This easy ooey gooey butter cake recipe is one of my very favorite vanilla cakes!
Made from scratch with a buttery vanilla base layer covered with sweet cream cheese that melds together into ooey gooey butter cake bliss, this rich and indulgent cake is the BEST with a strong cup of coffee. Nothing better!
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Why You’ll Love Gooey Butter Cake
- Ingredients
- How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
- Tips for Success
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Sheet Cake Recipes
The Story Behind the Recipe
Here in the Pacific Northwest, late August brings a hint of fall chill into the air. I’m equal parts excited and resentful. Yes, I absolutely adore fall, but I also can’t help clinging onto our gorgeous (and fleeting) PNW summers.
These past couple of weeks, the weather has been especially fall-like. One particularly cold and gray day, I flipped on the furnace and threw on a pair of fuzzy socks. And then, all of the sudden, I got really, really excited for fall. Pumpkin spice latte excited (yes, PSL is already out!) Curl up with a book and a cozy blanket excited. Roaring fire excited. And, of course, baking excited!
I’ll give you one guess as to what I baked first. Hint: It’s the theme of this post. That’s right – I made a Gooey Butter Cake!
It’s the perfect segue into fall baking. We enjoyed ours plain, but the last of summer’s berries would have been perfect scattered along the top. Equally perfect would have been a pumpkin gooey butter cake recipe, which is on my list to create. For now, we have the classic.
Why You’ll Love Gooey Butter Cake
There are a few versions of Gooey Butter Cake out there, but biased as I am, I think this one is the best!
Many of them use yellow cake mix, which definitely makes it super easy. Others are the reportedly more authentic St. Louis gooey butter cake, which looks amazing, but requires yeast in the base, and I like something a bit faster and easier.
This from-scratch Gooey Butter Cake recipe is the perfect compromise. I love the thick, almost cookie-like from-scratch base layer (it probably resembles a blondie most closely) and the equally thick, buttery cream cheese layer that combines with the base for the gooiest butter cake around!
This cake is so good!
Ingredients
- Sugar – You’ll need granulated (plain white) sugar for the bottom layer, and powdered sugar for both sweetening the top layer, and dusting over the top of your Gooey Butter Cake.
- Butter – Just your standard sticks of butter, though I like going with unsalted to better control the salt level in my baked goods. This Gooey Butter Cake has two, yep two, sticks of butter. It lives up to its name!
- Eggs – You’ll want three eggs and one additional yolk. I just save the white from the yolk for the following morning’s scrambled eggs.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract – I really like the hint of flavor a smidge of almond extract adds, but you can leave it out if you don’t have it or don’t love it.
- Flour – Straight up all-purpose flour.
- Baking powder
- Salt – I like a fine-grain salt for baked goods.
- Cream cheese – I’ve only made this with full fat, dairy cream cheese, but I think that both lite and vegan would work. (I need to test this recipe both ways and will report back!)
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
Making Gooey Butter Cake is a bit different than your standard cake recipe, because it’s made in two separate layers.
The first layer is like a combination between a chewy bar cookie and a blondie. You can mix these ingredients by hand, combining the melted butter and the sugar first, then stir in the egg yolk, egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. From there, sift in your flour, baking powder, and salt, then stir until combined.
The batter will be very stiff. Pour it into your baking pan (line it with parchment for easy clean-up, if you like), and press it with your fingers or a measuring cup so that it’s in an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
Now, it’s time for the topping! Grab your hand mixer to make this part easier.
Whip the cream cheese until super creamy, then add the eggs and vanilla and combine well. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time.
Then, pour the cream cheese topping over the cookie/cake layer.
And spread it until even.
Now, it’s time to bake! You’ll want to bake ooey gooey butter cake until the edges have lifted away slightly from the pan and the whole thing is lightly golden.
If it still wobbles a little in the middle, that’s okay!
Once the cake has cooled, it’s time to cut it into squares.
Dust with powdered sugar, and dig in!
Tips for Success
- Make sure your cream cheese isn’t super cold. 30-60 minutes at room temperature before you begin is fine.
- Line your pan with parchment paper. It’s not a must, but it helps make it super easy to lift your cake out of the pan.
- Eat it COMPLETELY COLD. Cool the cake in the pan, then refrigerate it until it’s cold. In my opinion, it tastes the best when it’s chilled.
- To get clean slices, run your knife under hot water, dry it, and then slice the cake. You’ll want to do this after every cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when Gooey Butter Cake is done? Should it be jiggly in the middle?
The cake will be lightly golden, and slightly darker around the edges. The edges will have lifted away from the side of the pan a bit, and the center will jiggle a tiny bit when shaken
Do I eat Gooey Butter Cake warm or cold?
You can eat it either way, but I recommend enjoying it cold, straight out of the fridge. It just tastes better!
How do I store Gooey Butter Cake?
Extra cake should be stored in an airtight container and placed in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What can I serve with butter cake?
If you like, you could top your Gooey Butter Cake with fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or raspberries. A berry puree or berry sauce (like this blueberry lemon sauce) is amazing with gooey butter cake, too. Honestly, I like mine simple, with a dusting of powered sugar only. With the buttery vanilla flavor and the gooey texture, I find it plenty rich and satisfying plain with a cup of coffee.
More Sheet Cake Recipes
Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
For the cake base:
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted; one stick)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or table salt
For the cream cheese layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (plus more for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and melted butter. Next add the egg yolk, one egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and stir to combine.
- Set a sifter over the top and add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift it into the wet ingredients, then use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir just until combined. The dough will be thick, like the texture of cookie dough.
- Pour the dough into the prepared baking pan and press into the baking pan, creating an even layer, by flattening the dough with your hands or by using the bottom of a measuring cup to lightly press it in. Place the dough in the fridge to chill while you make the cream cheese layer.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese layer with a hand mixer until light and creamy.
- Add the remaining two eggs and the vanilla extract, mixing until well-combined.
- Add the powdered sugar in batches, mixing until combined.
- Spoon the filling onto the chilled dough and smooth it out with a butter knife or an offset spatula, making sure to get it into all the corners.
- Bake until the top is lightly golden, the edges have pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan, and the center is only slightly jiggly – 35 to 45 minutes.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Alternatively, you can chill it at this point so that it's completely cold when served (my favorite way to serve it!)
- Cut the cake into equal-sized squares and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
