This Lemon Dump Cake with Cream Cheese is a citrusy mixture of lemon curd, cream cheese mixture, and white cake mix. It’s as easy as layering your ingredients into a dish to bake and then serving it up with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
While I love this zesty-flavored dump cake using easy lemon curd, it’s also a versatile recipe that can easily be used as a foundation for whatever modifications you want. For instance, you can use a vanilla cake mix or yellow cake mix and a fruity pie filling to make this Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake or Blackberry Dump Cake. Add some chunks of pineapple to the mix, and suddenly you have Lemon Pineapple Dump Cake!
With only 15 minutes needed to prepare this dessert, it’s a great option for a no-fuss dessert that will feed a crowd! If you love lemon desserts, try Lemon Cream Cheese Pie, Lemon Cheesecake, Lemon Cream Cheese Cookie Bars, and Cream Cheese Filled Blueberry Lemon Bread.
Why You’ll Love Lemon Dump Cake with Cream Cheese
- This lemon dump cake with cream cheese is an easy layered dessert calling for budget-friendly and pantry-staple ingredients.
- It’s a zesty dessert that isn’t overly rich in flavor but still decadent, thanks to the sweetened cream cheese mixture.
- Simple modifications can be made to this dump cake recipe for an entirely different fruity dessert!
What Ingredients do I Need for Lemon Dump Cake with Cream Cheese?
- Lemon curd –I’ve used two jars of lemon curd (each 12 oz), which was enough for this dump cake. You could use lemon pie filling instead.
- Cream cheese – Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature so it can mix smoothly with the egg and sugar.
- Egg – At room temperature.
- Sugar – I’ve used granulated white sugar. I don’t recommend using brown sugar.
- Cake mix – I’ve used a package of white cake mix, but you could use lemon cake mix, vanilla, or yellow cake mix.
- Butter – Salted butter helps to balance the flavors in this dump cake, but you could use unsalted instead. Make sure the butter is cold so it is easier to cut into thin slices.
PRO TIP: If you want to ensure a more even distribution of butter over the top of your dump cake, consider melting the butter and drizzling that over the dry cake mix instead of adding cold slices of butter.
How to Make Lemon Dump Cake (with Cream Cheese)
PREP: Preheat the oven and spread the lemon curd on the bottom of a baking pan. Combine the cream cheese, egg, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add dollops of the cream cheese mixture to the lemon curd layer. Evenly sprinkle the white cake mix over the first two layers. Add thin slices of butter to the dry cake mix layer, covering it.
BAKE AND SERVE: Bake the assembled lemon dump cake for 35-40 minutes until the top of the dessert is golden brown and bubbling from the edges. Let the dump cake rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Make sure your butter is cold, making it much easier to get the slices very thin. When the dump cake cooks, the butter melts and blends with the dry cake mix, but it won’t spread, so if parts of the cake mix are left uncovered, they may come out of the oven still dry and powdery. If this happens, you can add a layer of frosting over the crust of your cake, but I suggest slicing the butter thin so that you can get ample coverage.
- If it’s easier for you, consider melting your butter and drizzling it over the top of the cake mix before baking.
- You can make homemade lemon curd instead of buying it.
- There is a possibility of having your lemon dump cake stored at room temperature for a couple of days, but then you’ll need to ensure that it sits in an environment that is cool and not exposed to humidity. If I have any leftovers, I just store them in the refrigerator.
Fun Fact
Did you know that lemon trees can produce as much as 600 lbs of lemons in a year? That’s a lot of lemon curd!
Variations
- Instead of making lemon dump cake, make a different fruit dump cake using a fruity pie filling instead of lemon curd. This could be Raspberry filling (affil), homemade Strawberry Rhubarb pie filling, or Cherry …the options are endless! You could also add chunks of fresh fruit to make varieties of dump cake, such as softened sliced apples for apple dump cake or peaches for peach dump cake.
- Everyone knows how well blueberries and lemons go together! Use blueberry pie filling instead of lemon curd and lemon cake mix instead of white cake mix for a lemon blueberry dump cake.
- Add lemon zest to the white cake mix for an intense lemon flavor.
- Garnish this lemon cream cheese dump cake with fresh whole blueberries.
- Use lemon, vanilla, or yellow cake mix instead of white.
- Add an extra layer to this lemon dump cake recipe by spreading some Cool Whip over the top.
Dump cake is exactly what it sounds like…where all of the ingredients get dumped into a 9”x13” baking dish, making it extremely easy and quick to whip up!
Like a cobbler, it follows the simple layering of a fruit filling into the bottom of the baking dish, then dumping cake mix on top before being baked.
While a cobbler and a dump cake seem indistinguishable, it’s important to note that a cobbler’s fruit filling base is traditionally topped with a crumbed biscuit topping, while dump cakes make use of cake mixes placed on top of the pie filling.
A classic cobbler will always have a fruit-based bottom layer, while that’s not necessarily the case with dump cakes. If you do a recipe search for dump cakes, you’ll see a variety, including those that are more cookie and cake inspired, using a cookie base, cream cheese filling, and a whipped topping such as an oreo cookie dump cake.
Store your lemon dump cake in the fridge in an airtight container or with a tight plastic wrap covering or lid for up to 5-7 days.
