🍋 Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake
So easy, so good — just 4 ingredients!
“I used to avoid making lemon desserts because they never turned out right — until I found this gem. This is how my neighbor makes it, and hers always looks bakery-perfect!”
🧾 Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix (about 15.25 oz / 432g)
- 1 can lemon pie filling (about 21 oz / 595g)
- 1 block cream cheese (8 oz / 225g), cubed
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
✅ Optional:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Fresh lemon zest or thin lemon slices for garnish
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Preheat Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish or spray with non-stick spray.
2. Add Lemon Filling
Spread the entire can of lemon pie filling evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
3. Add Cream Cheese
Dot the cubed cream cheese evenly over the lemon filling.
4. Add Cake Mix
Sprinkle the dry lemon cake mix evenly over the top — don’t stir it in!
5. Add Butter
Pour the melted butter evenly over the entire surface of the cake mix. Try to cover as much of the dry mix as possible.
6. Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly, and the cream cheese is soft and slightly browned.
7. Cool and Serve
Let it cool slightly before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled — plain or with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
🍰 Description
This Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake is bright, tangy, creamy, and sweet — like a cross between lemon bars and cheesecake. The cream cheese gives it a velvety richness, while the lemon filling adds a zingy, citrusy burst. The cake topping is golden, buttery, and slightly crisp around the edges — pure comfort in every bite.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream
- Dust with powdered sugar or add lemon zest on top
- Slice and chill for a firmer texture, perfect with coffee or tea
❄️ Storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days
- Reheat gently in the microwave, or enjoy cold
- Not ideal for freezing (due to the cream cheese texture), but can be frozen if needed
💡 Tips for Success
- Don’t stir — the “dump and bake” layering is what creates the perfect texture
- Use high-quality lemon pie filling for the best flavor
- Add a pinch of salt to the melted butter to enhance flavor (if using unsalted butter)
- Cut the cream cheese into small cubes for more even melting