Strawberry Cream Cheese Dump Cake (quick and easy)
This strawberry cream cheese cobbler is the kind of dessert recipe you keep in your back pocket for when you need something quick but still crave a homemade touch. It uses pantry staples and optional fresh strawberries, and can be ready in 50 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Dump 42 ounces strawberry pie filling (2 cans) into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Scatter ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries over the filling.
In a small bowl, mix 8 ounces regular cream cheese, at room temperature, with 3 tablespoons sugar until completely smooth. Add 1 tablespoon heavy cream and stir to integrate well. Stir in ½ teaspoon lemon zest.
Spoon or drizzle the cheesecake mixture over the fruit.
Sprinkle 15.25 ounces French vanilla cake mix evenly over the cream cheese layer.
Dot with 1 cup cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced, covering most of it or as much as you can.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
Let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack and serve warm plain, with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Notes
Adding fresh strawberries: some pie fillings lack enough strawberries in my opinion, so I like to add extra ones. But you be the judge of that. You might not care for them, or they might not be available. Storing: treat it as you would a crumble or crisp, keeping leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can freeze it for a month, sometimes more. Let it thaw at room temperature and warm it slightly in the oven before eating.