This dump cake can also be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month, making it a convenient make-ahead dessert. When ready to enjoy, remove it from the freezer to thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
This lemon dump cake can either be served cold or warm – so it’s completely up to you whether you reheat it after it has been stored.
Yes, you can if you want to, but it’s optional. A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be delicious alongside a serving of this dump cake.
Lemon Treats You’ll Love!
Lemon Dump Cake (with Cream Cheese)
Ingredients
- 2 – 12 oz. jars of lemon curd or Homemade Lemon Curd
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 15.25 oz. white or lemon cake mix yellow cake mix also works
- ½ cup salted butter cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spread the lemon curd in the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish.
- Beat together cream cheese, egg, and granulated sugar until mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Spoon dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the lemon and cream cheese mixtures to cover the layers underneath and form a flat surface.
- Slice very thin pats of butter and spread over the entire top of the dry cake mix. Cover as much of the cake mix as possible.
- Bake about 30-35 minutes until the topping is browned.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Marlene says
Stephanie, I slice my butter with my cheese slicer. I alsoThe tabs are all the same size and are about 1/4 inch apart. I also sift my cake mix so I don’t have big dry patches. Half way done I take it out the oven and Spray Parkay Margarine over the whole cake. It made a big difference. Your recipe was very well appreciated, everyone loved it. Thanks
Stefanie says
Oh! Marlene, a cheese slicer and spraying the top after it’s been baking is such a good idea! I do like to check in on the cake and add bits of butter to dry areas. I might try the spray next time!! Seems quick and easy. Thanks!
sue says
I have no idea what happened–The cake mix that was sprinkled on top was still just cake mix. The area where the butter pats were placed is ‘lumpy’ and soft to the touch. It has been in the 350 oven for 35 mins. but I’m going to leave it in longer. It is UGLY right now.
Glad I made this as a “test” before making it for our Ladies Luncheon ! I have big doubts about it.
Stefanie says
Hi Sue, you need to cover all the bits of dry cake mix with the butter – it doesn’t spread very far through the dry cake mix once it melts and is cooking. Some people like to melt the butter and pour it over the top, but I have an even harder time covering the cake mix that way. I get my butter really cold so I can slice it super thin. You can even use a few more slices of butter to cover. OR, if you really don’t want any dry patches, open the oven after it’s been cooking and add a little more butter over any dry areas. Hope that helps!
Mandy says
Very delicious!!! Perfect amount of sweet, perfect amount of tart, creamy yumminess!!
Paula says
You never responded to my question. So much for wanting to make your recipe. No wonder you only print good reviews. You don’t print questions or bad reviews. You’re able to monitor them. I’ll make my own lemon curd recipe. Have a nice life.
girlinspired says
Paula, I am a one-woman show – you left a question on a different post yesterday and were unsatisfied that I had not responded to you within a day (on a Sunday, nonetheless). I certainly try to answer questions and publish feedback, however, I do believe that you should look elsewhere if you are expecting a 24-hour service. I am simply not that.
Paula says
I left my first comment on the same website as my second comment. Sorry if you don’t reply on Sundays. How would I know that. I was having a couple people over for dinner and wanted to make this for dessert. I have made lemon curd in the past but some people baking for the first time have not. That’s why you should tell people how to make enough lemon curd to cover the bottom of a 9×13 pan. That was all I wanted to know.
CK says
Paula, you need to relax!! Go have a drink, Geesh.
Becky says
CK thanks for your comment. I agree that Paula needs to back off and relax. This is a free site and and wonderful site for all of us to get new recipes. I for one love this site and all the work that is done so everyone can enjoy new recipes. Let’s me more thankful for good things in life.
BirdaB says
My name is Roberta and my email is birda91@gmail.com. I am making this tonight! I’m mixing what’s left of my homemade lemon curd with lemon pudding. 😁 Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
Joyce Twitty says
Look delicious and I will be making this for dessert on Sunday
Savvy Baker says
I followed directions completely and even melted the butter, covering the dry cake mix completely with the butter. After baking,the cake looked good on top, dry cake mix was underneath the top over most of the cake. I couldn’t take it to the event as planned:(
Connie says
Great recipes!! I never can find when I have the time to write all down. Why can’t they stay visabal for longer time????
Nicholas says
Please add my e-mail address to your mailing list. nicksancap@comcast.net
girlinspired says
Will do, thank you!
Kristen says
So yummy! I added some frozen blueberries on top of the cream cheese mixture and it’s delicious!
Alma Wise says
This sounds like my cup of tea ….planning on trying this soon! Thank you…
Danee' aka GrandMa's Kitchen of LOVE says
I love lemon cakes, cupcakes, lemon cookies and lemon meringues. I will use your recipe and I hope to find your page again for the taste results.
Thank you for sharing. 1/13/23. 😉
Vanteena Cargo says
I love it
Annette Rave says
Please send me the details.
Carolena says
Fantastic recipe. I make my own lemon curd but everything else was just as printed. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of “just out-of-the-oven” dessert and life couldn’t get much better.
girlinspired says
Thank you, Carolena! Yes, homemade lemon curd is my favorite, too. Mmmmm. Glad you enjoyed the dump cake!
Marsha says
Love lemon , can’t wait to make it.
MARY B says
SOUNDS GOOD, BUT WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR!