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With just a few items, you can pull off a show-stopping treat like this strawberry cheesecake dump cake. When it bakes, the strawberries get super soft and syrupy beneath everything else. You get a creamy middle thanks to the cheesecake layer. The cake top bakes up toasty-crispy at the edges. The trick is all about stacking and baking—no need for mixing bowls. I stumbled onto this hack during an unexpected friend drop-in, and now I whip it up for laid-back BBQs and any family gathering.
We first made it for a family get-together. My cousin, who’s usually tough to please, demanded to know everything in it before she finished her first piece. My nephew, who swears by chocolate desserts, had two servings and wanted it for his birthday. That's when I knew it works for everyone, no matter their treat of choice.
Luscious Key Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix: The secret to a crisp, buttery top layer. Grabbing a boxed cake mix makes it fast but still tastes special.
- Strawberry pie filling: Delivers fruity flavor and bright color without any fruit chopping. Saucy and sweet, it gives the cake a gooey base.
- Cream cheese: Brings that tangy, creamy vibe like real cheesecake. Let it soften so it’s super easy to smoosh and stir.
- Unsalted butter: Pour it melted over the cake mix. The crust gets golden and crispy. Using unsalted lets you pick your perfect balance of sweet and salty.
- Vanilla extract: Just a splash lifts the other flavors. Pure vanilla makes a slight difference, but any will work in a pinch.
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Super Simple Steps
- Mix together the creamy filling:
- Beat 8 ounces of extra soft cream cheese, a half-cup of sugar, and a little vanilla (about half a teaspoon) until there aren’t any lumps left. Go with a mixer or by hand. Smoother is better, promise—it pays off.
- Grease and prep your pan:
- First, warm your oven to 350°F. Then, spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray or wipe with butter, so everything comes out in one piece. A see-through dish works great so you can peek at those layers as it bakes.
- Spread your strawberry layer:
- Pop open two cans of strawberry pie filling and pour them into your pan. Smooth it around with a spoon to cover the bottom evenly.
- Add the cheesecake dollops:
- Drop spoonfuls of your cream cheese mix over the strawberries. You don't have to spread it perfectly—just enough so it’s not all in one spot. Bits of it swirling with the berries only make it look better.
- Top it off with cake and butter:
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix all over the cream cheese blobs, covering the whole pan. Pour melted butter on top, making sure the butter hits most of the powder. If you’re feeling it, add some chopped pecans too. Don’t fuss over dry cake spots—they’ll cook up crunchy.
Why Layers Make It Awesome
Once baked, it’s like magic. The butter seeps into the cake mix and you end up with dreamy layers that settle together on their own. Even if you're nervous about dry mix up top, it toasts up just fine and gets a little crisp while the strawberry filling starts to bubble at the edges. The smell’s out of this world.
My grandma rolled her eyes when I brought this over for the first time. She said these kinds of desserts weren't classy enough. She changed her tune after one bite, nabbing another piece right away. Now she asks for it every single visit—even in her 90s, she loves how it's tart, creamy, and sweet all in one. That’s why this one works for any age.
Serving Like a Pro
This dessert can be as relaxed or as fancy as you want. With family, I scoop it up warm and let vanilla ice cream melt right on top. For special events, I chill it first, cut nice slices, and hit them with a bit of powdered sugar. Sometimes just adding little extras makes it look super special.
Different Ways to Switch It Up
Love strawberries but want a twist? Mix it up—do one can strawberry and a can of blueberry for a great look. In the fall, go with apple pie filling and toss in a little cinnamon. White chocolate chips are a hit if you sprinkle them into the cream cheese layer before adding the mix. If you’re all about cherries, stir a splash of almond extract into the cream cheese—it’s an awesome combo.
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Timing and Temp for Best Results
How you serve this changes everything. Right out of the oven (after a half hour or so), the bottom is gooey and the top stays crispy. Let it stand for a couple hours on the counter for cleaner, stacked slices. Put it in the fridge for a cheesecake-like texture—some people even like it cold best. You get a whole new dessert depending on the chill.
I learned the warm knife trick by accident. Once I needed to slice fast, so I chilled the dessert—ended up with pretty, firm pieces, plus a creamy, cheesecake-like bite. Now, if I want perfect squares, I always make it a day ahead and serve it cold. This easy treat has gotten me through tons of parties with zero stress. Tastes homemade, needs almost no work—it’s always my go-to.
Common Questions
- → What is a dump cake?
- With dump cake, you don’t even have to use a mixing bowl. Just pile the stuff into your pan, toss it in the oven, and you’ll get a golden treat—couldn’t be easier.
- → Can I use fresh strawberries?
- Fresh strawberries aren’t really the best for this. They don’t get as gooey and sweet as canned filling does. Canned is really the way to go.
- → Do I need to stir the ingredients?
- No stirring needed! Layer everything straight in the pan. The oven does the job for you and mixes it all up while it bakes.
- → How do I store leftovers?
- Just keep any leftovers in the fridge—good for four days. Want it warm? Pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
- → Can I make this without nuts?
- Yep, it’s totally fine to skip the pecans. It’s just for a touch of crunch. Or swap for something else fun, like coconut flakes.