Citrus Lemon Dump Cake (Printable)

Bright, zesty layers of tangy lemon pie filling and mandarin oranges topped with buttery yellow cake. Easy 10-minute prep.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit Layer

01 - 2 cups lemon pie filling, store-bought or homemade
02 - 1 cup mandarin orange segments, drained if canned
03 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest, freshly grated from 1–2 lemons

→ Cake & Topping

04 - 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
05 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - ½ cup whole milk
07 - ¼ cup granulated sugar, optional for added sweetness

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Spread lemon pie filling evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish using a rubber spatula.
03 - Distribute mandarin orange segments over the lemon filling. Sprinkle fresh lemon zest evenly across the fruit layer.
04 - Pour dry yellow cake mix over the fruit layer in an even layer. Do not stir or mix—the layers should remain distinct.
05 - Drizzle melted butter and whole milk evenly over the cake mix, aiming to cover as much of the dry powder as possible. If using, sprinkle granulated sugar over the top for extra sweetness and crunch.
06 - Bake for 35–40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling vigorously. The cake should be set with slight jiggle in the center.
07 - Allow the dump cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This helps the layers set and makes serving easier. Serve warm, optionally topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in literally ten minutes but tastes like you spent way more effort on it than you actually did
  • The combination of tangy lemon and sweet mandarin oranges creates this bright layered citrus flavor that cuts through all that buttery cake goodness
02 -
  • I once skipped the milk and just used double the butter which still tasted amazing but the texture was much denser and less like actual cake
  • Letting it cool those full 15 minutes feels impossible when it smells this good but cutting into it too soon makes the fruit layer runny instead of luscious
03 -
  • Use a zester or microplane for the lemon zest not a grater so you get those delicate aromatic shavings without the bitter white pith
  • Room temperature ingredients especially the butter and milk help the cake mix absorb more evenly creating those irresistible buttery pockets

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