Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cans (20 oz each) strawberry pie filling
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 box yellow or white cake mix (15.25 oz)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Optional for serving: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Most Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake recipes use canned strawberry pie filling as the base, which gives thick, flavorful fruit without extra prep. Softened cream cheese mixed with sugar and vanilla mimics a simple cheesecake filling, a technique mirrored across multiple versions of strawberry cream cheese dump cakes. A boxed cake mix plus melted butter on top is classic dump cake structure, creating a buttery, crisp, cake-like crust.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Preheat oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Most dump cake recipes recommend greasing the dish to prevent sticking and make serving easier.
2. Make the cheesecake layer
In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy. This usually takes 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer, similar to instructions in many strawberry cheesecake dump cake recipes. Spread this cheesecake mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Some recipes place the fruit layer first and dollop the cream cheese over the top; your version reverses that order, but both methods create a layered effect with pockets of cheesecake in the finished dessert.
3. Add strawberry layer
Pour the strawberry pie filling evenly over the cream cheese layer, spreading gently with a spatula so it covers the surface. Using two cans, as many recipes do, ensures the fruit layer is generous and jammy, which is key for a dessert that sells itself on strawberry flavor.
If desired, you can fold in some fresh or thawed frozen strawberries with the pie filling for bursts of real fruit, a variation suggested in some strawberry cheesecake dump cake versions.
4. Add cake topping
Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the strawberry layer. Do not stir. The “no stirring” rule is central to dump cakes: keeping the layers distinct allows the fruit juices and butter to hydrate the cake mix as it bakes, while leaving some areas crisp and others tender. Uneven stirring can cause gummy spots or dry pockets, as several dump cake guides explain.
Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the dry cake mix, trying to cover as much of the surface as possible so the mix hydrates and browns properly. Some recipes use thin slices of cold butter instead of melted; your melted-butter method is also common and helps distribute fat more evenly if poured carefully.
5. Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges are bubbly. Similar recipes call for a 40–50 minute bake time at 350°F, watching for a golden crust and bubbling fruit around the edges as doneness signs. If any dry patches of cake mix remain, it’s often due to uneven butter coverage; some resources suggest lightly drizzling a bit more butter or milk over any dry spots mid-bake if needed.
Let the dump cake cool for 10–15 minutes before serving. This short rest allows the layers to settle and thicken slightly while still serving warm and gooey, a serving approach recommended for many dump cake and cobbler-style desserts.
6. Serve
Serve warm or at room temperature, scooping into bowls. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired—both are commonly suggested accompaniments for strawberry cheesecake dump cake and other fruit dump cakes.
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