Here’s a simple, rich, and tangy recipe for Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake – a deliciously easy dessert that lives up to its name: just dump, layer, and bake! With lemon pie filling, sweet cream cheese, and buttery cake mix, it’s a crowd-pleasing treat that requires very little effort.
🍋 Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake
🔸 Yield: 12 servings
🔸 Prep Time: 10 minutes
🔸 Bake Time: 40–45 minutes
🔸 Total Time: ~55 minutes
🧂 Ingredients
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1 (21 oz / 595g) can lemon pie filling
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8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
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¼ cup powdered sugar (for sweetening the cream cheese)
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1 box (15.25 oz / 432g) yellow or white cake mix
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½ cup (1 stick / 115g) unsalted butter, melted
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Optional:
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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Fresh lemon zest (for garnish)
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Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving
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🧑🍳 Instructions
🔹 Step 1: Preheat Oven
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Lightly grease or butter a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish.
🔹 Step 2: Layer the Ingredients
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Spread lemon pie filling evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
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In a bowl, beat softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar (and vanilla if using) until smooth.
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Drop spoonfuls of the sweetened cream cheese mixture over the lemon filling. You don’t need to spread it—just scatter it evenly.
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Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top. Do not stir.
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Pour melted butter evenly over the cake mix layer, covering as much as possible.
🔹 Step 3: Bake
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Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
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Let cool for 10–15 minutes before serving (it sets more as it cools).
📝 Tips & Variations
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More lemon flavor? Add 1–2 tsp lemon zest to the cream cheese or sprinkle over the top before baking.
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Crispier topping: Dot the top with small pieces of cold butter instead of pouring melted butter for a more crumbly texture.
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Use lemon cake mix for an extra lemony punch.
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Add berries: Layer in fresh blueberries or raspberries with the lemon pie filling before adding cream cheese.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
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Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Top with:
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A dollop of whipped cream
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A scoop of vanilla ice cream
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A dusting of powdered sugar and fresh lemon zest
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🧺 Storage
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Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 15–20 seconds.