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    Home » Sweets » Cakes

    Lemon Dump Cake

    August 30, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

    302 shares
    lemon dump cake

    Lemon dump cake with condensed milk only takes 5 ingredients and is one of the best lemon dump cake recipes!! This is a quick, easy dessert you'll love to try, or you can switch it up and make a blueberry lemon dump cake using lemon cake mix!

    And once you've tried this lemon cream cheese dump cake recipe, check out my Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake, my Lemon Curd Cookies, or my Lemon Lavender Cupcakes for even more lemony goodness!

    lemon dump cake on a plate
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    *This post contains affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure for details*.

    Lemon Dump Cake with Condensed Milk

    When you're in the mood for a sweet, lemony treat, this dump cake is your answer! It's SO easy to make with just 5 ingredients, and so delicious! It's got creamy, tart lemon curd, the rich tanginess of cream cheese, and a buttery crust made with vanilla cake mix. You've got to try it!

    Dump cakes are a super quick and simple type of dessert that anyone can make! There's no mixing, creaming, or sifting, and the results are always consistently delicious! So it's perfect for beginner bakers, or to make with kids, or anyone who loves easy dessert recipes! And this is one of the best dump cake recipes! I love the combination of lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk, and the cream cheese is a fantastic addition!

    Why is it called a dump cake?

    Dump cake gets its name from its preparation method -- you literally dump the ingredients right into the baking pan. There are a lot of fun varieties of dump cake recipes, like my mini pumpkin dump cake, classic cherry-pineapple dump cake, and peach dump cake! But this version is just for lemon lovers!

    lemon dump cake

    Lemon Curd Dump Cake Ingredients

    You can check the full measurements below in the recipe card, but here are the simple ingredients you'll need for this dump cake recipe:

    • lemon curd - I've seen a lot of lemon dump cake recipes with lemon pie filling and cake mix, but I wanted to use lemon curd for this recipe because I LOVE its juicy lemon flavor. I also love that this recipe is a great way to use up leftover lemon curd! But you can make your own (check out my lemon curd cookies for my recipe), or just grab some store-bought lemon curd! See below for variations to make lemon blueberry dump cake!
    • sweetened condensed milk - To add a bit of creamy sweetness, we're using a can of sweetened condensed milk. It creates a beautiful contrast to the tartness of the lemon curd.
    • cream cheese - I love the creamy tanginess that cream cheese adds to this recipe! Definitely opt for full-fat cream cheese, and make sure that it's softened to room temperature before cutting it in.
    • vanilla boxed cake mix - Here's the vanilla cake mix I use for this easy dump cake recipe! If you prefer, you can also use a yellow cake mix or white cake mix, or make this dump cake using lemon cake mix for even more lemon flavor! Any basic cake mix you see in the grocery store should work well!
    • salted butter - We'll be drizzling melted butter on top of the cake mix to create that perfect crust! I like to use salted butter for this dump cake to offset some of the sweetness. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, add in ¼ teaspoon of salt. You can also slice thin pats of butter to lay evenly on top, but I find that melting the butter is easier.
    • toppings - add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, Cool Whip, whipped cream, or lemon zest to top off your quick dessert!

    Equipment Needed

    It's so easy -- no need for mixing bowls or electric mixers! The ONLY key piece of equipment you'll need is an 8x8 baking pan. Here's the one I use! But you can also use a 9x9 baking pan, but your dump cake will be a bit flatter and will bake faster.

    Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake and Raspberry Lemon Dump Cake Recipe

    If you love this lemony dump cake, you've got to try this twist -- blueberry lemon dump cake using lemon cake mix! It's one of my favorite twists on dump cake recipes! Just replace the lemon curd with blueberry pie filling or fresh blueberries and add a bit of lemon zest -- and it's that easy! A blueberry lemon dump cake with cream cheese is the best easy dessert!

    You can also make a raspberry lemon dump cake recipe by swapping out the lemon curd for raspberry pie filling! Or you can follow this lemon curd dump cake as written and toss some fresh raspberries in with the filling! When it comes to dump cake recipes, the possibilities are endless!

    Tips and F.A.Q.

    How do you know when dump cake is done?

    When it's done, the crust on your dump cake will be golden brown and the lemon filling will be bubbling! Then you can take it out and serve your delicious dessert warm!

    lemon curd dump cake served on plates

    Does dump cake go in the fridge?

