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Lemon Dump Cake

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This easy lemon dump cake recipe boasts 3 layers of delicious, sweet and tart lemon flavor. And this method ensures you never end up with a powdery bite of plain cake mix on top!

A serving of lemon dump cake is topped with whipped cream, a lemon slice, and a garnish on a white plate.

Lemon dump cake is a simple, easy, and delicious dessert that your family will ask for over and over again. Layered with lemon and creamy filling and topped by a crumbly lemon cake mix crust, this irresistible dessert is easy to make and requires only a few ingredients to throw together and ‘dump’ in the oven! This bright lemon dessert is a fantastic way to celebrate the beginning of summer and add a little color to your table!

This recipe includes mostly the same ingredients you will find in other lemon dump cake recipes, but this method is by far the best. I wanted to find a way to ensure that no one had a bite of powdery cake mix or savory cream cheese in their dessert. Though this method is a little bit more work than other dump cakes, it is definitely worth it to make sure that you have an evenly baked and consistently delicious dessert to serve.

A scoop of lemon dump cake, topped and garnished, is spooned out of the cake pan.

Other recipes will tell you to cut your cream cheese into pieces and distribute them evenly on top of the lemon filling. While this works, it can lead to bites of plain cream cheese that can disrupt your experience of tartsweet creaminess. Similarly, they recommend slicing your butter and putting it on top of the cake mix, however, this often lends to a crust that has been cooked unevenly and is sometimes more floury than crumbly.

Though it requires just a little bit more effort, trust me when I tell you that your end result will be well worth it. By beating together the powdered sugar, milk, and cream cheese, you end up with a filling that will perfectly complement the tart sweet flavor of the lemon filling without adding any savory surprises. Similarly, mixing the melted butter with the cake mix ensures that you will have an evenly buttered crust to top off your cake.

This lemon cream cheese dump cake is so good that I know you will want to make some more fruity desserts to keep up the trend! Here are some just to get you started:

What Do I Need To Make Lemon Dump Cake?

Powdered sugar, milk, lemon cake mix, a stick of butter, cream cheese, and a can of lemon pie filling.
  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 (22 ounce) can lemon pie filling
  • 1 (15.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup salted butter, melted
  • Whipped cream to serve

Step by Step Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: Spread the lemon pie filling onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish in an even layer with a spatula.

The lemon filling is spread out in the bottom of the pan.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. 

Spread this evenly over the pie filing. 

The ingredients are mixed together in a green bowl and then spread out over the lemon filling.

Step 4: In a bowl, stir the cake mix and melted butter together. Sprinkle this evenly over the cream cheese layer. 

Melted butter is mixed with the cake mix and then is spread out in the pan.

Step 5: Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top has slightly browned. Top with whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream to serve. 

A baked lemon dump cake is topped with whipped cream and slices of lemon.

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Lemon Dump Cake

Lemon Dump Cake

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This easy lemon dump cake recipe boasts 3 layers of delicious, sweet and tart lemon flavor. And this method ensures you never end up with a powdery bite of plain cake mix on top! 

Ingredients

  • nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 (22 ounce) can lemon pie filling
  • 1 (15.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup salted butter, melted
  • Whipped cream to serve

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Next, spread the lemon pie filling onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish in an even layer with a spatula.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. 
  4. Spread this evenly over the pie filing. 
  5. In a bowl, stir the cake mix and melted butter together. Sprinkle this evenly over the cream cheese layer. 
  6. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top has slightly browned. Top with whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream to serve. 

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 268Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 393mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 2g

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This easy lemon dump cake recipe boasts 3 layers of delicious, sweet and tart lemon flavor. And this method ensures you never end up with a powdery bite of plain cake mix on top!

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