Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is almost an American classic! Since the 50’s moms and grandmas have been making Ooey-Gooey Cakes for all to enjoy. You may be surprised by the ingredients! Make sure to try Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake too!
Butter Cake
Before making this I studied a lot of Ooey-Gooey Cake recipes. One comment was very, very common: “It’s very sweet”. But I can handle sweet, I mean, I have made Chocolate Ooey Gooey Cake, Strawberry Ooey Gooey Cake, even Red Velvet Ooey Gooey Cake! I like sweet, but just be prepared. It is VERY sweet!
What is Ooey Gooey Butter Cake?
This recipe is based on the original ooey gooey cake made famous in St. Louis. I have made my version semi-homemade in that I use a cake mix for the bottom layer, but you can certainly make one from scratch if you prefer! There are two distinct layers in an ooey gooey cake. This one is yellow cake on the bottom and a cream cheese butter flavored layer on top. The bottom layer should be a bit firm, but the top layer is melt-in-your-mouth velvety perfection.
I like to serve this ooey gooey butter cake with a light topping of powdered sugar at the end. Some people prefer whipped cream too. Why not add something a little sweeter to the top of this already sweet cake?
Ooey Gooey Bars
Although this is called ooey gooey butter cake, it is technically a bar. Most recipes are made in a 9×13 pan and then cut into a bar shape, so when you make an ooey gooey butter cake you are technically making a bar! I chose to make mine in a 9×3 round cake pan just because I love round cakes, but if you choose to make yours in a 9×13 pan keep an eye on cooking times. The rest of the recipe is the same!
How to Make Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Make sure you prepare your pan correctly. I use GOOP {Homemade Baker’s Spray} and think it’s far superior to any product you can buy at the store. If you don’t want to make GOOP, grease your pan then line with parchment paper.
Use room temperature ingredients. Set your butter and cream cheese out a couple hours before you plan on making this amazing cake. You will not regret it!
Don’t undermix ingredients. Whip the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes.
Did you know the “magic” version of this recipe? You simply mix all the ingredients in one bowl and then bake. There is no layer separation, but the flavor and texture are still amazing!
Sweet Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
And this is about how much I could eat in one sitting. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it tastes great! Like, really, really great. Fantastic! AMAZING! It is just one of those dishes best served with a cup of black coffee or tea and your dentist’s business card.
I hope you like this ooey gooey butter cake as much as we do!
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter, melted
Filling
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup (113g) butter, melted
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. (I set my convection oven to 325°F)
- In a bowl, combine cake mix, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and the melted butter. Mash together with a fork until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Spray a 9-inch by 3-inch round cake pan or a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with baking spray or use a piece of parchment in the bottom of the pan.
- Press cake mixture into bottom of prepared pan and get it as flat as possible.
- Place cream cheese, remaining eggs, vanilla and melted butter in a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until creamy.
- Add in confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time (and on low speed) until all sugar has been added.
- Pour cream cheese mixture over cake mixture.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes. I moved mine from the oven when the edges were brown, but the center was still a bit jiggly. You do not want to over cook.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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The cake looks so, so good! Definitely worth a visit to the dentist ;).
Oh my god that looks amazing. Anything with that much butter has to be good. 🙂
I have never tried or made a gooey butter cake either. Every once in a while I eat something too sweet. It’s rare but it happens 🙂
wow. butter and cake. two great words! thanks!
My recipe is like yours, but uses 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, so ever slightly less sweet, but still great. I also like to melt some strawberry preserves or take some lemon curd and drop it on top of the cake and swirl it through and then bake it.
Excellent idea!!!
I’ve made Paula Deen’s version of an ‘ooey gooey butter cake’ and I thought it was awesome, and not at all painful! But, it’s also a layer cake… I don’t remember it having this “pudding” look to it so it could be totally different!!
I have never seen this made in such a small pan. All I have seen is a 13X9 size. My daughter in law makes it and it is wonderful. I have made it a couple times and mine has never been as good as hers. We use the same recipe too. I have used it making lemon and pineapple coconut.
That sounds wonderful Charlotte! Great flavor. 🙂
Love your delicious treats as always. The ooey, goey butter cake made me want to dive in with my spoon. I still do, sweet or no sweet.
You have a way of making all these truly delicious recipes spring to life!
Thank you Alice! That is really, really sweet of you!
