Description
This lemon dump cake with cream cheese is my go-to when I want something sweet, tangy, and impressive with almost no effort. Soft lemon filling, creamy pockets of sweetened cream cheese, and a golden, buttery cake topping make every bite irresistible. Perfect for casual family dinners or special gatherings, it’s a dessert that looks like a lot of work but is wonderfully simple. Serve slightly warm with ice cream or whipped cream for extra indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 can lemon pie filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- Optional: 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish.
- Spread lemon pie filling evenly on the bottom.
- Dollop softened cream cheese across the top, optionally mixing with vanilla or sugar.
- Sprinkle dry lemon cake mix evenly over the cream cheese.
- Drizzle melted butter over the top, covering as much surface as possible.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, until edges bubble and top is golden.
- Cool 10–15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use softened cream cheese for even melting.
- Don’t mix layers; this preserves the signature texture.
- Optional lemon zest adds extra brightness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8–10
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg