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Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake is the ridiculously easy dessert that layers sweet strawberry pie filling, creamy cheesecake, and a buttery golden cake topping with almost no effort. I threw this together one busy Sunday when Maddie begged for dessert and I had twenty minutes, and it vanished before it even fully cooled. If you love a fuss free crowd pleaser like our strawberry earthquake cake, this dump cake is about to be your new shortcut favorite.
With a swirl of cheesecake tucked into a classic strawberry dump cake, every scoop is gooey, creamy, and topped with a crisp buttery crust.
Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 45 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 452kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, gooey, and creamy with jammy strawberry and a buttery golden crust
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, as simple as our layered lemon blueberry trifle
Quick Answer
To make Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar, vanilla, and sour cream, then spread strawberry pie filling in a 9 by 13 dish and dollop the cheesecake mixture on top. Sprinkle white chocolate chips and a dry vanilla cake mix over everything, grate chilled butter across the top, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes until golden. The result is a gooey, creamy, buttery dessert with almost no effort.
Jump to:
- Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The cream cheese layer makes it special. A quick cheesecake mixture turns an ordinary dump cake into something rich, tangy, and bakery worthy.
- Grated butter is the dump cake secret. Grating chilled butter spreads it evenly so the cake mix bakes into a crisp, golden, cobbler like crust.
- White chocolate chips add pockets of sweetness. They melt into creamy bites that play beautifully against the tart strawberry.
- No mixing the cake batter. The dry cake mix goes on straight from the box, so there are no bowls of batter to stir.
- Pie filling means jammy strawberry in every bite. Canned strawberry pie filling gives you a thick, sweet, ready to go fruit layer with zero prep.
- It feeds a crowd from one pan. A single 9 by 13 dish serves 12, making it perfect for potlucks and parties.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like strawberry cheesecake and cobbler had a baby, with a fraction of the work.
- It uses simple shortcut ingredients like canned pie filling and a box of cake mix.
- It is an easy make ahead dessert that pairs perfectly with our no bake raspberry cheesecake bites on a dessert table.
Key Ingredients
A handful of shortcut ingredients come together for this gooey, creamy dessert.
- Strawberry Pie Filling: The thick, jammy fruit base. Two cans give you plenty of saucy strawberry in every scoop.
- Cream Cheese: Beaten with powdered sugar and sour cream, it creates the dreamy cheesecake layer.
- Vanilla Cake Mix: Sprinkled on dry, it bakes into a buttery, golden, cobbler style topping.
- Salted Butter: Grated over the top so the cake mix crisps up evenly. Chilled butter grates best.
- White Chocolate Chips: They melt into sweet, creamy pockets throughout the cake.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make this dump cake your own with easy swaps.
- Swap the strawberry pie filling for cherry, blueberry, raspberry, or mixed berry.
- Use a strawberry or yellow cake mix in place of vanilla.
- Skip the cheesecake layer for a classic version like our fresh strawberry dump cake.
- Add a handful of sliced fresh strawberries for extra fruit flavor.
- Top warm servings with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth and creamy.
- Spoon the strawberry pie filling into the bottom of a greased 9 by 13 dish, then drop large spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top.
- Sprinkle the white chocolate chips in an even layer over the top.
- Sprinkle the dry vanilla cake mix evenly over everything.
- Grate the chilled butter over the entire pan, or cover the top with thin butter slices.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown, then let it sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grate cold butter. Chilled butter grates into thin ribbons that melt evenly for the best crust.
- Cover the cake mix completely. Any dry spots stay powdery, so make sure the butter reaches the edges.
- Let it rest. Cooling 10 to 15 minutes lets the layers set so it scoops instead of running.
- Soften the cream cheese. Room temperature cream cheese beats up smooth with no lumps.
- Serve it warm. This dump cake is best slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream.
- Watch the top. Pull it when the top is golden, tenting with foil if it browns too fast.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This dump cake is pure comfort served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream melting into the gooey strawberry layers. It is a guaranteed hit at any potluck or family dinner.
Round out a dessert spread with our no bake raspberry cheesecake bites and a layered lemon blueberry trifle for a fruit forward sweets table everyone will love.
For more easy crowd pleasers, pair it with lemon raspberry cake balls or our strawberry earthquake cake. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and warm individual servings before serving.
Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake FAQs
It is called a Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake because you simply dump and layer the ingredients, strawberry pie filling, a cheesecake mixture, and dry cake mix, right into the pan with no batter to mix. The cheesecake layer is what sets it apart from a classic dump cake.
No. The dry cake mix is sprinkled directly over the top of the Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake straight from the box. Grated butter melts into it as it bakes, creating a crisp, golden, cobbler like crust with no mixing required.
Yes. You can bake the Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge. Warm individual servings in the microwave before serving. The flavors meld nicely, though the topping is crispest the day it is baked.
Because it contains cream cheese, store Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let it come closer to room temperature or warm it briefly before serving for the best gooey texture.
Pie filling gives this Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake its signature thick, jammy layer. You can use fresh strawberries, but toss them with sugar and a little cornstarch first so they create enough saucy filling as they bake.
You can freeze baked Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake for up to 2 months. Cool it completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm before serving, though the topping will be softer than fresh.
Love an easy dump and bake dessert? Try our classic fresh strawberry dump cake next.
For an easy make ahead dessert, try our no bake chocolate lasagna next to this dump cake.
For an easy make ahead dessert, try our lemonade tart next to this strawberry dump cake.
For another easy make ahead dessert, try our no bake Oreo cheesecake next to this strawberry dump cake.
Serve it warm with a scoop of our homemade strawberry ice cream melting on top.
Keep the easy dessert train rolling with our caramelized banana pudding pie.
For chocolate lovers, my swirled earthquake cake delivers the same magic with cocoa.
Love an easy make ahead dessert, my creamy dirt cake is a no bake cousin to this dump cake.
If easy apple and caramel is your thing, my caramel apple donuts keep good company with this quick dump cake.
For a fuss free fruit dessert, my plum crumble is a lighter, no bake option next to this strawberry dump cake.
For an easy strawberry dessert, my strawberry icebox cake sits right next to this simple strawberry dump cake.
When it is too hot to bake, my no bake hot fudge sundae cake comes straight from the freezer.
For bite size dessert, my three ingredient cake truffles take thirty minutes flat.
Strawberry Cheesecake Dump Cake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 – 21 ounce cans strawberry pie filling
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- 1 cup salted butter chilled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 13” pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and sour cream and beat until smooth and creamy with an electric hand mixer.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup sour cream
- Spoon the strawberry filling into the bottom of the baking dish.2 – 21 ounce cans strawberry pie filling
- Drop large spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top of the strawberry filling. (You can lightly swirl them together if you wish).
- Sprinkle the white chocolate chips on top in an even layer, then sprinkle the cake mix on top.⅔ cup white chocolate chips, 1 box vanilla cake mix
- Using a box grater, grate the butter over the top of the entire pan. If you don’t want to grate the butter, slice it into thin slices to cover the entire top.1 cup salted butter
- Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For the best strawberry dump cake recipe, ensure even distribution of each layer.
- To avoid dry spots, ensure the top layer of cake mix is thoroughly covered with thin slices of butter.
- Let the cake cool slightly before serving for the perfect dessert texture.
- Experiment with combining fresh and canned strawberries for the pie filling for a deep, sweet strawberry flavor.
- If using chocolate cake mix, consider adding a splash of hot water to enhance the chocolatey richness.
- For an easy strawberry dessert, pair with simple ingredients like a cold scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
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