4-ingredient lemon cream cheese dump cake is about as easy as baking gets: a box of yellow cake mix stirred with melted butter into buttery crumbs, half pressed into a 9×13 dish, a layer of lemon pie filling whisked with cream cheese poured over it, and the rest of the crumbs scattered on top. It bakes into a golden, crumbly-topped cake with a tangy, creamy lemon center. Prep takes 10 minutes and it makes 12 squares.
How to make it: Mix the dry cake mix with 1/2 cup melted butter until crumbly and press half into a greased dish. Whisk the softened cream cheese with the lemon pie filling until smooth and spread it over the base. Sprinkle on the remaining crumbs and bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and set.
Why You’ll Love It
- Four ingredients: cake mix, lemon pie filling, cream cheese and butter.
- 10 minutes of prep: one bowl for crumbs, one for the filling.
- Bright and creamy: tangy lemon and cream cheese between two buttery layers.
- Crowd-friendly: 12 squares from one pan, great for potlucks and spring holidays.
Ingredient Notes
Yellow cake mix: one box, used dry. Lemon cake mix makes it even more lemony; white cake mix works too.
Lemon pie filling: one 21-ounce can. It’s the tart, sweet heart of the cake.
Cream cheese: 8 ounces, softened so it whisks smoothly into the pie filling.
Butter: 1/2 cup unsalted, melted, to turn the cake mix into crumbs that bake up golden.
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Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 21 oz lemon pie filling (can)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake
1. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
2. Make the crumbs. In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix and melted butter. Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Press the base. Spread half of the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish and press it down to form a base.
4. Make the filling. In a separate bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese and lemon pie filling until smooth.
5. Add the filling. Pour the lemon cream cheese filling over the crumb base and spread evenly.
6. Top. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the filling layer.
7. Bake. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center.
8. Cool and serve. Let the cake cool slightly before slicing. Optional: dust with powdered sugar or add whipped cream.
What Is a Dump Cake?
A dump cake is a dessert where the ingredients go straight into the pan with little or no mixing: usually fruit or pie filling, dry cake mix and butter. The butter soaks into the cake mix as it bakes and turns it into a crisp, cobbler-like topping. This recipe adds a cream cheese layer and mixes the butter into the cake mix first, which gives you an even crumb base and top with no dry, powdery spots.
The Biggest Dump Cake Mistakes
- Dry patches of cake mix. When butter is just drizzled on top, some powder never gets wet. Mixing the butter in first, as here, avoids it.
- Cold cream cheese. It won’t whisk smoothly into the pie filling and leaves lumps.
- Uneven layers. Spread the filling all the way to the edges so every square gets some.
- Underbaking. The top should be golden and the center set before it comes out.
- Cutting it hot. Let it cool so the filling firms up and the squares hold together.
Variations
- Lemon cake mix: use it in place of yellow for double lemon flavor.
- Blueberry: scatter fresh blueberries over the lemon layer before the topping.
- Without cream cheese: skip it for a classic lemon dump cake; the center will be more like a lemon cobbler.
- Cherry: swap the lemon filling for cherry pie filling.
- Lemon glaze: drizzle the cooled cake with powdered sugar and lemon juice.
Storage
The filling has cream cheese, so refrigerate leftovers, covered, within 2 hours. Serve squares chilled, or let them sit out a few minutes first. The cake also slices more neatly when cold.
What to Serve With It
Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream, or chilled with whipped cream, powdered sugar and fresh berries.
More lemon desserts: lemon cake to die for, lemon blueberry cake and 2-ingredient lemon bars. More easy pan desserts: pecan pie dump cake, cream cheese squares and ooey gooey bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in a 4-ingredient lemon cream cheese dump cake?
Yellow cake mix, lemon pie filling, cream cheese and melted butter.
What is the biggest mistake to avoid when making a dump cake?
Leaving dry cake mix on top. Mix the butter into the cake mix first so every bit gets moistened.
Can I make lemon cream cheese cake with cake mix?
Yes. That’s exactly what this recipe does: cake mix forms the base and topping around a lemon cream cheese center.
Does it need to be refrigerated?
Yes. The cream cheese layer should be refrigerated once it has cooled.
Can I use lemon cake mix?
Yes. It makes the cake even more lemony.
Can I use fresh lemons instead of pie filling?
Pie filling is what makes it a 4-ingredient cake; it’s already sweetened and thickened. You can add lemon zest to the cream cheese for a fresher, sharper lemon flavor.
Why is my dump cake gooey in the middle?
It needed a few more minutes. Bake until the top is golden and the center no longer looks wet.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake it a day ahead, refrigerate it and serve it cold or at room temperature.
Final Notes
Mix the butter into the cake mix, soften the cream cheese and let the cake cool before cutting. If you try it with blueberries or lemon cake mix, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
4-Ingredient Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 21 oz lemon pie filling can
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix and melted butter. Mix with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Spread half of the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish and press it down to form a base.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together softened cream cheese and lemon pie filling until smooth.
- Pour the lemon cream cheese filling over the crumb base and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the filling layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden on top and set in the center.
- Let the cake cool slightly before slicing. Optional: dust with powdered sugar or add whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