    Your dump cake should be served warm, but once it's cooled it should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap for up to 4 days.

    What if I can't find lemon curd?

    If you can't get your hands on lemon curd, you can make your own with just a few ingredients - it's way better than store-bought anyway! Or you can use a can of lemon creme pie filling in place of the lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk.

    Do you stir a dump cake?

    Many dump cake recipes instruct you not to stir the filling, but for this recipe you'll need to gently stir the lemon curd and condensed milk together to make sure your filling comes out evenly flavored. But that's all the stirring you'll need to do!

    cropped-lemon-dump-cake-2.jpg

    What does lemon cake taste like?

    This dump cake has a tangy-sweet filling, and the cake mix topping is buttery and flavorful! You'll love it with a big dollop of whipped cream!

    Is dump cake supposed to be gooey?

    The filling should be rich and thick, but the cake mix topping for this lemon dump cake with condensed milk should be buttery, cakey, and slightly crispy on top.

    Can I stir a dump cake?

    You should stir the lemon curd and the condensed milk together, but after that point there's no stirring necessary! Most dump cake recipes will require a bit of stirring just to distribute the mixture evenly.

    What other lemon desserts can I try?

    If you're a lemon lover, I've got you covered! Try my Lemon Icebox Pie or my Lemon and Blackberry Cake for a stunning celebration dessert, or my Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Pistachio for a fantastic vegan option! Or if you're looking for the best lemony brunch idea, you've got to try my Lemon Poppyseed Scones. And for all you cookie lovers, you've got to check out my Lemon Blueberry Cookies or my Lemon Lavender Cookies!

    If you try this recipe, I would love it if you could leave a star review rating and comment below! It’s so wonderful hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to share your creations with me by tagging @chenee_today on Instagram!

    📖 Recipe

    lemon dump cake on a plate

    Lemon Dump Cake

    Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Lemon dump cake with condensed milk only takes 5 ingredients and is one of the best lemon dump cake recipes!! This is a quick, easy dessert you'll love to try, or you can switch it up and make a blueberry lemon dump cake using lemon cake mix!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine :American
    Servings: 12 portions
    Calories: 462kcal
    Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

    Equipment you may need

    • 8x8 baking dish
    • rubber spatula
    • measuring cups and spoons

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (226 g) lemon curd - storebought or homemade
    • 14 oz. (397 g) sweetened condensed milk
    • 8 oz. (227 g) cream cheese - diced into small cubes
    • 1 box vanilla cake mix - 15.25 oz
    • ½ cup (114 g) salted butter - sliced into thin pieces, or melted

    Optional Toppings

    • lemon zest
    • powdered sugar
    • whipped cream

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Dump lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Mix to combine.
      1 cup lemon curd, 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
    • Top with diced cream cheese, then sprinkle cake mix on top evenly.
      8 oz. cream cheese, 1 box vanilla cake mix
    • Evenly lay butter pieces (or drizzle melted butter) evenly all over dry cake mix, trying to cover as much of the cake mix as possible.
      ½ cup salted butter
    • Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and lemon filling is bubbling.
    • Serve warm with whipped cream, and top with lemon zest and powdered sugar, if desired.
      lemon zest, powdered sugar, whipped cream

    Video

    Notes

    Storing: Your dump cake should be served warm, but once it's cooled it can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
    Lemon Curd: Check out my Lemon Curd Cookies for a recipe for homemade lemon curd!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 portion | Calories: 462 kcal | Carbohydrates: 65 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 52 mg | Sodium: 525 mg | Potassium: 178 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 48 g | Vitamin A: 578 IU | Vitamin C: 1 mg | Calcium: 209 mg | Iron: 1 mg
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Tags: blueberry lemon dump cake, blueberry lemon dump cake with cream cheese, dump cake using lemon cake mix, lemon cream cheese dump cake, lemon dump cake, lemon dump cake recipe, lemon dump cake with cream cheese 9x13 pan, pumpkin dump cake recipes, raspberry lemon dump cake recipe, recipes with lemon pie filling and cake mix
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

    PIN this lemon dump cake recipe for later!

    lemon dump cake
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    Last Updated on May 8, 2023 by Chenée Lewis

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    302 shares

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    1. Kim

      May 15, 2023 at 10:16 am

      5 stars
      I'm addicted to lemon flavor and dump cakes are my favorite because they're so easy! I can't wait to make this!

