Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

Quick, simple and delicious are just some of the words that describe a dump cake. As the name says, all you have to do is dump the ingredients together to create a sweet, easy dessert. It’s our go-to when we need dessert fast or when we can’t be bothered to put much effort into baking. Lemon blueberry dump cake has a layer of fresh blueberries with a lemon cake base and a rich lemon cream topping. Talk about all the best summer flavors wrapped into one!

Although it’s definitely more humble in looks than some of the more stunning lemon cakes we’ve made, the flavor is anything but ordinary. You can even sprinkle the creamy topping with lemon zest for more of a puckery punch.

What is a dump cake?

This dessert gets its name from the preparation method, which is simply to dump ingredients together to create a cake. First, you dump fresh or canned fruit into a baking dish, then you sprinkle the fruit with cake mix. Next, you’ll add butter either as pats or melted first and then drizzled. When baked, the fruit becomes thick and gooey with a browned, cakey top—a dessert that resembles a cobbler!

The biggest mistake to avoid with dump cake recipes is mixing them! It’s tempting to stir everything together, but doing this will ruin the texture and result in a big mess. Instead, just dump the ingredients into the dish and bake the cake.

Ingredients for Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

• Blueberries: The star of this dessert is the blueberries, and there are plenty of them. Use 6 cups fresh or frozen blueberries. If you have a huge farmers market haul that won’t get used up by this recipe, here’s how to freeze blueberries.
• Lemon cake mix: Pick up one box of your favorite lemon cake mix brand. The size may vary between brands by an ounce or so, but this won’t hurt your dump cake results.
• Cinnamon: Just 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon added to the cake ingredients gives a little warmth and spice to the lemon and blueberry flavors.
• Butter: Melt 3/4 cup or 1-1/2 sticks butter. Here’s our guide to different types of butter.
• Lemon yogurt: You can choose regular or Greek lemon yogurt; it goes into the topping for the dump cake.
• Frozen whipped topping: Remember to let the frozen whipped topping thaw before using it in this recipe.
• Marshmallow creme: That marshmallow spread you use on your fluffernutter sandwiches adds sweetness and creaminess to the lemon-yogurt topping.
• Lemon curd: The topping is extra lemony thanks to a little lemon curd—use store-bought or homemade lemon curd.

Directions

Step 1: Assemble the dump cake

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish. Toss the blueberries and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Dump the blueberries into the baking dish.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Drizzle half the melted butter over the top of the blueberries.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Next, sprinkle the lemon cake mix over the blueberries.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Finally, drizzle the remaining melted butter over the cake mix layer.

Editor’s Tip: Remember, don’t mix the ingredients!

Step 2: Bake the cake

Slide the pan into the oven and bake the dump cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the top has baked to a golden brown. Move the pan to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

Step 3: Make the topping and serve

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Use a stand or hand mixer to beat together the lemon yogurt, thawed whipped topping, marshmallow creme and lemon curd in a large bowl.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Scoop portions of the dump cake onto plates; serve the cake with the topping and fresh blueberries.

Editor’s Tip: You can also spread the topping and fresh blueberries over the cake while it’s still in the pan. This is best for occasions when the entire cake will be eaten in one sitting.

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

• Skip the topping: Use just the first four ingredients to make the dump cake, which is delicious enough to serve all on its own. Or, serve lemon blueberry dump cake with just a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some lemon sherbet.
• Use wild blueberries: Flavorful and tiny, Maine wild blueberries—fresh or frozen—can be used in place of regular blueberries.
• Try mixed berries: Instead of using all blueberries, mix them with strawberries, raspberries or cherries, all of which are delicious with the lemon cake and topping.
• Add a splash of lemon juice: Toss the blueberries in a little fresh lemon juice before adding them to the baking dish.
• Save the topping for other dishes: We love to use the leftover lemon cream topping on other dishes like waffles and pancakes or as a dip for fresh fruit.

How to Store Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

The dump cake and the creamy topping should be stored separately. Cover the cake tightly in the baking dish, and transfer the topping to a tightly sealed storage container. Store them both in the fridge for up to five days. The leftover cake can be served cold or warmed up a little in the oven. Or, reheat pieces of cake in individual portions in the microwave.

Can you make lemon blueberry dump cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare both components of this cake ahead of time. Store the baked and cooled dump cake, tightly wrapped, in the fridge up to two days in advance. Any longer than that and it won’t be quite as fresh. Prepare and store the lemon cream topping in the fridge as well, in a separate container.

Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake Tips

Dan Roberts for Taste Recipes

Can you use blueberry pie filling for this dump cake?

While we love using fresh blueberries in this recipe, you can also make this dump cake with canned blueberry filling instead. Use two 21-ounce cans blueberry pie filling in place of the fresh berries. For more ideas, try these other desserts that use pie filling.

How do you know when a dump cake is done baking?

The dump cake is finished baking when the cake topping is puffed and browned on the top and the fruit is bubbling and juicy. Let the cake cool completely to help the filling set, which makes the cake easy to serve.