Gooey, buttery, unctious, Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch is just the thing to serve at brunch or a party. Slice these small, they are rather rich.
Jump to:
- 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 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:
- Recipe
- Comments
St. Louis style Gooey Butter Cake made with a cake mix is one of my most popular recipes on this site.
But, I heard from a few readers who were disappointed I wasn't sharing a recipe for the made from scratch butter cake, so here it is.
I have to tell you though, I couldn’t tell a difference between the scratch version and the cake that starts with a mix.
So if you’re short on time and patience, go with the cake mix recipe, it will be our little secret.
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.
Ingredients
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch
This is a two step dessert. Plan ahead because you'll need to pull cream cheese out of the fridge to soften.
Leave the cream cheese on your counter three hours or so before making this recipe. Unless you're in a warmer area like Florida or Texas or Louisiana then use your best judgement about how far in advance to pull out the cream cheese.
First you'll essentially make a crust, which you'll pat and spread into a parchment-lined 13x9 pan.
If you've ever made a pan of lemon bars, this crust is similar to that, except you'll be adding an egg.
Next you'll mix up the top, gooey layer, which includes the aforementioned softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, two beaten eggs and vanilla extract.
This top layer gets poured over the crust then baked.
The worst thing you can do to this cake, besides dropping it on the floor, is over baking it so be sure to set a timer.
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, powdered sugar, beaten 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.
Baking St. Louis 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 200°F. If you're baking an angel food cake, you can hit 205 to 210°F.
Don't go over 212° or it will be overbaked.
212°F is the temperature that water turns to steam and your cake begins to dry out.
I've been using the one I linked to for maybe three or four years? I use it all the time and highly recommend it. I would recommend it even if I wasn't getting a commission.
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.
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?
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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
- One cup of butter, melted
- 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 flour mixture into 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 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 three hours or so before making this recipe. Unless you're in a warmer area like Florida or Texas or Louisiana then use your best judgement 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
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