      Reply
    2. Gina Abernathy

      May 15, 2023 at 9:53 am

      5 stars
      Lemon desserts just have a special place in my heart. The lemon curd was a smart and tasty addition to this dump cake. Everyone loved it!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 18, 2023 at 8:50 pm

        Great to hear! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    3. Janessa

      May 15, 2023 at 9:48 am

      5 stars
      This is so simple and tasty! A perfect spring dessert.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 15, 2023 at 11:38 am

        Thank you! I think so too!

        Reply
    4. Beth

      April 05, 2023 at 11:13 am

      5 stars
      This is one of the best lemon cakes I've ever made. The flavor is so intense and delicious, and it's SUPER easy.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        April 20, 2023 at 10:47 pm

        Thank you so much! I love to hear that!

        Reply
    5. Julie

      March 28, 2023 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      Hi from Birmingham, uk 😃.
      Can I make my own cake mix and put on top?
      Sooo glad I found your website 😍.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        March 30, 2023 at 12:51 pm

        I havent tried it with homemade cake mix but I imagine it would work! Hope you enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Christy Moon

      January 11, 2023 at 5:05 pm

      Instead of lemon Curd I used some leftover BlackBerry compote. It's in the oven now. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        March 15, 2023 at 1:57 pm

        Wonderful! I hope you liked it!

        Reply
    7. Jazz

      September 15, 2021 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      Nobody believed this was a cake mix cake! I love the flavor and the texture and have already gotten requests to make this again for the holidays. Thanks, Chenee!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 15, 2021 at 4:31 pm

        I'm so glad it was a hit! Thanks for giving it a try!

        Reply
    8. Britney Brown

      September 12, 2021 at 6:12 pm

      5 stars
      I loved how easy this recipe was and it came out so well. The cake was super fluffy and the lemon flavor paired perfectly with a scoop of ice cream! So delicious!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 15, 2021 at 6:12 pm

        Ice cream is always a great idea! Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    9. Dee Moore

      September 11, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      This lemon dump was the perfect sweet dessert for a lemon lover such as myself. I think the cake mix and lemon curd combo was genius!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 22, 2021 at 5:13 pm

        Thank you! Fellow lemon lover here!

        Reply
    10. Jeri

      September 10, 2021 at 3:53 pm

      5 stars
      Husband and I loved this lemon dump cake. It had the perfect amount of tartness! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 14, 2021 at 2:08 am

        Thank you! I love the sweet-tart flavors in the filling.

        Reply
    11. Tamara Johnson

      September 10, 2021 at 12:48 pm

      5 stars
      I made this cake for my husband this past weekend, and he fell in love! It was so easy to make, and absolutely delicious. I will be making it again soon because it got eaten very quickly!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 14, 2021 at 2:09 am

        Thank you! It never lasts long over here either!

        Reply
    12. Marta

      September 08, 2021 at 8:54 pm

      5 stars
      One of our twins is a lemon dessert fanatic. Your dump cake received high praise. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 08, 2021 at 9:03 pm

        Yay!! I'm a lemon dessert fanatic too 🙂

        Reply
    13. Dail

      September 05, 2021 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      I knew when I read this recipe that I had to make it. What can I do differently next time to make the cake mix in the center bake? The edges are amazing, but there's about a 3 inch area in the center where the mix is still powdery. Should I add more butter? Bake it longer? I'll try anything to get this perfect next time. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        September 08, 2021 at 12:43 pm

        Hi! Thank you so much! You may need to spread the cake mix more evenly to make sure there isn't more of it in the center of the dish. Or you can also add a bit more butter (about 2 tbsp). Another method for dump cakes is to slice the butter thinly and cover the cake mix evenly with the slices of butter -- I prefer the melted butter method, but the sliced butter method might work for you to make sure the center gets enough butter coverage. Hope you have a chance to try it again!!

        Reply
        • Lilly

          September 12, 2021 at 1:46 pm

          5 stars
          My cake turned out perfect!! Thanks so much for the recipe and detailed instructions!

        • Chenée Lewis

          September 16, 2021 at 12:24 am

          Wonderful!! So glad you liked it!

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    About Chenée

    I’m Chenée (kinda rhymes with “today”) and I love all types of baking! But my favorite recipes are ones that are quick and easy, and still yield impressive results. The ones you can't help but make again and again! That's what I share here, and I hope I can make your baking life a little easier along the way. MORE ABOUT CHENÉE >>

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