Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish well.

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Spread the cherry pie filling evenly across the bottom of the greased baking dish.

Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the cherries, then gently spread or swirl to cover as much of the filling as possible without completely mixing the layers.

Sprinkle the dry yellow cake mix evenly over the cream cheese layer.

Drizzle the melted butter across the dry cake mix.

If using, scatter the chopped pecans across the surface and lightly dust with ground cinnamon.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center no longer looks wet.

Let the cake cool slightly for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.