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?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Definitely a great take on the classic St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. Turned out perfectly. The jiggle is everything! (FYI- It’s NOT Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, just Gooey Butter Cake – as a native 3rd generation St. Louisan, hearing that extra Ooey makes my ears FEEL ooey)
Delicious! We made the “magic” version with ingredients mixed together on medium (cake mix, eggs, vanilla, melted butter, and room temp cream cheese) and then incorporated the sugar slowly as described. Baked for 40ish mins and it’s a hit! Reminds me of my favorite bake sale bars in grade school 🙂
Not even close to being like the cakes sold in the old St Louis German bakeries. No respectable German baker would use a boxed cake mix and the original cake had a crumb topping.
I never said it was like a from-scratch St. Louis German Bakery cake. I am not German so I honestly have no idea what you are talking about.
Regarding the commenters disparaging the boxed cake mix… I had never heard of this cake until I went to college in Missouri, where this is a popular regional recipe. (In fact, it’s often called “St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake,” so I’m not sure why the one commenter thought it was supposed to be German.) Anyway, this was a cake that everyone’s mom made, and they all made it with yellow cake mix. I suppose you could make it from scratch, but it wouldn’t taste like the recipe everyone remembers from their childhood. Just like peanut butter blossoms require Hersheys kisses, some nostalgic recipes call for a specific packaged product.
So it wouldn’t be soooo sweet could you lower powdered sugar to 1/2. Just use 2 cups?
Thank you for the delicious cake recipe it’s fabulous I did 1 original and 1 strawberry and omg my body thanks you but the dietitian won’t lol again thank you
The flavor is amazing but used the 9×3 round pan and it overflowed EVERYWHERE and never truly baked was like soup in the middle. Would recommend doing the “mix it all in a bowl” tactic with a larger long rectangular pan.
The recipe sounds just like the St. Louis favorite I grew up with, but I must respectfully comment that the name of the St. Louis original recipe cake is not “ooey gooey butter cake.” The name is simply “gooey butter cake.” There is no “ooey.” Never was! Thanks for the opportunity to share a childhood favorite recipe of St. Louis bakers. After all, these cakes certainly don’t ship well, so it’s only right to share the recipe so others might enjoy it as we do.
I haven’t made yet and by no means am I a baker. But my lord the ingredients are basic and sound so heavenly un healthy 🤣I’m dying to try wish me luck and thank you for the recipe looks and sounds excellent……
I followed the recipe exactly. My cake is still basically soup in the middle, even after additional baking. I can’t bake it anymore without burning the sides. Still soupy in the middle.