Lemon Dump Cake is one of the easiest cakes that you will ever make. If you are looking for a summer recipe that is bright, fun and needs less prep work this is it! This lemon Cake definitely ticks all the marks and is an ultimate crowd pleaser!
Try these Soft Lemon Curd Cookies next! You definitely need to check these fancy looking Lemon Tartlets too. Worry not! These are so easy to put together. You need to check out all the Summer Desserts on Greedy Eats!
It is still a cake. Wonder why I am stressing on why it is easier than other cakes and all? That's because this cake is made with only three ingredients.Â
Not only that, prep work mostly involves layering the ingredients one by one in a baking dish and baking it till done.
Ingredients needed:
Lemon Pie Filling: Now this is what makes this recipe so flavorful and extremely convenient. You will need two cans of filling. Even lemon curd works if in any case you are not able to source lemon pie filling.
Cake Mix: If you'd like a double dose of lemon in your dessert go for a lemon flavored cake mix. Else you can choose your favorite brand's yellow or white cake mix.
Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter here. Both work well but since cake mix contains a slight amount of salt, I prefer to use unsalted butter here.
You know what else would be good here? A layer of cream cheese in the center. I noticed whipped cream cheese works very well in dump cakes.
If you choose to add a layer of cream cheese, add it right after you spread lemon pie filling in the bottom of your baking dish.
How to make dump cake?
Find detailed instructions in the recipe card below. These are the steps that we are following to put this easy dessert together.
Spread Lemon Filling: Layer the filling evenly in a 9 x 13 baking dish. I like to avoid metallic and dark colored dishes when making dump cakes. I suggest to use a ceramic or a glass dish.
Add a layer of Cake Mix: Melt half a stick of butter in microwave and allow it to come to room temperature before adding to cake mix. Spread a layer of cake mix on top of lemon filling.
Once you have poured melted butter over cake mix, mix it gently to form a crumbly mixture.
Bake till done: Preheat your oven and bake it till the top gets golden in color.
Serving Suggestions:
You can serve this cake warm or cold with a huge dallop of vanilla ice cream. Whipped cream or cool whip pairs so well with this dump cake as well.
Storing Information:
This cake keeps well when stored in refrigerator covered tightly at all times for up to 7 days. You can make use of the lid that comes with your baking dish. Alternatively, you can use a plastic wrap to cover your dish and refrigerate it.
This cake also freezes well for up to 2 months. Allow the cake to come to room temperature by thawing it over counter top or in the refrigerator overnight.
Why This Recipe works?
Easy to put together: Seriously this is the easiest cake to bake ever. Minimal ingredients, minimal effort. The ingredients are versatile too. Go for lemon curd or lemon pie filling. Then use a cake mix of your choice, bake and dig in!
Numerous Flavor Options possible: One of my another favorites is this Cherry Dump Cake Recipe. Here lemon filling is replaced with cherry pie filling.
Play around with other fillings such as Blueberry filling or even Strawberry, Apple pie or Pineapple fillings. You can even combine 2 different flavors of fillings and bake them into one cake. Choices are endless.
Great for get togethers and potlucks: Every person in that get together is sure to rave about it! Serve it in the same dish that you baked this dump cake in. Or make it even cuter by serving it in mini jars as individual portions.
Quick Tips to make a perfect dump cake:
- A layer of cream cheese will turn your lemon cake to lemon cream cheese dump cake. Try it if you are a cream cheese lover.
- Do Not Over Bake: When the crumb gets golden and the filling is just bubbling underneath, your cake is ready. Don't be tempted to continue to bake it after this stage. Else the filling can get dry and the crumb on top is likely to burn.
- Lemon Zest: If you want the lemon flavor to shine through in the cake, add zest of a lemon to the cake mix.
- To Mix or not to mix: Well this topic can be debatable whether to mix butter in the cake mix or not. You can definitely cut your cold butter into pieces and simply layer them over cake mix. But I personally like to mix them a bit so that most of the cake mix is coated in butter.Â
More Fun Desserts for you:
If you liked this recipe, please give it a star review! Also, tell me in the comments below, how did it turn out for you! How did your family or guests like it?
How did you personalize it? And don’t forget to share your wonderful creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Let's be friends on Pinterest and Facebook too!
Recipe
Lemon Dump Cake
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 Baking Dish (Preferably Ceramic or Glass)
Ingredients
- 15 oz Yellow Cake Mix
- 48 oz Lemon Pie Filling
- ½ cup Melted Butter (unsalted preferably)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and spray a 9x13" Ceramic/Baking dish with butter or oil spray.
- Melt ½ a cup of butter in a microwave safe bowl using microwave and set it aside. Pour 2 cans of lemon pie filling into the prepare dish and spread evenly using a spatula or spoon.
- Next layer cake mix over the filling and pour melted butter over cake mix. Roughly mix so that most of the cake mix is coated in butter. (Don't dig in all the way through while mixing, you don't want all of that lemon filling to be mixed in the cake mix. You just want the butter to be mixed in cake mix.)You may also mix cake mix and butter in a medium bowl and then layer it on lemon filling if you wish.
- Bake it in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the cake crumb gets a deep golden color on it. The filling would just start bubbling at this point. Take care not to overbake the cake once you notice the filling has started bubbling.
- Take the baked cake out of oven and allow it to set for a few minutes before enjoying. You can also cool it down slightly and keep it in refrigerator until chilled and enjoy with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.
Kristine
YUM! OMGosh your right when you say this is the simplest recipe! Cake mix, pie filling and butter. Amazing! I think my 11 yr old grandson can do this!
Charla Harris
Perfect! We made this last week on a whim and the entire family loved it.
Adri
This dump cake is dangerously easy to make! And it was so delicious, I'm already contemplating a second batch! 😂
Heather
This Lemon Dump Cake is a delightful and easy dessert. The bright lemon flavor shines through, and it’s a breeze to make. Perfect for a quick, tasty treat!
Kristine
This is so easy to make and is so darn good! One of my favorites so far!
Justine
Dump cakes are the BEST and lemon dump cake is the best out of all of them! So bright and sunny - perfect for summer.
Anjali
This cake turned out to be super yum and was packed with lemon flavor! It was a delicious dessert for our family!
Gianne
The combination of tangy lemon and sweet cake was perfectly balanced, making it a refreshing treat for any occasion. Plus, it was incredibly easy to put together, making it a new favorite in my dessert repertoire.
Angela
Oh my - this was so easy to make and tastes incredible! So full of flavour and baked perfectly. Thanks!
Kim
I have company coming this weekend and I really don't feel like going "all out" but still want to make something delicious. This is perfect!
Chenee
So easy to make and you really can't go wrong with delicious lemon flavor!
Harriet Young
Delicious and so easy with just three ingredients. Perfect for lazy days. Thank you!