Gooey Butter Cake

Who doesn’t love a good cake? This Gooey Butter Cake is so good and so easy! Simple ingredients and a fabulous flavor make this cake a standout and one that my family always requests!

Closeup of Gooey butter cake, sliced into squares

This Gooey Butter Cake recipe is a personal favorite of mine, and I’ve been making it for this way for years and years. I really can’t get enough of it, and my kids have even requested this cake as their birthday cake – it’s just that good!

Everyone loves this cake, and if you want instant fame, take it to your next office meeting, potluck, or family party. Or just make it and share it at home with your family. It’s super easy to make, and this no-fuss cake is always a hit.

What Is Gooey Butter Cake?

The story is that in the 1930s, a German baker in St. Louis added the wrong proportions of ingredients to a cake, and the result was a cake with a gooey center. Well, happy mistake for all of us, because this cake is fabulous! I make it with a bit of a shortcut, using a boxed cake mix to do all the heavy work. 

Also called the St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake and sometimes the Paula Deen Ooey Gooey Butter Cake (she revived this traditional recipe and made it popular once again), this cake is buttery, chewy, smooth, and fabulous from the first bite to the last.

There are two parts to this cake: the crust and the gooey topping. But with just a handful of ingredients, anyone can make this cake – you don’t have to be a German baker!

Closeup of Gooey butter cake, sliced into squares On a white plate

Ingredients

  • Yellow cake mix box – Just 1 box, any brand.
  • Butter – Melted.
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial vanilla extract is fine.
  • Cream cheese – Softened.

How To Make This Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

  1. Mix the yellow cake mix, melted butter, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract together in a bowl.
  2. Spread the cake filling into the bottom of a greased baking pan.
  3. Mix the softened cream cheese, remaining eggs, and the last of the vanilla together in a bowl. 
  4. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake batter. An offset spatula can make this easy.
  5. Bake the cake in a preheated 350-F oven for 40 minutes.
  6. Let the cake cool, then dust it with powdered sugar. Cut and serve!

How To Tell When Gooey Butter Cake Is Done

Cook the cake at the recommended temperature and time, then check the cake by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean or just has a few crumbs clinging to it, then it is done. If the toothpick comes out gooey, cook it for a few more minutes, then check it again.

Variations

You can use a chocolate cake mix – or another flavored cake mix – to make this cake. I prefer the yellow cake, but others are good, too.

Recipe Tips

  • The butter should be melted but not hot.
  • A hand mixer makes short work of this cake. It can handle both the bottom layer and the gooey topping ingredients.
  • This cake will sink as it cools – so don’t think you did something wrong! 
  • To dust the cake with powdered sugar, put the sugar into a fine sieve and shake it over the top of the cake.
  • Bake this cake in a cute baking dish then you can serve the cake right out of it.
Closeup of Gooey butter cake, sliced into squares

Serving Suggestions

I love this easy Gooey Butter Cake when it is still warm from the oven, but what cake doesn’t go better with a scoop of ice cream? Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to make this cake even more special.

Storage

Store any leftover ooey Gooey Butter Cake in an airtight container (or just cover the baking dish with plastic wrap) and pop it into the fridge. This cake is best fresh, but it’ll keep just fine in the fridge for a few days.

Serve your leftover cake at room temperature, or warm it for a few seconds in the microwave. For an extra special treat, put a dab of butter on the top of the warm cake and let it melt in.

Closeup of Gooey butter cake, sliced into squares On a white plate

Gooey Butter Cake

Author Mrs Happy Homemaker

Ingredients

  • For the crust:
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • For the gooey topping:
  • 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix cake mix, melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, & 2 eggs together. Pat into a greased 9×13 baker.
  • Beat cream cheese, 2 eggs, & 2 teaspoons vanilla extract together until smooth & creamy. Spread on top of cake batter crust.
  • Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cake will sink a little as it cools.

Other Delicious Cake Recipes

Love this cake? Also be sure to try: