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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Next up, the filling…
Mix together the other 2 eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.
Then spread it over the crust as a second layer to the cake.
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.
After it's cooled for about 10 to 15 minutes, you can dust it with powdered sugar.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE, HERE ARE A FEW MORE CAKE MIX RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:
Strawberry Jello Cake Flag Cake
Raspberry Chocolate Cake in about a Minute
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.
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.
GOOEY BUTTER CAKE RECIPE
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Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 4 large eggs
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix (1 box)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
- Beat 2 of the eggs together with the melted butter.
- Add the cake mix to the butter mixture, and mix well.
- Spread the mixture in an un-greased 9"x13" cake pan.
- Mix together the remaining 2 eggs, the cream cheese, and the powdered sugar.
- Spread the mixture onto the crust as a second layer to the cake.
- Bake at 350° F for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out barely gooey.
- Once the cake is fully cooked, remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Then using a shaker, lightly sprinkle powdered sugar over the entire cake.
- Allow the cake to cool and serve.
Can you use a banana in the cream cheese mixture?
Kathy, I can’t see why not. Let me know how it goes!
Can you just do the crust? Example 1-5 and bake that? Without the Luther ingredients for a chewy cake?
You can, but then it’s not a gooey butter cake. What’s your reason for doing so?
We have this cake in singles.It’s so good, now i can make it @home. Thank you for the recipe. It’s hard to eat one small square of this cake.
Wilma, thank you! I agree wholeheartedly; it’s so hard to stop at just one slice.
This recipe is simple and awesome. I did cut down the pwdr sugar in to 2.5 cups and it’s awesome!
Thank you so much, Kathy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Great tip on the powdered sugar.
That’s a lot of sugar, I don’t really like super sweet cake’s, could this amount be decreased without ruining the cakes integrity? Or, as I cook at an assisted living facility, could Splenda be used?
TeAnn, I’m not sure about decreasing the sugar. But you could very likely use Splenda.
Can this be left out at room temp (covered) for a day or does it need to be refrigerated?
Anna, it should be fine for a day.
Do you still need to add what is required in the cake box mix or just the eggs and butter enough ?
No, you don’t need to add any extra ingredients, just what’s listed in the recipe card.
I’ll be making this , it sounds really good !! Love butter cake
Thank you! I hope you enjoy.
Would a cream cheese frosting work with this cake??
Mimi, I’m not sure it would need a frosting. It’s very, very rich and the top layer is pretty gooey. I mean, it’d probably taste really good with cream cheese frosting, but it might be too much. Not sure.
I would not use cream cheese frosting in place of actual cream cheese. The cream cheese is what makes the cake ooey gooey. As far as cheese cheese frosting on top of the baked cake that contains cream cheese would be to each their own. Happy Baking!
I’ve never had Gooey Butter Cake! I hear that it’s real popular in Missouri though.
Rachel, it really is, especially up toward St. Louis where I used to live. If you like a sweet cream cheese dessert, you’d love it.:)