St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

If you’ve never had St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, imagine a tender yellow cake topped with a sweet cream cheese layer that bakes up soft and gooey in the center. This beloved Midwestern classic is easy to make at home with a cake mix and a few simple ingredients

FYI: this is the cake, also known as Neiman Marcus bars, you won't stop eating.

Jump to:

• Before You Start
• Missouri Butter Cake History
• Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients.
• How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
• How to Tell When Gooey Butter Cake is Done
• What is Gooey Butter Cake?
• Is St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake A Coffee Cake?
• Can I make this dessert without cake mix?
• Can I make Gooey Butter Cake Ahead?
• Is Gooey Butter Cake the same as Philadelphia Butter Cake?
• Can I Freeze Gooey Butter Cake?
• Pin to Save for Later
• Recipe
• Comments

Before You Start

This recipe is a poster child for owning a digital cooking thermometer. Don't rely on baking time alone.

Gooey butter cake can be tricky because the center is supposed to have a slightly gooey center, which makes it hard to tell when it's done.

An instant read thermometer lets you bake the cake until the center reaches the right temperature without over baking the bottom layer.

This recipe was tested numerous times with a 15.25 ounce box of cake mix. If yours weighs less, 13.25 ounces is common, add a quarter cup of all-purpose flour.

Bake in a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper or foil for easier cleanup and lifting out to cut into squares.

Start with softened cream cheese. It mixes much more smoothly and helps prevent lumps in the gooey butter layer.

Missouri Butter Cake History

Like all great things St. Louis gooey butter cake has a history.

Legend has it that a St. Louis baker accidentally left the leavening out of a cake. When he realized his mistake, instead of throwing it away, the baker served the flat dense cake anyway and people loved it.

A local classic was born. 

If you’ve never had this cake before you’re in for a treat.

Imagine a giant cheese danish baked in a 9 x 13 pan with a simple cake base and a rich gooey cream cheese topping showered with powdered sugar. That’s this cake.

The best part it’s surprisingly easy to make.

Love gooey butter cake? I also have recipes for Gooey Butter Cake From Scratch, Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake, Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake and Gooey Butter Cookies, made with cake mix.

If you’re curious about another regional butter cake, try Philadelphia butter cake, which has a yeasted base.

Looking for more easy desserts made with cake mix? My Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies with Cake Mix have a similar flavor in cookie form. Another favorite here is Toffee Bars with Cake Mix.

Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients.

• 1 box of yellow or white cake mix
• 2 sticks butter, melted, divided
• 1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting over the top

How to Make Gooey Butter Cake

Ignore the ingredients on the back of the cake mix box. We're not making the cake pictured there.

Make the base by mixing yellow or white cake mix with one beaten egg, and one stick of melted butter. 

The mixture will be crumbly. Press it evenly into the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan with your fingers. 

Next make the gooey topping by mixing two eggs, one stick of melted butter, 1 (8 ounce) package of softened cream cheese and 2 cups of powdered sugar.

Pour the topping over the base layer and bake at 325F°. Set your timer for 40 minutes but start checking it at 30 minutes or whenever you start to smell the cake. 

How to Tell When Gooey Butter Cake is Done

If you over bake the cake, it gets a teensy bit dry.

We don't want that. We want the moist texture of a cream cheese Danish.

But you might be wondering, "How will you know when the cake is done baking?"

The cake will be done when there's a slight jiggle in the middle. 

If the wobble is on the outside edges of the cake, it isn't done yet.

I would check on the cake after it's been in the oven for 30 minutes.

The most reliable way to check for doneness is with a digital kitchen thermometer. Since the top layer is made with eggs and cream cheese, it should reach an internal temperature of 175°F.

The cake will also continue to bake for a few minutes once removed from the oven.

This is my favorite digital thermometer and it has last years. So long in fact the company has since changed its name.

Tempro used to be called Thermopro but changed its branding in March of 2026.

What is Gooey Butter Cake?

A St. Louis classic with two layers: a soft cake base and a gooey, cream cheese–sugar topping. It’s rich, thick and completely addictive.

Is St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake A Coffee Cake?

Gooey Butter Cake definitely overlaps into coffee cake territory. It’s baked in a 9x13 pan and sliced into squares like many classic coffee cakes, and it pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee. The difference is that instead of a crumb topping or a cinnamon streusel layer, gooey butter cake has a rich, cream cheese topping that bakes up soft and slightly custardy in the center.

Can I make this dessert without cake mix?

Yes. The from-scratch version uses flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and cream cheese. Try my homemade gooey butter cake recipe if you’d like the traditional method. A similar dessert, Philadelphia German Butter Cake, is made from scratch.

Can I make Gooey Butter Cake Ahead?

Yes, this is a dessert that improves with a bit of age, in my opinion.

Keep this cake refrigerated, well-covered, for 2–3 days.

The filling has eggs and cream cheese, so it should stay in the fridge until ready to eat.

It also freezes well—wrap slices tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

Is Gooey Butter Cake the same as Philadelphia Butter Cake?

No. St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake has a cake base and gooey topping, while Philadelphia Butter Cake uses a yeast dough. Both are rich and buttery, but they’re not the same dessert.

Can I Freeze Gooey Butter Cake?

Gooey Butter Cake freezes beautifully. Once cooled, cut into squares, wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, then tuck them inside a freezer bag or airtight container.

Freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature on a countertop or warm gently, five to ten seconds maximum at reduced power in a microwave for that just-baked gooey texture.

Most all desserts freeze really well.

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Learn how to make the ultimate St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake completely from scratch! This recipe features a rich, buttery crust and a sweet, gooey filling that will have everyone begging for more. It's the perfect dessert for any occasion.