Amanda, make some from scratch! I have used two recipes that turn out well. Here is the first one from Cuisine at Home magazine:
(I will post recipes in 2 separate comments since they are sort of long)
Gooey Butter Cake
(Cuisine, December 1999, Issue 18, p. 20)
Makes: Two 9” Square Cakes – 18 Servings Total Time: 1 1/2 Hours + Overnight Set-Up Rating: Intermediate
For the Butter Cake Crust—
Dissolve:
6 T. warm water (105–115°)
1 T. active dry yeast
Combine:
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3 T. sugar
3 T. nonfat dry milk
1/4 t. salt
Add:
Yeast mixture
1 egg
Mix in:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Roll Dough, Fill Crust With:
Gooey Filling
For the Gooey Filling—
Whisk Together:
2 T. evaporated milk
4 t. sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
1/8 t. almond extract
Cream:
2 2/3 cups sugar
19 T. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 t. salt
Mix:
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
Mix in:
1 cup + 2 T. all-purpose flour
Add:
Prepared milk mixture
Pour into Crusts, Sprinkle with:
1 T. powdered sugar
Bake; Cool and Remove from Pan. Sprinkle with 1 T. Powdered Sugar.
Dissolve yeast in a small bowl by sprinkling yeast over warm water; whisk until dissolved. Let stand 5–10 minutes, until it activates (bubbles). If it does not bubble, start over with fresh yeast.
Combine shortening, sugar, dry milk, and salt in a large bowl while yeast is standing. Mix with an electric hand mixer on low, for about one minute. Mixture will be crumbly.
Add the yeast mixture and mix, scraping the bowl. Now mix in the egg. Does it look a little lumpy? That’s okay. It will all come together when you add the flour.
Mix in flour until it reaches a sticky dough consistency (about 30 seconds). Scrape the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Now it’s time to knead. Fold dough in half toward you. With heel of hand, push dough down and away. Give it a quarter turn; fold and push again. Dust flour on surface sparingly. Knead 10 minutes. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. (Use the time to start on the filling.) Now divide in half. Form halves into rounds by gently tucking under edges. Let these rounds rest 10 minutes.
Roll an even crust by rolling dough from the center outward. Roll alternately to the sides and corners. Continue rolling in all directions until you have approximately an 11″ square. “Air out” the dough by gently lifting entire piece and laying back down. Now lightly roll dough to 11″ square again. This helps prevent the dough from shrinking when laid in pan. Spray two 9″ square pans (not dark nonstick pans—the crust will overbrown) with cooking spray. Lift dough, place in pan; press about 1″ up sides of pan. Trim excess dough. Repeat process with second half of dough. Let dough rest in the pans for 10 minutes. To keep crust from bubbling up, “dock” dough by poking holes in it with a fork. Start on the filling while your dough is resting.
Whisk together evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract in a small bowl. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°.
Cream sugar, butter, and salt with an electric mixer in a larger bowl.
Mix cornstarch and eggs in a smaller bowl until smooth. Be sure to scrape sides and bottom of bowls. Add the cornstarch mixture to creamed butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until combined.
Mix flour in until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl.
Add the milk mixture that you have set aside. Mix until combined, scraping the bowl as you go. The batter will be thick and stiff—a lot like cookie dough.
Pour and divide filling between the two prepared pans and spread evenly. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Don’t bother to sift it; small chunks of powdered sugar are fine.
Bake cakes on center rack of oven for 20–25 minutes. A thin shell forms on the top, but the goo underneath won’t be firm. Cake is done when top is light golden brown.Cool cakes for 30 minutes in pans on cooling rack. To remove cake, run knife around edge of pan. Place rack over top of cake. Now flip it over and lift off the pan. Invert by placing plate over the cake bottom. Flip again and lift off rack. Sprinkle with another tablespoon of powdered sugar. Fully cool; cover with plastic. Let sit overnight.
Press the dough an inch up the sides of the pan. Trim and excess dough.
Dock the dough with tines of a fork to prevent bubbles from popping up during baking.
After it’s baked, it needs to sit overnight so the butter has a chance to set up. The cake tastes even better, and it won’t goo everywhere when you cut into it.
Here’s a link to the other gooey butter cake I’ve made…
http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/black-and-white-gooey-butter-cake/
Made this form my man’s bday, it was delicious!
THANK YOU!!!
This is the only gooey butter cake I’ve ever tried and it’s delicious. I don’t think it’s overly sweet at all. http://www.bakeyourday.net/biscoff-gooey-butter-cake/