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Lemon cream cheese dessert cake is very easy to make since it’s basically a dump cake. Lemon lover’s will flip!
Do You Love Lemon?
If you do, you’re sure to love this dessert.
This is essentially a dump cake with one addition–the cream cheese. This addition takes the taste to a higher level. You get the tartness of the lemon and the creaminess of the cream cheese.
One caveat though. Cream cheese does not melt. It just gets very soft. Because of this, I recommend that this dessert be eaten warm. If it’s refrigerated, the cream cheese will get hard and it won’t taste as good. I know; I refrigerated it and had to warm it up in the microwave.
Want A More Intense Flavor?
If you really want a burst of flavor, use the lemon cake mix option. The best one I’ve found is Duncan Hines. In fact, any mix I use is that brand 99 percent of the time. Otherwise you can use yellow cake mix if you want a milder lemon flavor. The original recipe called for yellow cake mix but I used the lemon.
The original recipe also calls for a 16 ounce can of pie filling. Most pie fillings come in 22 ounce cans. I was able to find the 16 ounce cans and the brand again is Duncan Hines. However, I really don’t see the difference the additional amount would make if you used the larger and more widely available can size. It’s not like this cake is a precise chemical formula. It would only make it more intensely flavored. So I wouldn’t sweat that small detail.
Just Four Ingredients
But the best thing about this cake? It’s stated in the heading. And I’ll bet you have most, if not all, ingredients in your fridge and pantry!
The Recipe
Lemon Cream Cheese Dessert Cake
Ingredients
- 16 oz lemon pie filling
- 15 oz yellow cake mix OR lemon cake mix
- 4 oz cream cheese cubed
- 4 oz unsalted butter thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a square baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- Pour lemon pie filling into the bottom of greased baking dish, making sure to spread it into the corners.
- Top with 1/2 cake mix, place cubed cream cheese evenly on top, then sprinkle remaining cake mix.
- Take butter pats (as thinly sliced as possible) and place them in a single layer on top of the cake mix, trying to cover as much of the surface of the cake as possible.
- Place baking dish in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool 15-20 minutes before serving. Leftovers may be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
*Adapted from 12Tomatoes
Sheila says
Yes, I love lemon twist. Can’t wait to try this as I believe this way healthier compared to the usual yellow cake mix. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Judith Hanneman says
Thank you and I hope you enjoy it. If there’s any leftovers, it’s important to heat them because of the cream cheese!
Kelli says
Have you tried any other flavor of pie filling, like blueberry or cherry? I guess you would use yellow cake mix or maybe chocolate with cherries?
Judith Hanneman says
I haven’t tried it with other flavors, but it would work well with any combination you like and the chocolate with cherries sounds amazing!! If you do that one, let me know how it came out and how you liked it.