let it bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the cherry dump cake to cool slightly before serving. It smells divine and is a sight to behold—don’t burn your tongue by diving in too quickly!