Lemon Dump Cake With Lemon Pudding Filling is a creamy, bright lemon dessert made with instant lemon pudding, cake mix, and a buttery golden topping. It is easier than a scratch cake but tastes rich, soft, and spoonable.
For another simple lemon cake-mix dessert, try these easy lemon cake bars.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Lemon Dump Cake With Lemon Pudding Filling
- What Makes Lemon Pudding Filling So Creamy
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make Lemon Dump Cake With Lemon Pudding Filling
- The Secret to Avoiding Dry Cake Mix Spots
- Best Butter Method for Lemon Dump Cake
- Variations and Add-Ins
- How to Serve It
- Storage and Reheating
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Dump Cake With Lemon Pudding Filling
This dessert gives you a creamy lemon pudding layer underneath a sweet, buttery cake mix crust. It works for family dinners, potlucks, weekend baking, and spring or summer gatherings.
What Makes Lemon Pudding Filling So Creamy
Instant lemon pudding thickens with cold milk before baking. After a short rest, it becomes stable enough to hold the dry cake mix on top. As it bakes, the pudding bubbles around the edges and hydrates the cake mix from below. If you love soft lemon desserts, try this magic lemon cobbler or this easy lemon custard cake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Instant lemon pudding mix
- Cold whole milk
- Lemon cake mix
- Unsalted butter, melted
- Fresh lemon zest, optional
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving
This pudding-based dessert has the same creamy comfort as a no-bake lemon eclair cake, but with a warm baked topping.
How to Make Lemon Dump Cake With Lemon Pudding Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Whisk instant lemon pudding mix with cold whole milk.
- Let the pudding rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Spread pudding in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pudding. Do not stir.
- Drizzle melted butter slowly over the cake mix.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and bubbling around the edges.
- Rest 10 to 20 minutes before serving.
Lemon Dump Cake With Lemon Pudding Filling
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
Description
This lemon dump cake with lemon pudding filling is an easy baked dessert made with instant lemon pudding, cake mix, and a buttery golden topping. The creamy lemon base bakes underneath a soft, crisp cake mix crust for a bright, simple dessert that is perfect for family dinners, potlucks, and sunny spring or summer gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Pudding Filling:
3 boxes instant lemon pudding mix, 3.4 ounces each
6 cups cold whole milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, optional
For the Cake Topping:
1 box lemon cake mix, yellow cake mix, or vanilla cake mix, 13.25 to 15.25 ounces
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
For Serving:
Whipped cream, optional
Vanilla ice cream, optional
Extra lemon zest, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the instant lemon pudding mix with the cold whole milk until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Let the pudding mixture rest for 5 to 10 minutes so it thickens before baking.
- Spread the lemon pudding filling evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pudding layer. Do not stir the cake mix into the pudding.
- Slowly drizzle the melted butter over the dry cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible.
- Gently tilt or shake the baking dish to help the butter settle into the dry cake mix and reach the edges.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pudding layer is bubbling around the edges.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 20 minutes before serving. This helps the pudding filling thicken and makes the dessert easier to scoop.
- Serve warm with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or extra lemon zest if desired.
Notes
Do not stir the layers together. The dry cake mix should stay on top of the pudding so it can bake into a golden topping.
Use a deep 9×13-inch baking dish because the pudding filling can bubble while baking.
Melted butter gives better coverage than cold butter slices and helps reduce dry cake mix spots.
If you see dry spots near the end of baking, add a few small pieces of butter to those areas and return the cake to the oven for a few more minutes.
Let the dessert rest before serving. The pudding filling will be very hot and loose when it first comes out of the oven.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
Nutrition Note:
Nutrition is an estimate per serving based on 12 servings. Exact values may vary depending on the cake mix brand, pudding mix brand, milk, butter, and serving size.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Additional Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 43g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
The Secret to Avoiding Dry Cake Mix Spots
Pour melted butter slowly and evenly over the surface. If you see pale powdery areas near the end of baking, add a few thin butter pieces to those spots and return the pan to the oven.
Best Butter Method for Lemon Dump Cake
Melted butter gives better coverage than butter slices. A crumble-style topping is even more foolproof, but melted butter keeps the easy dump-cake method. For a different dump cake texture, see this strawberry cheesecake dump cake.
Variations and Add-Ins
- Add blueberries for a lemon blueberry pudding dump cake.
- Add sweetened cream cheese dollops for a lemon lush-style version.
- Use vanilla or yellow cake mix for a softer lemon flavor.
- Add fresh lemon zest for a brighter citrus aroma.
For more creamy citrus ideas, try lazy lemon cream pie bars or lemon cream cheese bars.
How to Serve It
Serve warm after a short rest. Spoon into bowls and top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, powdered sugar, or extra lemon zest.
Storage and Reheating
Because this recipe contains milk-based pudding, cover leftovers and refrigerate them after cooling. Store for 4 to 5 days. Reheat individual servings for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cook-and-serve pudding?
Instant pudding is recommended because it thickens with cold milk before baking. Cook-and-serve pudding may need to be cooked first.
Can I use lemon pie filling instead?
Yes. Lemon pie filling gives a brighter and thicker fruit-style base, while pudding gives a softer creamy texture.
Why is my dump cake powdery?
The butter probably did not cover the cake mix evenly. Add extra butter to dry areas and bake a few minutes longer.
Should lemon pudding dump cake be refrigerated?
Yes. Refrigerate leftovers because the filling contains milk-based pudding.
Save this recipe for later: This lemon dump cake with lemon pudding filling is creamy, buttery, and perfect for an easy family dessert. Save it on Pinterest and read the full article on the blog.
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