Lemon Dump Cake

Lemon dump cake is an easy dessert made with lemon curd, lemon cake mix, and a cream cheese filling. Lemon lovers won’t be able to resist this lip-smacking cake.

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Lip-smacking lemon dump cake recipe is an easy dessert with a bright citrusy flavor. Lemon lovers will adore this yummy dessert featuring lemon curd, lemon cake mix, and a smooth cream cheese filling.

MORE RECIPES: Lemon Velvet Cake | Lemon Brownies | Easy Lemon Cheesecake

Lemon Dump Cake

A dump cake means one thing, easy! Simply dump all your ingredients into a single plan, bake, and enjoy. Such an effortless cake to make, you’ll want to make this refreshing lemon cream cheese dump cake frequently. 

Delight friends and family by serving lemon dump cake at your next potluck or barbecue. Creamy and delicious, any occasion is a good reason to make this irresistible lemon cake. 

With a tart lemon flavor from the lemon curd, this simple lemon cake is a yummy dessert to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. You could also enjoy your cake with some fresh blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. 

Lemon Dump Cake Ingredients

• Lemon curd
• Cream cheese - softened
• Egg - room temperature
• Sugar - granulated sugar
• Cake mix - box vanilla, lemon, yellow or white cake mix (we used white)
• Butter - salted butter, cold

When making an easy dump cake, you sometimes end up with some dry cake mix spots on the top of the dump cake. This is normal and happens where the butter did not saturate into the cake mix. If you want you can check the dump cake after about 30 minutes and add additional pats of butter over any dry areas.

If you can’t find lemon cake mix at the store, or if you prefer a more subtle hint of lemon, you can use a yellow cake mix instead. On the other hand, if you want even more tangy lemon flavor, you can add lemon zest to the cake ingredients or place it on top of the cake.

For the best texture and consistency, bake your cake in a 9x13-inch cake pan. After the cake is finished baking, allow it to rest a bit before serving. This will give the lemon curd time to cool just a bit so that it is not super runny when you scoop into it.

How to Make Lemon Dump Cake

FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

SECOND STEP: Spread the lemon curd into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

THIRD STEP: In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine cream cheese, egg, and granulated sugar until smooth and combined.

FOURTH STEP: Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd.

FIFTH STEP: Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the first two layers.

SIXTH STEP: 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.

SEVENTH STEP: Bake for 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the lemon filling is bubbling around the edges.

EIGHTH STEP: Allow dump cake to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

What is a dump cake? 

Usually using a boxed cake mix and a handful of additional ingredients, a dump cake is a dessert where the ingredients are simply dumped into the pan and baked. Dump cakes are moist and super easy to make. 

Can I use a yellow cake mix? 

You can substitute a yellow or even a white cake mix for the lemon cake mix in this recipe. Using a different cake mix will result in a less intense lemon flavor.

Can I freeze lemon dump cake? 

Dump cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 month in the freezer. Lemon dump cake can also be made up to 2 days ahead of time and then stored in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

How to Store Lemon Dump Cake 

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover lemon dump cake covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.  
IN THE FREEZER: Dump cake can be kept in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Lemon Dump Cake

Lemon dump cake is an easy dessert made with lemon curd, lemon cake mix, and a cream cheese filling. Lemon lovers won’t be able to resist this lip-smacking cake.

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5 from 16 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 156 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 (12-ounce) jars lemon curd
• 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
• 1 large egg (room temperature)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 (15.25-ounce) box vanilla, lemon, yellow or white cake mix ((we used white))
• ½ cup salted butter (cold)

DIRECTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Spread the lemon curd into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine cream cheese, egg, and granulated sugar until smooth and combined.
• Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd.
• Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the first two layers.
• 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 for 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and the lemon filling is bubbling around the edges.
• Allow dump cake to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Storage:

Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or freeze for up to 1 month.  Thaw in the refrigerator or reheat to serve.

Notes:

Allowing the dump cake to rest for a bit before serving it will give the lemon curd time to cool just a bit so that it is not super runny when you scoop into it.  

The dump cake is delicious warm or cold.  

You can also serve with fresh fruit over the top.  Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries all pair nicely with the lemon curd.

You may end up with some dry cake mix spots on the top of the dump cake.  This is normal and is just where the butter did not saturate into the cake mix.  If you prefer, you can additional pats of butter over the dry area - check the dump cake after about 30 minutes to determine if the melting pats of butter missed any areas.  The dump cake is made correctly and tastes delicious even if there are some dry areas on the top.  Do try to cover as much of the top as possible with butter.  The pats of butter need to be VERY thin in order to cover the whole top of the cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

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