3 Ingredient Lemon Dump Cake
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This 3 Ingredient Lemon Dump Cake has a bright lemon filling and a buttery cake topping that bakes into a soft, layered dessert. Made using lemon pie filling, lemon cake mix, and butter, it’s a simple option when you want a sweet dessert with a fresh lemon flavor.
Easy Lemon Dump Cake
Dump cakes are one of my favorite desserts to make when I want something easy but still satisfying. I usually bake them in the oven, like my Three-Ingredient Strawberry Dump Cake, but I’ll use the slow cooker when I need the oven for something else, like with my Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake. Either way, they turn out just as reliable and full of flavor.
I almost always serve this lemon dump cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which melts right into the soft layers and adds a creamy contrast to the bright lemon flavor. It’s also just as good at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream, making it a flexible dessert that works for different occasions.
Ingredients
- Lemon pie filling – Provides the tart and sweet lemon flavor that forms the base of the cake.
- Lemon cake mix – Forms the cake layer and enhances the lemon flavor.
- Salted butter – Melts into the cake mix to create the buttery crust on top.
Making Lemon Dump Cake without Cream Cheese
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer the filling – Spread the lemon pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Add the topping – Sprinkle the boxed cake mix evenly over the lemon pie filling, making sure to cover it completely.
- Top with butter – Cut the butter into thin slices and place them evenly over the cake mix. This will melt during baking and form a buttery crust.
- Bake – Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Cool and serve – Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different pie fillings – Swap the lemon pie filling for cherry, blueberry, or apple pie filling for a different flavor profile.
- Cake mix flavors – Use a yellow, white, or vanilla cake mix instead of lemon for a milder taste that still complements the pie filling.
- Add-ins – Stir in a cup of fresh or frozen berries, such as blueberries or raspberries, to the pie filling before adding the cake mix for extra texture and flavor.
- Add a glaze – Drizzle a simple powdered sugar and lemon juice glaze over the top after baking for extra sweetness.
Tips for Success
- Distribute butter evenly – Ensure the thin pats of butter are evenly distributed over the cake mix to achieve a consistent buttery crust.
- Do not mix– Don’t mix the cake mix with the pie filling. Just sprinkle the mix over the filling.
- Ignore box instructions – Use the dry cake mix. Ignore any instructions on the cake mix box; just follow the recipe here.
- Serve with something creamy – Top the cake with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. The creaminess will help balance the tart dessert.
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3 Ingredient Lemon Dump Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (21-ounce) cans lemon pie filling
- 1 box lemon cake mix I used Duncan Hines
- 3/4 cup salted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Spread the lemon pie filling evenly in the bottom of the dish.
- Sprinkle the lemon cake mix evenly over the top of the lemon pie filling, making sure to cover it completely.
- Cut the butter into thin slices and place them evenly over the cake mix. This will melt during baking and form a buttery crust.
- Bake for 35-45, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or transfer to an airtight container.
- The cake can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to cool completely before transferring to a container for storage.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand’s nutritional values to verify accuracy.
I cant find Lemon Pie Filling anywhere. It’s used to be at every grocery store. In Amazon it’s $10 a can! 😕
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that. I got mine at Walmart just a few weeks ago. Do you have a Walmart close by?
@Try Walmart in the pie canned filling, near fruits or in baking aisle. s. I always bought the cook pie filling and can never find that now. I think the brand is Lucky Leaf. I love everything lemon so will try this. I have made an apple dump. Using the canned apple pie filling and spiced cake mix or salted Carmel cake mix, they were a huge hit. Also cherry pie filling and devils food. I added thin slices of cream cheese on the cherries before the cake mix and it was very nice. TerriB, Hope you can find your lemon., Brenda
it would be really nice if the ingredients were at the first of the recipe so you didn’t get home with only one can of the lemon cream. I guess I’ll find out what it turns out like with only one😢😢😢
Please see response to your subsequent comment.
pitiful that you didn’t allow my previous comment about putting the ingredients in the beginning so people wouldn’t get caught with only one can. I guess there will be a lot more people like me. Maybe if it had been in the comments I would have seen it and bought two.
Sorry you’d rather have uninformed people. I wonder how many other honest reviews were deleted 🤔.
Hi Barb, your first comment was only submitted for approval 25 minutes ago, alongside the other two. Nothing was deleted or hidden, it simply hadn’t been reviewed yet.
As for the ingredient quantities, the full list with exact amounts is located in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, which is standard for most recipe blogs. There’s also a note directly under the ingredient list in the post that says, “The full recipe card at the bottom of the post contains a complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions.” Additionally, the photo under the ingredient list clearly shows two cans of lemon pie filling.
The list in the body of the post isn’t meant to be comprehensive, it’s there to give a quick overview. The weight of the cake mix and butter also aren’t included in that section, so it would have been difficult to make the recipe without consulting the full instructions anyway.
I have no interest in misleading anyone. I take pride in helping people successfully make the recipes I share, and I’m always happy to clarify when something is genuinely confusing. But claiming censorship because your comment hadn’t been approved in under half an hour isn’t accurate or fair.
Thanks for your feedback.