There are desserts that require careful measuring, several mixing bowls, complicated decorating, and plenty of patience—and then there are dump cakes.
This Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake belongs firmly in the second category.
It combines bright, tangy lemon filling with rich cream cheese and a buttery golden cake-mix topping. The result is somewhere between a soft lemon cake, a creamy cheesecake bar, and a fruit cobbler.
Best of all, it is remarkably simple to prepare.
The image accompanying the headline appears to show a different noodle-and-beef dish, so the recipe below is based on the Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake named in the headline.
Why This Dessert Is So Easy
Traditional cakes often require you to cream butter and sugar, beat eggs, combine dry ingredients, carefully fold everything together, and worry about overmixing.
A dump cake takes a much simpler approach.
The ingredients are layered in a baking dish, and the oven does most of the work.
For this version, the basic combination is:
Lemon pie filling
Cream cheese
Yellow or lemon cake mix
Butter
A few simple additions to make the cream cheese layer smooth and flavorful
As the dessert bakes, the lemon filling becomes hot and gooey, the cream cheese develops a creamy cheesecake-like texture, and the cake mix combines with butter to form a golden, tender topping.
The contrast between the tart lemon and rich cream cheese is what makes this dessert so appealing.
Ingredients
For an easy family-sized version, you’ll need:
For the lemon layer
1 large can lemon pie filling, about 21 ounces
Optional: 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest for extra citrus flavor
For the cream cheese layer
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon pie filling
For the topping
1 box yellow, butter, or lemon cake mix, approximately 15 ounces
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Optional for serving
Whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh lemon zest
Fresh berries
A light dusting of powdered sugar
Step 1: Prepare the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Lightly grease an approximately 8-by-8-inch or 9-by-9-inch baking dish.
You can use butter or a little nonstick cooking spray.
Greasing the dish makes serving easier and helps prevent the edges from sticking.
For a larger batch, a larger baking dish can be used, but the thickness of the finished dessert will change.
