Gooey Butter Cake

Sometimes all you need is a no-fuss, no-frills treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. For some, that could be a batch of brownies or a generously sized chocolate chip cookie. But if you hail from St. Louis, your go-to treat may be the city’s signature gooey butter cake.

This cake isn’t quite a cake. As former St. Louis resident and Taste of Home Product Testing Manager Annamarie Higley describes it, an ooey gooey butter cake recipe has “the texture of a lemon bar meets the texture of a blondie.” While a frosting-less cake might seem as if it’d be calling out for some extra pizazz, Annamarie assures us that this bake is more dessert bar than traditional cake and that “a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar and a serious love of butter are all you need” to enjoy this treat.

This Missouri classic is a favorite not only for its flavor but for how simple it is to pull together. With pantry staples, some cream cheese and butter, you can have this cake made and on the table in about 90 minutes—including baking and cooling time. Here’s how to make gooey butter cake at home.

Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour builds a tender shortbread crust. We don’t recommend swapping in any other type of flour.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the crust. Feel free to use brown sugar here for a hint of caramel and molasses flavor.
• Baking powder: A bit of baking powder fluffs up the shortbread crust.
• Butter: Since butter is the star of the show, you may want to opt for a really delicious butter like Amish butter, European butter or Kerrygold Irish butter.
• Eggs: You’ll need three eggs—all at room temperature—for this gooey butter cake recipe. One is for the shortbread crust and two are for the gooey topping.
• Vanilla: When a recipe is as simple and minimal as an ooey gooey butter cake, use high-quality ingredients. You’ll really taste the difference if you splurge on something, such as the best vanilla extract.
• Cream cheese: Soften the cream cheese by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting this recipe. It seems like a minor step, but it’s an important one: Room-temperature cream cheese whips up easily so there are no unsightly lumps in the topping.
• Confectioners’ sugar: This is our sweetener for the topping. Confectioners’ sugar has a powdery consistency that dissolves easily into whipped cream cheese. Be sure to have a little more than 2 cups confectioners’ sugar available—a true St. Louis gooey butter cake recipe is also dusted with confectioners’ sugar just before enjoying.

Directions

Step 1: Make the base of the butter cake

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Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

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In another bowl, stir together the melted butter, egg and vanilla.

Editor’s Tip: You want your butter melted but not hot. Hot butter will cook your egg. Instead, melt the butter and let it cool a bit before starting this cake.

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Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t overwork this dough or it’ll lose its tender quality.

Step 2: Press the crust into the pan

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Next, transfer your butter cake mixture to a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Press the mix into the bottom of the pan so it forms a type of crust—as you would do when making lemon bars.

Editor’s Tip: To get a really even base, use a flat-bottomed cup, rather than your hands, to press down the dough.

Step 3: Mix the cream cheese topping

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With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and eggs until smooth.

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Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix to combine.

Editor’s Tip: For a super-smooth batter, sift the confectioners’ sugar before adding it.

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Pour the filling over the base. Use a spatula to spread it evenly across the crust.

Step 4: Bake the cake

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Bake the gooey butter cake until the center is almost set and the edges start to brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake at room temperature for one hour on a wire rack.

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Dust with additional confectioners’ sugar if desired, and dig in.

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Recipe Variations

• Add texture to the crust: If you’d like a little more texture in your gooey butter cake recipe, mix sweetened shredded coconut or toasted pecans into the shortbread crust.
• Brighten with citrus: A super quick and simple way to elevate an ooey gooey butter cake is by adding lemon or orange zest to the crust or the topping. The simple addition brightens the cake with a refreshing, summery sweetness. Make sure you zest the lemon or orange properly so you don’t get the bitter white pith in the cake.

How to Store Gooey Butter Cake

Because of the gooey nature of this St. Louis classic, it’s best to eat the cake the day it’s made—even better if you eat it as soon as it’s cooled. This will give you the best version of the cake’s namesake texture.

That being said, you can absolutely enjoy ooey gooey butter cake the next day (and for a few days after). It’ll keep for up to four days. Just cover your pan with some storage wrap or store slices in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can you freeze gooey butter cake?

Yes, you can freeze gooey butter cake. Once it’s baked, allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Then tightly cover the cake in its pan with a layer of storage wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze the cake for up to two months and thaw it overnight in the fridge.

Gooey Butter Cake Tips

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How should I serve ooey gooey butter cake?

Gooey butter cake is typically finished off with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. A dusting just seems to make all desserts look a bit sweeter! You could also top the cake with sweetened whipped cream and berries or a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream from the store.

How do I know when the gooey butter cake recipe is done baking?

The secret to getting that perfectly ooey gooey butter cake is to bake it until the edges begin to brown and the filling is nearly set, much the way you’d bake up fudgy brownies or a cheesecake.

Can I bake St. Louis gooey butter cake in a different-sized pan?

Yes, you can bake gooey butter cake in a different-sized pan. Instead of a 13×9-inch baking pan, try a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or two 9-inch round cake pans.