Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake

Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake

For about 9×13-inch (approx. 12 servings) you’ll need:

1 box (≈ 15.25 oz) yellow or lemon-flavored cake mix.
1 can (≈ 21 oz) lemon pie filling. (Some recipes use two cans or “1 to 2 cans” depending on how thick/juicy you like it.)
8 oz (≈ 226 g) cream cheese, softened and cut/cubed.
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted or thinly sliced on top (depending on recipe).
(Optional extras) You could add a teaspoon vanilla extract, some lemon zest or fresh lemon juice for extra zing.

Preheat your oven to 350 °F (≈175 °C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Spread the lemon pie filling evenly in the prepared baking dish.
Cut the cream cheese into cubes (or soften and spoon) and scatter evenly over the lemon filling.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the cream cheese/lemon layer. Do not stir.
Either drizzle the melted butter evenly over the cake mix layer, or place thin pats/slices of butter trying to cover the surface. This helps the top become golden and crisp.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 35–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and you see the filling bubbling at the edges. Some sources suggest up to 50 minutes.
Let it rest for ~10–15 minutes before serving (this helps the layers set and makes serving easier).
Serve warm (delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) or at room temperature.

Make sure your cream cheese is softened: cold cubes may not melt well and you’ll end up with uneven pockets.
The “dump” nature means no mixing required: the layers do the work. Avoid stirring.
If you like extra lemon flavor, add fresh lemon zest or a bit of lemon juice to the cream cheese or filling.
For a richer version: choose a lemon cake mix and maybe two cans of pie filling for more lemon.
Store covered in the fridge; this type of dessert keeps well for a few days. Some sources mention up to 4 days.