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This Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake is an easy dessert recipe and made with only 6 ingredients and just 10 minutes to prep! Fresh blueberries with pops of citrus and a rich, buttery topping–all baked up using only one dish. So simple and perfect with a scoop of ice cream!

Blueberry lemon dump cake on plate with vanilla ice cream scoop and lemon slices on plate.
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In the words of Uncle Jesse, Lord have mercy.

Delicious, fail proof, buttery rich Blueberry Dump Cake with the fresh citrus flavor is everything you need in a dessert recipe.

I am a huge fan of lemon (ha, naturally!) and blueberry together. From my Blueberry Lemon Energy Bites, to Blueberry Lemon Overnight Oats, I do indeed have quite a few options for the combo but this Dump Cake LITERALLY takes the cake.

For more lemon in your life, try this Champagne Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe or these fan favorite Lemon Sugar Cookie Recipe!

Why You Will Love This Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake

  • Only 6 simple ingredients are required.
  • It can all be made in ONE dish!
  • It is so so good with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or maybe even some No Churn Lemon Ice Cream?.
  • 10 minutes to prep.
  • It is so DELICIOUS!
Overhead view of piece of blueberry cobbler on white plate with ice cream and fresh blueberries surrounding.

What is “Dump Cake”?

It may sound off putting, but I promise it’s not. It’s a “cake” that is more like a cobbler that is the EASIEST cake recipe you will ever make.

The word “dump” represents the fact that you simply dump all of the ingredients into a pan and then bake it. No joke, dump and bake–that’s the magic of a dump cake.

The magic happens when you layer butter on top of a cake mix and as it bakes, the butter melts into the cake mix and forms this rich, crusty layer that is so very perfect. It’s like crumble but since the amount of effort needed to make it was so minimal, it is so much better than any crumble out there!

Ingredients and Substitutions

  1. blueberries: you can use fresh or frozen. I prefer fresh. If using frozen, thaw and then strain any excess liquid. You can sub for another berry or add a mixture of them.
  2. sugar: sweeten the berries to your liking. You could use another sweetener if desired, but regular sugar is what we use.
  3. corn starch: this thickens up the blueberry layer of this recipe.
  4. lemon zest: the key is adding the zest to both the berries AND the cake mix. Sure you could use a lemon cake mix but I promise, fresh lemon zest is always, always, always better.
  5. yellow cake mix: I used Betty Crocker’s Super Moist Yellow Cake. Cake mix box sizes are shrinking. Betty Crocker yellow cake is now 13.25 oz. and not 15.25. It should still work just fine, but definitely a bummer. You can use a gluten free cake mix if desired. Like I said, I opted for the yellow cake and fresh lemon zest in the berries and over the mix over a lemon cake mix for optimal flavor.
  6. butter: I prefer unsalted in this blueberry dump cake recipe.

How To Make It

Fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon zest in 9x13 inch glass pan.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a greased 9×13 baking pan, toss together sugar, corn starch, blueberries and 1 tablespoon lemon zest.

Prepared blueberries in glass baking pan ready for dump cake topping.

Step 2: Spread out evenly into the pan. You can do this in a separate bowl if preferred, but really no need!

Lemon zest over top of cake mix that is covering blueberries in baking pan.

Step 3: Pour cake mix over top of the blueberry mixture to cover completely. Sprinkle the other 1 tablespoon of lemon zest (can always use a bit more if desired!) over top of the cake mix and using a spoon or your fingers try to gently incorporate it into the cake mix.

Butter sliced and lined edge to edge of baking pan over cake mix.

Step 4: Slice the butter thin, into about 1/4 in thick pieces and spread evenly all over the cake mix.

Baked blueberry lemon dump cake fresh from the oven.

Step 5: Place in the oven and bake for about 45-55 minutes or until bubbly and to the desired brown color. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Pan with blueberry dump cake and serving spoon scooping up part with lemon zest over top.

