Ingredients:

  • 21 oz (595g) cherry pie filling
  • 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
  • 1 box (432g) yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the cherry pie filling into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread it into an even, flat layer using a spatula.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until the mixture is completely smooth and pale.
  3. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cherries in dollops, then gently spread it to the edges without stirring it into the fruit.
  4. Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly across the top of the cream cheese layer.
  5. Drizzle the melted butter over the entire surface, ensuring no large patches of dry flour remain. Use a fork to break up any large clumps.
  6. Bake for 45–50 minutes until the edges are bubbly and the top has turned a deep, mahogany-gold.
  7. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes to let the cheesecake layer firm up before slicing.