Equipment Needed
- 9×13 inch baking dish (glass or ceramic is best)
- Medium mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
- Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Fork or pastry cutter (for the topping)
Step-by-Step Instructions
I always start by preheating my oven and grabbing my trusty 9×13 dish. No greasing is needed—the butter in the recipe takes care of that. I open both cans of strawberry pie filling and simply dump them directly into the bottom of the dish. I use my rubber spatula to spread it into a fairly even, gloriously red layer. The sight of it alone makes me happy. This fruit layer is our foundation, and its sweet-tart juice will bubble up through the cake as it bakes, creating little pockets of saucy goodness.
Next, I make the “cheesecake” element. In my medium bowl, I combine the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Using my hand mixer on medium speed, I beat it for a good 2-3 minutes until it’s completely smooth, creamy, and slightly fluffy. There should be no lumps. I then drop spoonfuls of this creamy mixture all over the top of the strawberry layer. I don’t swirl it in or try to spread it. I just plop it in dollops, spacing them out somewhat evenly. These dollops will sink and melt into the strawberries as they bake, creating those divine ribbons and pockets of tangy cheesecake.
Now, for the iconic “dump” and the crispy crown. I take my dry, unprepared yellow cake mix and sprinkle it evenly in a layer over the entire dish, completely covering the cream cheese dollops and strawberries. This looks like a lot of dry powder, but trust the process. Then, I take my cold butter and slice it into very thin pats. I distribute these pats of butter as evenly as I can over the entire surface of the dry cake mix. This is the magic step. In the oven, the butter will melt down through the cake mix, hydrating it and frying it into the most delicious, crisp, golden-brown crumble topping imaginable.(See the next page below to continue…)