Blueberry Dump Cake

Made with fresh blueberries and flavored with lemon, this blueberry dump cake is an easy dessert that comes together in mere minutes.

Today seems like the perfect day for another super easy shortcut recipe.

You know I love baking from scratch, but I don’t always have the time. Or the energy!

I like keeping shortcut recipes – like doctored cake mix or this blueberry dump cake – up my sleeve for times when I am craving something sweet or need a to whip up a dessert last minute.

What is blueberry dump cake?

Listen, I’ve said it before: The name “dump cake” is weird. If you’ve never had one before, you probably don’t even know what it means!

A dump cake is a dessert where you “dump” the ingredients into the pan and then bake it. For a lot of dump cake recipes (including this one), you don’t even have to pull out any mixing bowls.

Even though we’re calling it a cake, the final dessert isn’t like lemon cake or Texas sheet cake. It’s a little bit more like a cobbler or a crumble, with the fruit filling on the bottom and a buttery, crumbly cake topping.

For this blueberry dump cake, I decided to pair the sweet blueberries with a lemon cake mix. I even added some lemon zest to the fruit for some added brightness!

 Serve it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and you’ve got an easy dessert you can whip up even for last-minute guests.

How to make blueberry dump cake

This blueberry dump cake is super simple to throw together. Got surprise guests coming over? Toss this recipe in the pan in less than 10 minutes and let it bake while you panic-clean your house. 

Ingredients you’ll need

Many blueberry dump cakes use blueberry pie filling. And that’s a great option! But I wanted to use fresh blueberries for my version.

Because you use fresh (or frozen) blueberries, it really allows the blueberry flavor to shine through and keeps the dessert from being overly sweet.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (15.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix
• 10 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

If you are using frozen blueberries, there’s no need to thaw them before you start baking. They will thaw quickly in the oven, so toss them into the pan while frozen.

I like using a box of lemon cake mix for the topping of this cake. To add some extra lemon brightness, we’re going to toss in some lemon zest as well.

If you’re making this on a time crunch and don’t have a lemon on hand, you can skip the zest and it’ll still be delicious.

Making this recipe

This is so easy. Are you ready?

Spray your favorite 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Toss in the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. Give this a stir, then spread it evenly in the pan.

Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the top, then slowly drizzle the butter on top of that.

And that’s it! Bake at 350°F for 1 hour; you want the top to be golden and the blueberries to be bubbly. Let the dump cake cool for a few minutes before serving.

Storage tips

Once the blueberry dump cake has cooled, you can store leftovers in the original pan (covered tightly in plastic wrap) or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 

I like to reheat leftovers by warming them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. 

If you want to freeze the dump cake, store it in an freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Recipe substitutions

If you’re not a fan of lemon and blueberries together, you can still make this cake!

Swap the lemon cake mix for a yellow or white cake mix and omit the lemon zest. You can even add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the berries if you want.

More easy dump cake recipes

If you love this blueberry dump cake, you will love some of these other easy dump cake recipes, too!

Apple dump cake is a great option any time of year, but is extra special during the fall. Serve it with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Cherry dump cake combines cherry pie filling with buttery yellow cake and almonds. It tastes so much fancier than it is!

Cherry pineapple dump cake takes everything you love about that cherry dump cake above and adds pineapple and coconut for even more flavor.

Easy peach cobbler may not be called a dump cake, but it comes together in the same way with canned peaches and a box of cake mix.

Pumpkin crunch cake requires a couple of extra steps, but still has all of the vibes of an easy dump cake. It’s one of my favorite fall recipes!

Chocolate dump cake is perfect for anyone who loves fudgy brownies but wants an even easier recipe to make.