Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch is gooey and decadent, just the thing to serve at brunch or your next party. This version skips the boxed cake mix and starts with a simple cake topped with a rich cream cheese layer.
Also known as St. Louis or Missouri Gooey Butter Cake, these rich treats are best sliced small.
Jump to:
- Reader Recipe Success
- Before You Start
- Homemade Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients
- How to Make Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch
- Make the Gooey Butter Crust
- The Ooey, Gooey Layer is Made Next
- Step by Step Photos
- Baking St. Louis BUTTER Cake
- How Do I Know Cake is Done?
- Does gooey butter cake need to be refrigerated?
- Can you Freeze Gooey Butter Cake?
- About the Gooey Butter Cake Name:
- Pin to Save For Later
- Recipe
- Comments
Reader Recipe Success
Reader Peg C. left a comment on Pinterest about how much better Kitchen Serf's Homemade Gooey Butter Cake recipe is compared with recipes that use a boxed cake mix. Thanks Peg!
So @that1guywhobakes on Instagram thoughtfully shared a photo of his success with the scratch gooey butter cake and tagged me.
If you love baking completely from scratch or don't like using boxed cake mixes, this recipe is for you.
The most popular recipe on my site: St. Louis style Gooey Butter Cake made with a cake mix is a shortcut version of this homemade recipe.
Before You Start
- Pull cream cheese out early, one to two hours.
- Line your pan with parchment paper.
- Don’t rely on a toothpick to judge doneness with this cake because the center is supposed to be gooey so you'll be pulling away a toothpick with residue no matter what.
- Use an instant read thermometer. I love and have used this digital cooking thermometer for years.
- Since this is a dessert with eggs and cream cheese, the internal temperature should reach 175°F after baking.
Homemade Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch
This is a two-step dessert, so plan ahead.
First, you'll make a simple homemade crust and press it into a parchment-lined 9x13 pan. If you've ever made lemon bars, the process will feel familiar, although this crust includes an egg.
Next, beat together the cream cheese, melted butter, powdered sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth, then spread the gooey layer over the crust.
The biggest mistake you can make is over baking this cake, so set a timer and keep a close eye on it.
Make the Gooey Butter Crust
The Ooey, Gooey Layer is Made Next
Creating the top layer of the butter bars will take more time.
You'll beat with an electric mixer the softened cream cheese, melted butter, powdered sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
Time for this will vary depending on the strength of your mixer. It took me about ten minutes on medium speed using a stand mixer to get all the tiny blobs of cream cheese beaten down into specks of cream cheese and incorporated into the batter.
Step by Step Photos
Finally, put your famous St. Louis gooey butter cake into a 325° oven to bake for 40 minutes.
Check the cake at 30 minutes.
Remove, let cool on a wire rack then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Baking St. Louis BUTTER Cake
How Do I Know Cake is Done?
When the cake is done, the edges will have started to brown and a shiny crust will have formed over the top.
The traditional method of checking a cake or pie for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle will not work here.
If you wait to remove the cake from the oven until it comes out clean, you'll over bake it by several minutes.
The cake will still be moist and gooey in the middle at 40 minutes. Pull the cake out of the oven anyway.
This is where it's comforting to have a digital, instant read thermometer. (affiliate link, I'll earn a commission if you buy).
The internal temperature of the cake should register 175°F.
Does gooey butter cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes, once it's cooled, refrigerate. This is an egg-rich, custardy dessert.
Can you Freeze Gooey Butter Cake?
Yes, this dessert freezes great. Freeze for up to three months. See more information about how to freeze desserts.
About the Gooey Butter Cake Name:
Some people get confused and think that these are Neiman Marcus Bars. They are not.
Neiman Marcus Bars are quite similar to Gooey Butter Cake Bars but they have the addition of a layer of miniature chocolate chips and chopped nuts--usually pecans.
Others think they are called Park Avenue Bars, but those contain a layer of nuts. Okay?
Pin to Save For Later
More dessert recipes you might like include Gooey Butter Cookies, Lemon Bars with a Graham Cracker Crust , Lemon Bars, Butterscotch Cake, Nellie & Joe's Famous Key Lime Pie Recipe (Just 3 Ingredients), No-Bake Key Lime Pie or Cranberry Pistachio No-Bake Bars and Lemon Poke Cake or No-Spread Cut Out Sugar Cookies.
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake is another popular recipe as is Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake.
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Recipe
Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch
Make this St. Louis style gooey butter cake from scratch to see what St. Louisans have been hollering about for decades.
Ingredients
- Crust Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks of butter (1 cup), melted, divided
- one large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Gooey Butter Layer Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese softened
- Two large eggs, beaten, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners sugar, plus more for garnish
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, egg, and vanilla.
Pour the flour mixture into the melted butter mixture and stir to combine. Press using your fingers and/or the flat bottom of a measuring cup in a parchment-lined 13x9-in. pan.
For gooey butter topping, beat softened cream cheese and eggs until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and stir.
Pour over crust.
Bake at 325° F until edges start to brown, 40 minutes. Cake should reach an internal temperature of 200°F. Cool for an hour on a wire rack.
Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar for garnish.
Notes
Time for mixing the gooey butter topping will vary depending on the strength of your mixer. It took me about ten minutes on medium speed using a stand mixer to get all the tiny blobs of cream cheese beaten down into specks of cream cheese and incorporated into the batter.
Plan ahead because you'll need to pull cream cheese out of the fridge to soften.
Leave the cream cheese on your counter for three hours or so before making this recipe. Unless you're in a warmer area like Florida, Texas, or Louisiana, use your best judgment about how far in advance to pull out the cream cheese.
Recommended Products
This post and/or recipe may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I'll earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure policy.
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Ufmarine Medium Binder Clips 1.25 Inch Length for Office (120 Pcs) -
Cuisinart HM-90S Power Advantage Plus 9-Speed Handheld Mixer with Storage Case, White
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Katbite 200Pcs 12x16 In Unbleached Parchment Paper for Baking, Precut Parchment Paper Sheets, Heavy Duty Flat Baking Paper, Half Sheet Baking Sheets for Baking Cookies, Cooking, Air Fryer, Oven
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Nordic Ware Classic Metal 9x13 Covered Cake Pan
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 255Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 54mgSodium 199mgCarbohydrates 34gFiber 0gSugar 24gProtein 3g
Deb says
The recipe sounded intriguing enough to whip this up today. Delicious, moist, heavenly on the tongue and difficult not to eat more than I should! One question! How did you get it to cut so nicely? Thank you Jennifer.
Raina says
I recently discovered this recipe and I love it! I have made it for a bake sale now and for family. I’ve been testing out different types of pans and they made amazing XL muffins