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This classic gooey butter cake has a delicious buttery cake crust and a gooey cream cheese topping. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar for an absolutely incredible treat! Only seven ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on time are required! It’s perfect for any occasion and will be the star of your next gathering!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor: This simple dessert uses basic ingredients, but there is nothing basic about the delicious buttery flavors!
- Easy to Make: You will love how simple this recipe is. You get to use a boxed cake mix and other pantry staples.
- Nostalgic: Rich butter cake with an ooey gooey cream cheese topping, just like something grandma made!
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients
This gooey butter cake recipe requires just seven ingredients—that’s how easy it is! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Yellow Cake Mix: DON’T follow the directions on the box. Combine the mix with an egg and melted butter to create the bottom layer of this cake.
- Salted Butter: Melted butter adds moisture and flavor.
- Eggs: One egg for the bottom cake layer and two eggs for the gooey layer provide richness and ensure the cake bakes properly.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese makes the gooey layer nice and creamy.
- Vanilla Extract: Gives a warm, comforting flavor.
- Almond Extract: This is the secret ingredient to adding the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar: To perfectly sweeten the cake!
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
Making an ooey gooey butter cake is so simple. With just seven ingredients, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing dessert in no time!
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with pan spray.
- Make the Cake Layer: In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, butter, and one egg. The batter will be very thick, more akin to a dough than a typical cake batter. Press it evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Make the Cream Cheese Layer: In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the remaining two eggs, vanilla and almond extracts. Scrape down the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Beat slowly until most of the powdered sugar is incorporated, then increase the speed and continue beating until smooth.
- Layer the Two Mixtures: Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake mixture and spread evenly.
- Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The center will puff up and then sink down as it bakes.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips and Variations
This classic gooey butter cake is incredibly delicious. Follow these tips to make it perfect every time!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients to help them incorporate better.
- Bake With Parchment Paper: For easy removal from the pan, line with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on either side. Spray the parchment lightly with pan spray before adding the batter. Once the cake has fully cooled, you can lift it out easily and cut it into squares.
- Use a Different Cake Mix: If you cannot find a butter yellow cake mix, regular yellow cake or even white cake mix will work in a pinch.
- Add a Topping! Any fruit pie filling or macerated berries will be delicious on top of this decadent cake.
Storing Leftover
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze the baked cake for up to 3 months. Remove the cake from the pan (I recommend lining it with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on both sides for easy lifting), wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag.
- To Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy, remove it from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 2-3 hours.
More Easy Cake Recipes
Turning a boxed cake mix into a new delicious dessert makes baking so easy, like with this gooey butter cake recipe! Here are a few of my other favorite desserts that are simple to make with a boxed cake mix.
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Gooey Butter Cake
This classic gooey butter cake has a delicious buttery cake crust and a gooey cream cheese topping. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar for an absolutely incredible treat! Only seven ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on time are required! It's perfect for any occasion and will be the star of your next gathering!
Ingredients
- 1 box butter yellow cake mix
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- 3 large eggs divided
- 8- ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13 baking dish with pan spray.
- In a large bowl mix the cake mix, butter, and 1 egg. The batter will be very thick, more akin to a dough than a typical cake batter. Press it evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In another large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the remaining 2 eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts. Scrape down the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Beat slowly until the powdered sugar is mostly incorporated before increasing the speed and beating until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese mixture over the cake mix and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The center will puff up and then sink down as it bakes.
- Let the cake cool completely and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 330kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 338mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 412IUCalcium: 89mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Great combination, awesome flavor!
This is a Southern version, this is not the St Louis style that uses a yeast dough base.
I’ve lived in the St. Louis area all my life, and this recipe is NOT the original gooey butter cake. No self respecting St. Louisan would wreck their gooey butter cake with cream cheese (cream cheese? Really?) or flavorings.
What is the St. Louis’s recipe?