If you love the bright, puckering punch of a lemon bar combined with the rich, velvety texture of a cheesecake, this Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake is a game-changer.
True to the “dump cake” philosophy, there is no complicated folding, no water baths, and very little cleanup. You simply layer the ingredients directly into your baking dish and let the oven do the heavy lifting. The result is a spectacular dessert featuring a hidden ribbon of creamy cheesecake tucked beneath a bright layer of lemon pie filling, all capped off with a buttery, golden-crisp cobbler crust.
The Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow or white cake mix
- 2 cans (15.75 oz each) lemon pie filling
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for whipping into the cream cheese)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1.Preheat and Prep:5 mins.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or a little butter.
2.Whip the Cream Cheese Layer:5 mins.
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together with a hand mixer until completely smooth and fluffy.
3.Layer the Fillings:5 mins.
Spread both cans of the lemon pie filling evenly across the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Next, drop spoonfuls of the sweetened cream cheese mixture randomly over the lemon layer. Use the back of a spoon or a butter knife to gently swirl the cream cheese slightly into the lemon—don’t overmix, you want distinct pockets of cream cheese!
4.Dump the Topping:3 mins.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the entire surface of the lemon and cream cheese layers. Use your hands to smooth out any large clumps of dry mix so it covers everything like a blanket.
5.Drizzle the Butter:2 mins.
Pour the melted butter slowly and evenly over the top of the dry cake mix. Try to coat as much of the dry flour surface as possible. Any dry patches left untouched by butter will bake up chalky, so take your time with this step.
6.Bake and Chill:40-45 mins.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is a beautiful bubbling golden-tan and a toothpick inserted into the cake crumb sections comes out clean. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing. Chilling allows that delicious cream cheese layer to firm up beautifully so it cuts cleanly.
The No-Stir Commandment: It feels completely unnatural to leave a layer of dry cake mix sitting on top of liquid fillings, but resist the urge to stir the pan! As the cake bakes, the steam from the lemon filling rises up while the melted butter seeps down. They meet in the middle to transform the dry mix into a wonderfully craggy, golden shortbread-style topping.
3 Quick Customizations
- The Graham Cracker Crust: If you want an even more authentic cheesecake vibe, sprinkle 1/2 cup of crushed graham cracker crumbs directly over the bottom of the greased pan before dumping in the lemon filling.
- The Berry Twist: Swap out one can of lemon pie filling for one can of blueberry or raspberry pie filling to make a vibrant, bi-colored lemon-berry variant.
- The Nutty Crunch: Scatter 1/2 cup of sliced almonds or chopped pecans over the melted butter layer right before the pan goes into the oven for an incredible toasted crunch.