Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake (Printable Version)
Creamy cheesecake swirls and sweet strawberries baked under a buttery cake for an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert.
# 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 unsalted butter, melted
# Directions:
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 completely smooth and creamy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture evenly over the strawberry filling layer. Do not spread or stir — the dollops will spread naturally during baking.
05 - Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the entire surface, ensuring full coverage. 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 help the cake mix bake into a golden, crumbly topping.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and set, and the cheesecake filling is bubbling around the edges.
08 - Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like you spent three hours making a cheesecake from scratch but your hands were only busy for about ten minutes.
- The contrast of jammy strawberries, pockets of tangy cream cheese, and that crisp buttery cake topping will make people assume you are a far better baker than you actually are.
02 -
- Do not stir the layers together no matter how tempted you are because the magic happens when each layer bakes into its own distinct texture.
- If you have bare dry spots of cake mix after drizzling the butter, just dab a little more melted butter on those areas or they will bake up dusty and floury.
03 -
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge before you do anything else so it has time to soften properly while you prepare the rest of the layers.
- Use a spoon to drizzle the butter in a zigzag pattern rather than pouring it all in one spot, ensuring even coverage across every inch of that cake mix.