Gooey Butter Cake

Name: Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 yellow butter cake mix or yellow cake mix (just the cake mix); 1/2 cup butter melted; 3 large eggs; 8 ounces cream cheese softened; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar plus more for dusting if desired

July 18, 2023 by Beth Pierce 137 Comments

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR DETAILS. AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This delectable Gooey Butter Cake has a rich buttery soft cake crust and with a gooey cream cheese top. It is made with seven easy ingredients in two easy steps. It is so darn easy that you can have this cake prepped and in the oven in less than ten minutes. It is perfect for potlucks, family reunions, neighborhood shindigs, and bridal and baby showers.

If you have never tried a Gooey Butter Cake, you must really treat yourself!! This is one of those regional recipes. It is a St. Louis original recipe, or at least that is what I have always been told, and I believe it to be true. You will be so pleased with the results. You will fall madly in love with this family-friendly, easy dessert recipe.

How do you make Gooey Butter Cake?

Start by buttering a 9×13-inch baking dish. Then in a large bowl, mix together a yellow butter cake mix, a stick of melted butter, and an egg. Once mixed, pat the dough into the prepared baking dish. Now in another large bowl, using a stand or hand electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and lump free. Then turn the mixer to low and the eggs one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Next, add the vanilla and powdered sugar in several increments blending just until incorporated.

Pour that layer on top of the cake batter already in the baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Cool before slicing, and if desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Gooey Butter Cake is made with seven easy ingredients in two easy steps.

Flavor variations

German Chocolate – substitute a German chocolate cake mix for the butter cake mix on the bottom. Fold 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans and 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes into the top layer.
Strawberry – fold two cups of chopped fresh strawberries into the top layer.
Pumpkin – increase eggs to three for the top layer; after adding eggs and vanilla on low, add 15 ounces of pumpkin puree, 1 stick of melted butter cooled slightly (1/2 cup), and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Then proceed with adding the powdered sugar.
Lemon – substitute a lemon cake mix for the butter cake mix on the bottom. In the top layer, omit vanilla extract but add three tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Gooey Butter Cake is so darn easy that you can have this cake prepped and in the oven in less than ten minutes. It is perfect for potlucks, family reunions, neighborhood shindigs, bridal and baby showers.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

Grease the baking dish with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the crust from sticking and to make it easier to remove this soft gooey cake from the pan.
Soften the cream cheese and bring the eggs to room temperature.
Any yellow butter cake mix will do. It to does not have to be a specific one. My mother always swore by Betty Crocker, but I prefer Duncan Hines
Load the cake on the middle rack in the center of the oven
You can not use the toothpick method to test for doneness on this cake since it is a gooey cake. 40-45 minutes does the trick with a nice golden brown crust and a light golden brown color for the center.
For best results on the top layer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth and lump free. Then turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Keeping the mixer on low, add the vanilla and powdered sugar (in intervals), mixing just until incorporated.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, cover with a couple of layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. If they are individual slices, place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer zipper bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

This family friendly Gooey Butter Cake has seven ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to get in the oven. It is so popular at potlucks and family reunions that is usually the first dessert gone. Bake one up for your family today and let them be the judge.

More delicious desserts to try!