Lemon dump cake with cream cheese only takes 5 ingredients! This lemon cake mix dump cake is a quick, easy dessert you'll love. 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!
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Lemon Cream Cheese Dump Cake
When you're in the mood for a sweet, lemony treat, this lemon and condensed milk 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! But this lemon dump cake in particular is always a hit! I love the combination of lemon curd and sweetened condensed milk, and the cream cheese is a fantastic addition!
Why is It Called 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, like my mini pumpkin dump cake, classic cherry-pineapple dump cake, and apple cinnamon dump cake!
Lemon Curd Dump Cake Ingredients
- lemon curd - I wanted to use lemon curd for this lemon dump cake because I LOVE the juicy lemon flavor of lemon curd. 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!
- 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 before cutting it in.
- vanilla cake mix - Here's the vanilla cake mix I use! If you prefer, you can also use a yellow cake mix or a lemon cake mix for even more lemon flavor!
- salted butter - We'll be drizzling melted butter on top to create that perfect crust! I like to use salted butter for this lemon dump cake to offset some of the sweetness. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, add in ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Equipment Needed
It's so easy! 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.
Tips and F.A.Q. for Lemon Cake Mix Dump Cake
When it's done, the crust on your dump cake will be golden brown and the lemon cream cheese filling will be bubbling! Then you can take it out and serve it warm!
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.
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.
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!
More Lemon Recipes to Try
- Lemon Icebox Pie
- Lemon and Blackberry Cake
- Vegan Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Pistachio
- Lemon Poppyseed Scones
- Creamy Lemon-Garlic Roasted Cauliflower
Lemon Dump Cake
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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
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Jazz
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!
Chenée Lewis
I'm so glad it was a hit! Thanks for giving it a try!
Britney Brown
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!
Chenée Lewis
Ice cream is always a great idea! Glad you liked it!
Dee Moore
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!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! Fellow lemon lover here!
Jeri
Husband and I loved this lemon dump cake. It had the perfect amount of tartness! Thanks for the recipe!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! I love the sweet-tart flavors in the filling.
Tamara Johnson
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!
Chenée Lewis
Thank you! It never lasts long over here either!
Marta
One of our twins is a lemon dessert fanatic. Your dump cake received high praise. Thanks for sharing!
Chenée Lewis
Yay!! I'm a lemon dessert fanatic too 🙂
Dail
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!
Chenée Lewis
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!!
Lilly
My cake turned out perfect!! Thanks so much for the recipe and detailed instructions!
Chenée Lewis
Wonderful!! So glad you liked it!