This Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe is an irresistibly rich, melt-in-your-mouth delicious dessert. My family loves it when I make it, and this easy-to-make cake is guaranteed to become a favorite in your home, too.
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
This Gooey Butter Cake recipe uses a boxed cake mix to make a delicious dessert. The bottom layer is dense, soft, and slightly chewy. The top layer is the star of the cake! It’s buttery, creamy, and gooey, almost like a thick custard or a slightly underbaked cheesecake.
When served warm, it melts in your mouth with a silky, rich feel. The final dusting of powdered sugar adds a soft, melt-in-your-mouth touch that complements the rich, buttery texture.
If you are looking for a dessert cake recipe that is easy to make and will be a hit with everyone, then you need to make this Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.
Cake Recipes
What is Gooey Butter Cake?
Gooey Butter Cake is a rich, sweet dessert that originated in St. Louis, Missouri. It has a dense, chewy cake base and a soft, gooey topping made with butter, sugar, and cream cheese (in modern versions). It’s usually dusted with powdered sugar and served in squares like a bar dessert.
What are other names for this Recipe?
The cake also goes by a few other names, depending on where you live. This is one of those recipes that is the same recipe but goes by multiple names.
- St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake – The most traditional name, highlighting its origin.
- Gooey Butter Bars – Used when it’s cut into smaller, bar-like servings.
- Ooey Gooey Cake – A playful variation emphasizing its texture.
- Butter Cake – A simpler name, though it can sometimes be confused with other buttery cakes
How do you serve this Recipe?
You can serve this as a classic cake on a plate with a knife and fork, or people can eat this like a cookie bar. When eating it at home with a small group of people I serve it as a cake. If serving it for a larger group of people then I cut them into smaller pieces and serve them as Gooey Butter Bars.
Can this be made with other cake flavors?
You can make it with a white cake mix without changing the flavor too much. Using a different cake mix flavor is a great way to change up the flavor of this without any extra ingredients. I love to make this with chocolate cake mix, lemon cake mix, and strawberry cake mix.
How do I store the leftovers?
If you have any leftovers, you can leave them in the baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or you can move the leftovers to an airtight container. You will want to store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 pound confectioner sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13“ pan or baking dish with nonstick spray. Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.
Add the butter and microwave in a small bowl for 45 seconds to melt the butter fully, and set it aside.
Add the cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl, and stir well to combine.
Pour the cake batter into the baking dish and spread with a spatula to make an even layer. This cake batter will be thick.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use an electric mixer and a large bowl), add the softened cream cheese and sugar together and beat on medium speed until they are creamed together.
Once the butter and sugar are combined, add to the eggs and continue mixing until everything is mixed well.
Pour the mixture over the cake batter bottom layer and spread till all the cake batter is covered.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
Allow the cake to cool completely. Sift the confectioner sugar over the top.
Dessert Recipes
- Nutella Mug Cake
- Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
- Chocolate Covered Bananas
- Baked apples
- Apple Nachos
- Strawberry Blueberry trifle
Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Layer Ingredients
- 8 ounce package cream cheese room temperature
- 1 pound confectioner sugar
- 2 large eggs
Garnish
- ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9 x 13“ pan or baking dish with nonstick spray. Remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature.
- Add the butter and microwave in a small bowl for 45 seconds to melt the butter fully, and set it aside.
- Add the cake mix, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl, and stir well to combine.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking dish and spread with a spatula to make an even layer. This cake batter will be thick.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use an electric mixer and a large bowl), add the softened cream cheese and sugar together and beat on medium speed until they are creamed together.
- Once the butter and sugar are combined, add to the eggs and continue mixing until everything is mixed well.
- Pour the mixture over the cake batter bottom layer and spread till all the cake batter is covered.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
- Allow the cake to cool completely. Sift the confectioner sugar over the top.
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