Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake (Print)

No-fuss bake of strawberries, cream cheese filling and buttery cake mix; ready warm or cooled in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Fruit & Filling

01 - 2 cups fresh or frozen sliced strawberries
02 - 1 can (21 oz) strawberry pie filling

→ Cheesecake Mixture

03 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cake & Topping

06 - 1 box (about 15 oz) yellow or white cake mix
07 - 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Spread the fresh or frozen sliced strawberries evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon the strawberry pie filling over the strawberries and spread it into an even layer.
03 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with granulated sugar and vanilla extract using an electric mixer or whisk until smooth and creamy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture evenly over the strawberry filling layer. Do not spread; the dollops will spread naturally during baking.
05 - Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly across the entire surface. Do not stir or mix into the layers below.
06 - Pour the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mix, covering as much surface area as possible to ensure proper browning and crisping.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown, the cake layer is cooked through, and the cheesecake filling bubbles at the edges.
08 - Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Zero fancy technique required, you literally dump layers into a dish and the oven does the magic.
  • The contrast between tangy cream cheese pockets and jammy strawberry filling tastes like way more effort than ten minutes of prep.
  • It feeds a crowd and reheats beautifully the next day for breakfast, no judgment.
02 -
  • Stirring the cake mix into the filling is the most common mistake and it turns the topping into a spongy mess instead of a crisp, craggy crust.
  • If you see dry powdery spots after pouring the butter, just press them gently into the wet areas with a spatula and they will bake up fine.
03 -
  • Use a spoon to drizzle the butter rather than pouring it all in one spot, because evenly distributed butter is the difference between a gorgeous craggy topping and a greasy puddle next to dry powder.
  • The cream cheese does not need to be perfectly smooth over the strawberry layer, those rustic uneven blobs bake into the most irresistible gooey pockets.

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