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Deliciously Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake Recipe for Sweet Summer Desserts - Simple, Crowd-Pleasing Comfort

Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Strawberry pie filling (2 cans, 21 ounces each)
  • Cream cheese (8 ounces, softened)
  • Granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
  • Pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
  • Fresh strawberries (1 to 2 cups, hulled and sliced; optional but great for freshness)
  • Yellow or white cake mix (1 standard box, about 15.25 ounces)
  • Unsalted butter (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup; 1 to 1.5 sticks), melted or thinly sliced
  • Lemon zest (optional, from 1 lemon, for brightness)
  • Pinch of salt (optional, to balance sweetness)
  • Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (for serving, optional)

Method
 

  1. Preheat and prep: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter or spray a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Lay down the strawberry base: Spread both cans of strawberry pie filling evenly in the dish. If using fresh strawberries, scatter them over the filling. Add a little lemon zest for a citrusy pop, if you like.
  3. Make the cheesecake layer: In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese with sugar, vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt until smooth. Dollop spoonfuls over the strawberry layer. It doesn’t need to be perfect—pockets of creaminess are the goal.
  4. Add the cake mix: Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over everything. Try to cover the fruit and cream cheese without large bare spots.
  5. Top with butter: Drizzle melted butter evenly across the cake mix, or lay thin slices of cold butter across the surface. Aim to moisten as much cake mix as possible to avoid dry patches.
  6. Bake: Place the dish on a middle rack and bake for 40–50 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling around the edges. If spots of dry mix remain, gently spoon a bit of melted butter or juices over them during the last 10 minutes.
  7. Cool slightly: Let the cake rest for 10–20 minutes. It will set as it cools, making it easier to scoop or slice.
  8. Serve: Enjoy warm with ice cream or at room temperature with whipped cream. Fresh strawberries on top make it extra pretty and bright.