Description
Gooey butter cake delivers pure comfort straight from a St. Louis kitchen tradition. Creamy, sweet, and totally irresistible, this dessert becomes your new favorite weekend treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Base:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 1 block cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Finishing Touch:
- Extra powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to exactly 350°F and prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by coating it thoroughly with cooking spray or lining with parchment paper.
- Mix 15.25 oz yellow cake mix, 1 large egg, and ½ cup melted unsalted butter in a medium bowl until a dense, sticky dough forms.
- Press the cake mix dough firmly and evenly across the entire bottom of the prepared pan, creating a smooth, compact base layer.
- Grab another mixing bowl and beat 8 oz softened cream cheese until completely smooth and creamy.
- Add 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the cream cheese, blending until the mixture looks uniform and silky.
- Gradually incorporate 3½ cups powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture, beating until the topping becomes glossy and completely incorporated.
- Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake mix base, using a spatula to spread it gently and evenly to all pan edges.
- Slide the pan into the preheated 350°F oven and bake for precisely 40-45 minutes, watching for golden brown edges and a soft, slightly jiggly center.
- Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool completely inside the pan at room temperature.
- Dust the entire surface generously with additional powdered sugar before slicing into squares for serving.
Notes
- Check your cake mix carefully to ensure it’s the right type for this recipe, as yellow or white cake mixes work best.
- Press the bottom layer gently and evenly into the pan to create a solid, uniform base that supports the creamy topping.
- For a cleaner cut, refrigerate the cake for an hour before slicing, which helps the layers set more firmly.
- If watching calories, swap full-fat cream cheese for a reduced-fat version, but know the texture might be slightly less rich.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 435
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg