Description
Midwestern gooey butter cake delights with its rich, creamy texture and irresistible sweetness. St. Louis bakers have perfected this classic dessert that melts in your mouth and brings pure comfort to the table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (226 grams / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 package (8 oz / 226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups (907 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preparation: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line with parchment paper for effortless cake extraction.
- Crust Formation: Merge cake mix, melted butter, and egg in a bowl, kneading into a dense dough. Press mixture evenly across the pan’s bottom, creating a uniform foundation.
- Cream Cheese Layer: Whip cream cheese until silky, integrating eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Fold in powdered sugar, mixing until achieving a velvety, homogeneous texture.
- Assembly: Gently spread cream cheese mixture across the prepared crust, ensuring complete and equal coverage.
- Baking Process: Place in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C). Bake for 40-45 minutes until edges turn golden-brown and center sets with a subtle jiggle, indicating the quintessential gooey butter cake consistency.
- Finishing: Allow cake to cool completely within the pan for proper setting. Slice into generous squares and optionally dust with powdered sugar for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- Prevent Crust Sticking: Use parchment paper with slight overhang for effortless removal and clean cake extraction without breaking.
- Achieve Perfect Texture: Avoid overmixing the cream cheese filling to maintain a light, smooth consistency and prevent dense, heavy results.
- Temperature Control: Let ingredients like cream cheese and eggs reach room temperature before mixing to ensure smoother blending and consistent texture.
- Customize Flavor Variations: Experiment with different cake mix flavors or add extracts like almond or lemon to create unique taste profiles while maintaining the classic gooey butter cake structure.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 331
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 79 mg