Lemon Dump Cake is a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert similar to a cobbler, made with just four ingredients. Tart lemon pie filling and creamy cream cheese are nestled beneath a buttery yellow cake topping for an easy, delicious treat.
Why do they call it dump cake?
The name “dump cake” comes from how easy it is to assemble: you layer a few simple ingredients in a pan without traditional mixing. Typically you start with canned fruit or pie filling, add a dry boxed cake mix, and top with butter or soda. The result resembles a cobbler with a cake-like crust.
This lemon version adds a layer of cream cheese for extra richness between the lemon filling and cake mix, creating a tangy, creamy dessert that’s simple to pull together.
One-pan dessert
One of the biggest benefits of a dump cake is that it’s baked in a single pan, which means fewer dishes and minimal effort. The cream cheese layer in this recipe lends a velvety texture that pairs perfectly with the bright lemon filling and the crisp, buttery cake topping.
Ingredients for Lemon Dump Cake
This recipe uses four main ingredients plus optional toppings.
- 21 oz can lemon pie filling
- 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix (dry)
- 4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices (or a 12-oz can of lemon-lime soda as an alternative)
Optional toppings: Cool Whip, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream are all great served with this cake.
How to make Lemon Dump Cake
Although assembly is simple, it’s best to layer the ingredients rather than literally dump them.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking pan.
- Spread the lemon pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle half of the dry cake mix over the filling.
- Distribute pieces of cream cheese over the cake mix layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining cake mix over the cream cheese.
- Top with thin slices of butter, covering as much of the dry mix as possible. (Using longer, narrower butter sticks gives more thin slices.)
Tip: Some people melt the butter and pour it over the top, but thin slices of butter tend to cover the dry mix more evenly and prevent dry pockets.
Baking, serving, and storing
Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the filling is bubbling in the center.
Serve warm or cold, topped with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 15–20 seconds to soften and warm before serving.
More cobbler recipes
- Peach and Pineapple Cobbler
- Easy Cherry Cobbler
- Cream Cheese Peach Cobbler
- Single Serving Cobbler
- Peach Dump Cake with Oatmeal
Lemon Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 21 oz (595 g) can lemon pie filling
- 15.25 oz (432 g) box yellow cake mix (dry, not prepared)
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into thin slices
Equipment
- 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking pan
- Silicone spatula or spoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan with non-stick spray.
- Spread the lemon pie filling across the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle half of the cake mix over the filling.
- Top with pieces of cream cheese.
- Sprinkle the remaining cake mix over the cream cheese.
- Top with thin slices of butter to cover as much of the cake mix as possible.
- Bake 35–40 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the filling bubbles in the center.
- Serve warm or cool with whipped topping or ice cream, if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
- Reheat single servings in the microwave 15–20 seconds to warm.
- To make in a 9×13-inch pan: use 2 cans lemon pie filling and 8 oz cream cheese; keep the same amount of cake mix and butter. Bake 50–60 minutes, checking doneness.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates only.
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