Ingredients

Although you only need 3 ingredients to make this dump cake, adding a few more will make it even better:

Key Lime Pie Filling – 2 21 oz cans

Cake Mix – 1 15.25 oz box white cake mix

Butter – 2 stick of unsalted butter (226g)

Optional:

Lime Juice – 2 Tablespoons

Lime Zest – 1 Tablespoon (or 1 teaspoon lime zest and 1 teaspoon lime extract)

Salt – a dash of salt

Tools:

9×13 Baking Dish

Spoon

Spatula

Sharp Knife

Fork

How to Make Key Lime Dump Cake

You can make this dessert with just a few, short steps:

Butter the Baking Dish

Don’t forget to butter the 9×13 baking dish before you start the recipe–this will help prevent sticking.

Dump in the Pie Filling

As the name suggests, the first step is “dumping” the 2 cans of pie filling into the baking dish and then spreading the filling out evenly.

Optional: Add More Flavor

Although you can make this key lime dump cake with just 3 ingredients, adding lime juice, zest (and/or extract), and a dash of salt (to balance out the sweetness) will help take this dessert to the next level. Be sure to spread the lime juice and zest out evenly across the top of the pie filling before continuing.

Sprinkle on the Cake Mix

Next, sprinkle the cake mix over the top as evenly as possible. Don’t worry about being perfect–this recipe is supposed to be easy.

Even Out the Cake Mix

Use a fork to spread out the cake mix across the top evenly, breaking up any lumps as you go along. However, be sure to NOT mix the cake mix into the pie filling.

Lay Butter Across the Top

Now comes the most tedious and time-consuming step–but arguably the most important: cutting the butter into thin pads and laying them on top of the cake mix. Cut the butter thin enough to make 4-6 slices per Tablespoon. This is much easier if your butter cold, so keep the butter in the refrigerator until this point.

Bake the Dump Cake

Put the dump cake in the oven and bake it at 350F, uncovered, for 1 hour or until golden brown.

Cool Before Serving

Although you could serve the dump cake immediately, it’s best to let it cool down for at least 15-20 minutes to minimize the risk of burning yourself. If you want the slices to hold their shape better, wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy the Treat

Serve and enjoy! Although it’s great plain, it would also be good with ice cream or Cool Whip. If you like homemade whipped cream, be sure to check out my recipe!

Helpful Tips

Even though this cobbler is simple to make, here are a few things that will make it easier and tastier:

Don’t Mix – Resist the urge to stir the cake mix and pie filling together so that your dump cake has 2 distinct layers: a fruity filling and sweet, buttery crumble topping.

Keep the Butter Cold – Cold butter is not only easier to cut but also melt more slowly and evenly, helping to create a crispy, golden crust on top of your cake.

Use a Sharp Knife – Cutting the butter with a sharp knife helps make thin, mostly uniform slices that will distribute the butter as evenly as possible.

Spread Out the Butter Evenly – Distribute it evenly over the dry cake mix. This helps ensure the cake bakes evenly and gets a nice, golden crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use A Different Type of Cake Mix?

Yes! Although I recommend using white or yellow cake mix because of the neutral flavor, you can switch things up with any flavor you want. In fact, I think lemon–or lime if you can find it–would be nice.

Where Can I Buy Canned Key Lime Pie Filling?

Even though canned key lime pie filling is a bit hard to find, you should be able to find it at large retailers, or online. Look in the baking aisle with the other canned pie fillings.

Is There an Easier Way to Add the Butter?

Maybe. I don’t recommend pouring melted butter over the top because it’s hard to get even distribution–you’re almost guaranteed to have dry spots. However, Aubry of FindingBeautifulTruth.com made her peach dump cake with grated frozen butter, so you might want to try freezing the butter, grating it with a cheese grater, and then sprinkling it on top. If you do it that way, let me know what you think!

Recipe Review

This 3-ingredient key lime dump cake recipe turned out great. It had a nice lime flavor that was enhanced by the zest and juice, but without the intense acidity that you sometimes find in key lime pie or other citrus desserts. The crumble topping was sweet, buttery, crispy, and crunchy, so it combined nicely with the creamy filling.

Honestly, my only critique of this recipe is that it lacked color. I was expecting the canned key lime pie filling to be green, but since it wasn’t, this cake had a rather (in my opinion) uninteresting color that didn’t really indicate what the flavor was. A quick sprinkling of extra lime zest before serving changed that, so I guess this criticism isn’t major.

Overall, this cobbler was a big success. It’s perfect for beginner cooks who need to be a quick 9×13 dessert for a crowd, and it would also be good for people who like lime flavor but don’t like too much acidity. Although the flavor profile is perfect for summer, it would be great at any time of the year.

Other Lime Recipes

If you like citrus as much as I do, check out these other recipes:

Key Lime Cake – This traditional southern cake’s cream cheese frosting is the perfect finishing touch.

More Dump Cakes

For more simple, 3-ingredient cobbler recipes, check out:

Lemon Dump Cake – If you love lemon but not all the acidity, this dessert is for you.

Pineapple Dump Cake – Bright flavors and colors make this old-fashioned dessert really amazing.

Cherry Dump Cake – For a dessert with a bright red color, this cobbler is the perfect choice.

Key Lime Dump Cake Recipe Instructions

YouTube Video

Be sure to watch my YouTube video tutorial, too:

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