Recipe Tips

  • You can use the same pan for this entire recipe. Toss the berries, sugar, and lemon zest together in the pan and then layer everything right on top.
  • When lining up the butter, you want to keep the butter close and spread it so that it will cover the entire pan. I found halfway that a few spots didn’t have enough butter spread on them and so I just added more in the middle of baking. Another solve for this: cut your butter slightly thinner and leave less space between the edges. I had no problem adding a touch more here and there.
  • Dump cakes are fairly thin (in height) but they are rich. Using a 9×13 pan works well but if you want your dump cake to be a bit deeper, use a slightly smaller pan–some casserole dishes that measure in quarts versus length can be another good option. You may just need to extend the time slightly.
  • Bake this to the color brown that you prefer. If you like your crumble toppings on the lighter side, feel free to pull this out of the oven a bit early. And you can also leave it in a touch longer to get it nice and extra brown–my personal favorite.

StoragE

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. You can eat it from the fridge or warm it up before eating.

This lemon blueberry dump cake can also be frozen. Just make sure to allow it to cool completely before doing so. I like to place a layer of plastic wrap or foil tightly over it before adding my container lid over top and then freezing. It will freeze for about 3 months.

White plate with slice of dump cake and fork with one forkful.

Other desserts to try:

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Tap stars to rate!
4.94 from 31 votes

Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake

This easy Blueberry Lemon Dump Cake is the best dessert recipe and made with only 5 ingredients! Fresh blueberries with pops of citrus and a rich, buttery topping–all baked up using only one dish. So simple and perfect with a scoop of ice cream!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

  • 6 c blueberries
  • 2/3 c sugar
  • 1 T cornstarch
  • 2 T lemon zest, separated
  • 1/2 c butter (plus 1-2 T more if needed)
  • 1 15.25 oz. cake mix (I used Betty Crocker super moist yellow)
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. 
  • In a greased 9×13 baking pan, toss together sugar, corn starch, blueberries and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Spread out evenly into the pan. 
  • Pour cake mix over top of the berries to cover completely. Sprinkle the other 1 tablespoon of lemon zest (can always use a bit more if desired!) over top of the cake mix and using a spoon or your fingers try to gently incorporate it into the cake mix.
  • Slice the butter thin, into about 1/4 in thick pieces and spread evenly all over the cake mix. Place in the oven and bake for about 45-55 minutes or until bubbly and to the desired brown color.
  • Remove and allow to cool. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. You can eat it from the fridge or warm it up before eating.
It can also be frozen. Just make sure to allow it to cool completely before doing so. I like to place a layer of plastic wrap or foil tightly over it before adding my container lid over top and then freezing. It will freeze for about 3 months.
You can use the same pan for this entire recipe. Toss the berries, sugar, and lemon zest together in the pan and then layer everything right on top.
When lining up the butter, you want to keep the butter close and spread it so that it will cover the entire pan. I found halfway that a few spots didn’t have enough butter spread on them and so I just added more in the middle of baking. Another solve for this: cut your butter slightly thinner and leave less space between the edges. I had no problem adding a touch more here and there.
Dump cakes are fairly thin (in height) but they are rich. Using a 9×13 pan works well but if you want your dump cake to be a bit deeper, use a slightly smaller pan–some casserole dishes that measure in quarts versus length can be another good option. You may just need to extend the time slightly.
Bake this to the color brown that you prefer. If you like your crumble toppings on the lighter side, feel free to pull this out of the oven a bit early. And you can also leave it in a touch longer to get it nice and extra brown–my personal favorite.

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 20mg, Sodium: 382mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 260IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 96mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.94 from 31 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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46 Comments

  1. Patricia says:

    5 stars
    As good as it gets! Super easy and really delicious. Just a few simple steps and then it is in the oven. I will definitely make this again and again. I think I will try it with cherries the next time! Yum!

    1. Lorie Yarro says:

      Yes! Love that one of my faves was a hit for you!

  2. Kara says:

    Can I use frozen/thawed blueberries?

    1. Lorie Yarro says:

      Hi! Yes you can! They should work as well!