I grew up watching my mom bake everything from scratch, but now, as a busy mom of three, I'm all about easy desserts that still bring the wow. This lemon dump cake hits that sweet spot: just 4 ingredients, 10 minutes to prep, and packed with sunny lemon flavor. If you're a lemon lover like me, you've got to try my lemon cake mix cookies and this creamy lemon pudding pie too, they're simple, zesty, and always a hit.
✅ TL;DR - Why This Lemon Dump Cake Works
- Crowd-friendly and fuss-free, perfect for last-minute gatherings.
- Just 4 ingredients: lemon pie filling, cake mix, butter, and vanilla.
- No bowls or mixing, just layer, bake, and enjoy.
- Bright, tangy lemon flavor meets sweet, buttery cake in every bite.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Lemon pie filling: Look for it near the fruit pie fillings at your grocery store. If you have trouble finding it, you can grab it online here or substitute with lemon curd.
- Cake Mix: I'm a Duncan Hines girl and love using their Lemon cake mix, but if you only have a yellow or white cake mix on hand they work the exact same way!
- Cream Cheese: You want to use the block of cream cheese in the cardboard box, not the whipped option in the tub.
- Butter: Melted is the way to go. I've tried slicing the stick of butter into pieces and topping the cake mix and I just like the way the melted butter mixes with the other ingredients better.
Making dump cakes is more about the method than the ingredients. Have fun playing with the pie filling and the cake mix flavors. Some of our family favorites are pumpkin pie dump cake in the fall and peach cobbler dump cake on repeat in the summer.
Lemon dump cake step by step instructions
Preheat your oven to 350℉ and spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray.
Spread the pie filling out in a single layer in the baking pan.
Layer half of the cake mix over the pie filling then sprinkle the cream cheese cubes over the cake mix.
Add the last ½ of the cake mix evenly over the mixture.
Then top with the butter, being sure to cover as much of the cake mix as possible.
Put in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
Remove from oven, let cool a few minutes and serve with whipped cream, lemon sorbet, or just dig right into the pan with a spoon.
If you are looking for a taller cake (more like a spoonbread), you can bake this recipe in an oval casserole dish instead of the standard 9x13 baking pan.
Fruity variations
While the lemon dump cake is crave worthy on its own, lemons pair really well with lots of fruit. So if any of these fruits are in season, feel free to add them right on top of the lemon pie filling layer, before adding the other ingredients. You won't be sad you did!
- Blueberries: either fresh or swirl in blueberry puree (and if you are blueberry lover, try making them the star of the show in this blueberry dump cake recipe)
- Raspberries
- Sliced strawberries
- Blackberries
FAQ
You totally can, but with only 4 ingredients, there's really no need! This is one of those desserts you can throw together an hour before you need it. No chill time, no fuss, just dump, bake, and enjoy.
If you somehow don't eat the whole thing (we've all been there 😄), just cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. It can stay on the counter for up to 2 days, or you can move it to the fridge and keep it there for up to 5 days.
Not right away! It's totally fine on the counter for a couple of days. After that, pop it in the fridge if there is any left.
🍋Lemon lovers collection
If bright, zesty flavors make you as happy as they do me, here are a few more lemony favorites you'll want to try next.
- Lemon Pudding Pie: A creamy, zesty pie made with just lemon pudding mix, milk, graham‑cracker crust, and Cool Whip, no oven required.
- Lemon Zest Shortbread Cookies: Tender slice‑and‑bake cookies flavored with fresh lemon zest and juice, perfect for baking ahead.
- Lemon Cake Mix Cookies: Soft, chewy lemon cookies made entirely from a boxed cake mix, eggs, oil, plus fresh lemon zest and juice.
- Lemon Butter Sauce: A zippy 2‑ingredient lemon‑butter sauce that's great drizzled on pasta, veggies, or stirred into baked goods.
- Lemon Butter Noodles: Quick, buttery pasta with a bright lemon flavor, just pasta, lemon butter, and pasta water (plus Parmesan if you like!).
More Super Simple Desserts You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Tangy 4-Ingredient Lemon Dump Cake (With Cake Mix)
Ingredients
- 1 box Lemon cake mix
- 1 can Lemon pie filling (22 oz can is what I used)
- 1 stick butter
- 6 oz cream cheese (cubed)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ and spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray.
- Spread the pie filling out in a single layer in the baking pan.
- Layer half of the cake mix over the pie filling then sprinkle the cream cheese cubes over the cake mix.
- Add the last ½ of the cake mix evenly over the mixture and then top with the melted butter, being sure to cover as much of the cake mix as possible.
- Put in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Remove from oven, let cool a few minutes and serve with whipped cream, lemon sorbet, or just dig right into the pan with a spoon.
Marni Katz says
This is summer in a pan and my MIL's favorite!