Gooey Butter Cake
This St. Louis-style gooey butter cake has a soft cake-mix crust and a rich cream cheese filling that stays pleasantly fudgy in the center. It is simple, sweet, and made for small squares with coffee or milk.
Total
60 min
Servings
12 to 16 squares
Level
Easy
Gooey butter cake is a classic Midwestern dessert, especially loved in St. Louis. This version uses the popular home-baker shortcut: boxed yellow cake mix for the base and a cream cheese topping that bakes into a shiny, soft layer.
The texture is the point. The edges should be set and lightly golden, while the center should still have a gentle wobble when the pan comes out of the oven. It will firm up as it cools, but it should never turn dry or cakey all the way through.
Serve it in small squares. It is rich, buttery, and sweet, so a little goes a long way.
01What you'll need
Ingredients
10 items · 12 to 16 squares
- Cooking spray or softened butter, for the pan
- 1 box yellow cake mix, 15.25 ounces
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, optional
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
02How to make it
Step-by-step
1. Heat the oven
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. For easier lifting, line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a little extra hanging over the long sides. This extra paper is called a sling and helps you lift the cake out after it cools.
2. Make the crust mixture
In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, melted butter, egg, and salt, if using. The mixture will be thick and dough-like, not pourable like cake batter.
3. Press in the crust
Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Use clean hands or the bottom of a measuring cup. Try to reach the corners so the filling sits on an even base.
4. Beat the cream cheese
In another large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. You can use a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk. If the cream cheese is cold, it may leave small lumps, so let it soften at room temperature first.
5. Mix the filling
Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and melted butter until combined. Add the powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed at first so it does not puff out of the bowl. The filling should be smooth and thick.
6. Spread the topping
Pour the cream cheese filling over the crust. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer, taking it all the way to the edges.
7. Bake until just set
Bake for 35 to 42 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and puffed, and the center still jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pan. Do not bake until the center is completely firm, or the cake will lose its gooey texture.
8. Cool and cut
Let the cake cool completely in the pan, at least 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. For neat squares, chill the cooled cake for 30 minutes, then cut with a sharp knife and wipe the blade between cuts.
03From our kitchen
Cook's tips
- Make-ahead: Gooey butter cake is a good make-ahead dessert because it needs time to cool. Bake it up to 1 day ahead, cover it, and keep it at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Because the topping contains cream cheese and eggs, the refrigerator is the safer choice for longer storage.
- Freezing: Freeze cut squares in a single layer until firm, then wrap and store in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
- Cake mix swaps: Yellow cake mix gives the most classic flavor, but vanilla or butter cake mix also works. If your cake mix is 13.25 ounces instead of 15.25 ounces, the base will be a little softer but still usable.
- Butter note: If using salted butter, skip the optional salt in the crust. Let melted butter cool for a few minutes before mixing so it does not scramble the eggs.
- Flavor ideas: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the filling for a brighter flavor, or use almond extract instead of vanilla for a stronger bakery-style note. Start with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract because it is powerful.
Cook's note
This recipe is the modern cake-mix style of gooey butter cake, not the older yeasted coffee cake version. Both are part of the dessert’s history, but this one is faster and easier for a home kitchen.
04Frequently asked
Questions & answers
How do I know when gooey butter cake is done?
Look for set, lightly golden edges and a center that still has a soft jiggle. The top may look shiny and a little crackly. If the center is liquid and sloshes, bake it a few more minutes. If it is fully firm, it is probably overbaked.
Can I make gooey butter cake without a boxed cake mix?
This recipe is designed for cake mix, which creates the familiar chewy base. A from-scratch version needs a different balance of flour, sugar, leavening, and fat, so it is best to use a recipe written for that style.
Does gooey butter cake need to be refrigerated?
It can sit at room temperature for several hours and up to 1 day if your kitchen is cool. For longer storage, refrigerate it because the filling contains cream cheese and eggs.
Why is my filling lumpy?
The cream cheese was likely too cold. Let it soften until it gives easily when pressed, then beat it smooth before adding the other filling ingredients. Small lumps are safe to eat, but the texture will be smoother if the cream cheese starts soft.
Can I cut the sugar?
You can reduce the powdered sugar in the filling to 3 cups, but the texture will be a little less glossy and set. Reducing it much more may make the filling too loose.
05Keep cooking
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