Ingredients
→ Easy Base Layers
1 box yellow or white cake mix (about 15.25 oz)
1 can strawberry pie filling (21 oz)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Creamy Cheesecake Layer
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Steps
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. This is going to be the easiest dessert you’ve ever made!
Open that can of strawberry pie filling and spread it evenly across the bottom of your baking dish. This becomes your gorgeous, jammy base layer that everyone will love.
In a bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Dollop this mixture over the strawberry layer and gently spread it out – don’t worry about making it perfect!
Here’s the dump cake magic – sprinkle that dry cake mix evenly over everything. Do NOT stir it in! Just leave it as a dry topping. Trust the process – this is what makes it so special.
Pour the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mix, trying to cover as much surface as possible. Don’t worry about any dry spots – they’ll absorb moisture as it bakes and create amazing texture!
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden, slightly crispy, and bubbling around the edges. Your kitchen is going to smell absolutely incredible!
Let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then dig in! Serve warm for melty goodness or chilled for that firmer cheesecake texture. Either way, it’s absolutely divine!
Tips
- This is the ultimate lazy baker’s dream – all the flavors of strawberry cheesecake with none of the fuss! It’s literally dump, bake, and devour.
- The beauty of dump cakes is that they’re nearly foolproof. The layers create their own magic as they bake, resulting in a dessert that tastes way more complicated than it actually is.
- Try different pie fillings or cake mixes for endless variations – cherry with chocolate cake mix is absolutely amazing too!
Required Tools
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or whisk
- Can opener