This Gooey Butter Cake Recipe is SO GOOD, and is just a few ingredients. This is the perfect cake to make when you want something delicious but low effort.
Now, I have to tell you, I titled this St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, but I am not from nor have I ever been to St. Louis. We have a similar recipe in the south: Chess bars, or Chess Pie. But I saw this recipe is one of those older church cookbooks I have lying around, and thought it sounded great, so I wanted to share it with you.
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Ingredients for Gooey Butter Cake
This recipe is perfect for any holiday, but it feels more like a spring or summer holiday, so think Easter or Memorial Day. The ingredient list is simple, and it doesn't require any special equipment. Just a mixer, a bowl, and a baking dish.
- Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 stick of softened Butter
- 1 8oz block of Cream Cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 pound box of Domino Powdered Sugar (save just a little for the topping!)
- Vanilla Extract
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe is in three parts: the crust or bottom layer, the ooey gooey part or top, and then baking! It's seriously the best gooey butter cake recipe!
- Step 1: Combine the cake mix and softened butter in a bowl. Mix until you get a slightly wet sand consistency. Pat this mixture into the bottom of your baking dish in a level layer.
- Step 2: In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until there are no lumps, this should be completely smooth.
- Step 3: Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust layer in the baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes
- Step 4: Let it cool before serving. Dust the top with a little powdered sugar!
Hint: Spray your baking dish really well with Bakers Joy or Oil. This will prevent the cake from sticking, which it wants to do.
Substitutions for Gooey Butter Cake
There are't really any substitutions for this recipe. You may be able to get away with using a vegan cream cheese and butter, but you would still need the eggs since they provide extra moisture that helps with the ooey-gooey part of the cake.
If you are looking for Vegan recipes, I recommend this article from Love and Lemons.
Variations
Some variations for gooey butter cake that might be fun to try!
- Chocolate Cake - Use a chocolate cake mix for the bottom layer! I think that would be SO GOOD! Especially if you kept the top layer the same.
- Adding Orange or Lemon - adding some orange zest or lemon zest to the gooey layer for an extra special kick.
- Adding Spices - adding additional spices like cinnamon would help make this recipe festive for the colder months!
Check out our Chess Pie recipe to see the similarities!
Storage for Gooey Butter Cake
This cake will keep on the counter for 2-3 days, and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure to cover it well!
Top Tip
Make sure that you mix your cream cheese until there are NO lumps! This is vital for getting the ooey gooey part of gooey butter cake from scratch.
FAQ
Yes! It apparently originated in the 1930s, you can read more about it in this article.
There are many variations to this recipe, but the most commonly used ingredients are yellow cake mix, butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla.
In this recipe, the eggs and cream cheese are doing a lot of work in the ooey-gooey department. But in other cake recipes, the ingredient that will help keep your cake moist is vegetable oil.
Related to Gooey Butter Cake
If you are looking for some other dessert recipes, we have you covered! My personal favorite is our Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie. It has a similar vibe to the gooey butter cake recipes and is SO GOOD!
Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 stick Softened Butter
- 8oz block Cream Cheese
- 3 Eggs
- 1 lb Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Prepare your baking dish by spraying with Bakers Joy or rubbing with butter. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a bowl, mix the cake mix and the softened butter until the mixture is damp sand consistency. You should be able to form the mixture and have it break apart easily.
- Pat this mixture into the bottom of your baking dish in an even layer. This should be enough to make a single layer on the bottom of the dish.
- In a separate bowl, mix cream cheese, eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix this until there are no lumps.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake mixture in your baking dish. DO NOT mix these layers together.
- Put in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- When the cake has a light brown top, you can remove it. Let it cool completely before serving.
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