Make a simple and easy St. Louis style gooey butter cake using a cake mix. Ooey gooey recipe for the best dessert you'll ever have!

Growing up in St. Louis, gooey butter cake was a pretty popular dessert. My mom made it every once in awhile, and it was always so good.

slice of gooey butter cake with blackberries on an ivory plate with fork

St. Louis gooey butter cake is the perfect mix of ooey gooey, chewy, cream cheese deliciousness. With a chewy edge, crackling top, and soft gooey middle, it's the best of the best when it comes to dessert recipes.

The original butter cake recipe comes from a school cookbook (from my elementary school), but I kinda changed it up just a little bit.

If you love this gooey butter cake, you'll love my pumpkin gooey butter cake too.

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE RECIPE FOR GOOEY BUTTER CAKE!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the scrumptious ooey gooey butter cake recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

gooey butter cake baked in blue baking dish and dusted with powdered sugar

ST. LOUIS GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Gooey butter cake was a staple growing up in St. Louis. St. Louis foods are the best!

I know right where you can find the best gooey butter cake in that wonderful city too. In fact, this yummy dessert is one of my 5 reasons why you should visit Soulard Market!

WHY USE A CAKE MIX?

Back in the day, cake mix recipes were pretty popular. We'd make all kinds of easy cake mix desserts, like cake mix cookies and cake mix cakes.

My favorite lemon poke cake with lemon glaze uses a box cake mix.

slice of gooey butter cake on ivory plate with blackberries

The recipes were easy, simple, and always delicious. And back then box cake mix hardly cost anything, definitely less than a dollar.

This recipe comes from those bygone days. And while I plan on developing an actual gooey butter cake from scratch, as in no cake mix, I'm not sure it can beat this family favorite recipe.

CAN I FREEZE GOOEY BUTTER CAKE?

While I've never needed to freeze it, I see no reason why you can't freeze this cake. Just make sure it's covered well so it doesn't get freezer burn.

Also, allow enough time for it to thaw once you're ready to get it out and serve it.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE AN OOEY GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

First up, the crust…

Start by melting the butter. Then beat 2 eggs and mix together with the butter.

mixing ingredients for cake mix gooey butter cake crust in blue mixing bowl with hand mixer

And here's where the cake mix comes in… You'll need to mix that butter and egg mixture together with the cake mix. Then spread the mixture in an un-greased 9″x13″ cake pan.

unbaked gooey butter cake crust in blue baking dish ready to bake

Next up, the filling…

Mix together the other 2 eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.

mixing ooey gooey butter cake filling in blue bowl with hand mixer

Then spread it over the crust as a second layer to the cake.

gooey butter cake filling topping the cake mix crust in a blue baking dish

And that's it! You'll bake it for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out barely gooey.

If you're not sure, you can also check the internal temperature of the cake with a baking thermometer. According to The Kitchn, the internal temperature should reach 210°F.

baked gooey butter cake in blue baking dish

After it's cooled for about 10 to 15 minutes, you can dust it with powdered sugar.

powdered sugar dusted gooey butter cake in baking dish

IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE, HERE ARE A FEW MORE CAKE MIX RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:

Strawberry Jello Cake Flag Cake

Grass Block Minecraft Cake

Raspberry Chocolate Cake in about a Minute

gooey butter cake made with butter cake recipe using box cake mix, sliced in baking dish

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – You can definitely mix gooey butter cake by hand, but a mixer enables you to get a really smooth cake batter.

Measuring Cups

Spatula

9″ x 13″ Cake Pan

Cake Tester or Toothpicks

Baking Thermometer

Powder Shaker – Such a nifty tool for dusting powdered sugar on your cake evenly; and it comes with stencil designs you can use for other sweet recipes.