This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake recipe is the ultimate easy dessert when you want something sweet, tangy, and totally effortless. Made with just five ingredients, including lemon pie filling and cream cheese, it’s creamy, bright, and finished with a buttery cake topping that melts in your mouth. No mixing bowls needed—just layer, bake, and enjoy! (You’ll also love this Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake!)
My Top Tips For Making The Perfect Dump Cake
Dump cakes are one of my go-to desserts and I’ve got a whole post about how to make them. But if I had to pick the three most important pointers for dump cake perfection, they’d be:
- Don’t stir. It might feel wrong, but trust the process. Dump cakes are meant to be layered, not mixed. Pour your ingredients in the right order and then let the oven do the magic. Stirring can really mess with the texture of this lemony dump cake.
- Let it rest. Dump cakes are gooey and hot straight from the oven. Make sure you let the cake sit for 15–20 minutes so it sets up a bit, which makes it easier to scoop and even tastier to eat.
- Drizzle the butter as evenly as possible. This ensures the whole surface bakes up golden and crispy. Missing big spots in the pan can leave you with dry patches of powder.
Need help with this recipe?
Click the buttons below to summarize it, adjust for diets, swap ingredients, or ask your own questions!
Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 (21-ounce can) lemon pie filling
- 1 (8-ounce block) cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
- 1 (15.25 ounce box) yellow cake mix or lemon cake mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Optional toppings: powdered sugar, whipped cream, lemon zest
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
- Spread the lemon pie filling evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- Distribute the cream cheese cubes over the lemon filling.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top—don’t mix it in!
- Drizzle the melted butter all over the cake mix, trying to cover as much as possible.
- Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Let cool for 10–15 minutes before serving. Serve warm with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Variations
You can easily put your own twist on this lemon cream cheese dump cake recipe. Here are some variations to try!
- Want more lemon flavor? Use lemon cake mix and rub a little extra lemon zest into the dry cake powder after you pour it into the pan.
- Sprinkle a handful of white chocolate chips on top of the cake mix.
- Make your lemon cream cheese dump cake more elegant by garnishing with fresh berries before serving.
More Easy Lemon Dessert Recipes
- This 4-ingredient, no-bake lemon pie is one of the best summer desserts.
- Lemon crinkle cookies are super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.
- Lemon bars are a summer classic that you need to make at least once a season.
- You can’t go wrong with a classic lemon bundt cake!
Very disappointed. The cream cheese does not melt so you just have chunks of it throughout making each bite unpleasant.
I just made this recipe for the first time and I am completely obsessed. It is so easy and tastes like a sweet lemon bar in cake form. Thanks for another great recipe!