Cranberry Cream Cheese Dump Cake: The Easiest Holiday Dessert You’ll Ever Make
The holidays have a way of sneaking up on you. One minute you’re planning your menu with all the confidence in the world, and the next you’re elbow-deep in a turkey with three side dishes simmering on the stove and absolutely no mental bandwidth left for dessert. That’s exactly where this Cranberry Cream Cheese Dump Cake swoops in to save the day.
This golden, bubbling pan of pure joy is the kind of dessert that looks like you spent hours on it but honestly comes together in about ten minutes of actual hands-on time. The creamy swirls of tangy cream cheese melting into tart cranberry and a buttery cake top? It’s the kind of thing people ask about before they even finish their first bite. And once you see how ridiculously simple it is, you’ll want to keep this one in your back pocket all season long.
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 can (14 oz) jellied cranberry sauce
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into small cubes
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (optional, for extra sweetness)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray or a little butter.
- Spread both cans of cranberry sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. If you like, stir in the vanilla extract at this stage for a little extra warmth of flavor.
- Scatter the softened cream cheese cubes evenly over the cranberry layer. Don’t mix them in — just let them sit on top. They’ll melt and swirl beautifully as the cake bakes.
- Pour the dry yellow cake mix straight from the box, spreading it in an even layer over the cream cheese and cranberry. Do not stir or mix anything together.
- Lay the thin slices of butter evenly across the top of the dry cake mix, covering as much of the surface as possible. The butter will melt and soak into the cake mix as it bakes, creating that gorgeous golden, crispy top.
- If using, sprinkle the granulated sugar lightly over the butter slices for a little extra caramelized crunch on top.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is deep golden brown and the edges are bubbling. The center should look set and slightly crisp on the surface.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a truly irresistible finish.
Tips for the Best Results
Make sure your butter slices cover as much of the cake mix surface as possible. Any dry patches of cake mix that don’t get enough butter can bake up powdery. If you notice any dry spots before baking, just add a few extra thin pats of butter to cover them.
This cake is best served the day it’s made while the top is still crisp and the inside is warm and gooey, but leftovers reheat beautifully in the oven at 325°F for about 10 minutes. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Feel free to swap the yellow cake mix for a white cake mix or even a spice cake mix for a slightly different flavor profile that pairs just as wonderfully with the cranberry and cream cheese filling.
