Gooey Butter Cake is an easy make-ahead breakfast Danish or dessert recipe with decadent, luxurious texture. This St. Louis classic is made in minutes with a cake mix to provide a foundation for an amazing gooey filling you’ll crave again and again!
This is one of the best cakes I have ever made! My family loved it. Will definitely try the brown butter version next time for variety.
★★★★★
– christine –
St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake has been served for years both as a breakfast danish and as dessert. Sweet, rich and oh so good! It can be made from scratch or with a box of yellow cake mix as we’re doing today.
The best way to describe Gooey Butter Cake is to think of three amazing layers – a thick bottom layer made from cake batter. Next is a delightfully light cream cheese and sugar layer and a then a thin, flaky crunchy layer that forms on top when it’s baked. It’s heavenly!
If you like this Gooey Butter Cake recipe, try some of my other delicious cake creations like my peanut butter cake, orange pound cake, or Biscoff cake.
Why You’ll Love It
Shortcut Recipe – Made with cake mix and pantry ingredients.
Make Ahead – It’s even better the second day!
Decadent – Rich and flavorful, for breakfast, brunch and dessert!
Gooey Butter Cake
Gooey Butter Cake may have been made famous by Paula Dean, but it originated in St. Louis. It was first made in the 1930’s in error by a baker who reversed the proportions of butter and flour.
Gooey butter, intended for danishes and stollens was smeared on top. It instantly became a hit!
You can find it at just about every bakery in St. Louis including Park Avenue Coffee (73 flavors), Russell’s, McArthur’s, Missouri Baking Company, Hartford Coffee Company, The Mudhouse, Yolklore, Boundary, and at all the grocery stores.
You’ll also find it on a lot of restaurant menus served warm for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen custard. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Yellow Cake Mix – Golden recipe yellow cake mix is the best for this recipe.
- Butter – Salted butter is my preference to balance out the sweetness of this cake.
- Eggs – Size large.
- Cream Cheese – I use full fat, but you can use reduced if you’d prefer.
- Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar, this gives the cake its amazing consistency and is perfect for sprinkling on top! You can make powdered sugar if you don’t have any on hand!
Variations
- chocolate chips
- blueberries
- blackberry
- lemon juice and or lemon zest
- espresso powder
- toasted coconut
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Specifically, it’s a St. Louis thing! All cakes are sweet, and most are decadently moist, but this one takes it to a whole new level.
In a Philadelphia butter cake, there is no cream cheese. Furthermore, the base of the Philly butter cake uses yeast, unlike the St. Louis version!
More Ooey Gooey Recipes
Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
Layer 2
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar (1 pound bag)
- 1 egg size large
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325℉ and grease a 9×13" pan.
- Mix cake mix, butter and eggs until thick and smooth.
- Spread and press mixture in pan (with the back of a spatula or your hands).
- Mix the remaining ingredients on low until smooth. Pour over cake mixture. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top to garnish.
- Bake 45 minutes, leaving it slightly gooey. You'll notice a slight crust on top rather than a jelly texture.
- Garnish with sprinkles of powdered sugar, cool and serve.
Julie’s Tips
- Grease your pan so that the cake doesn’t stick. This is the best baking spray.
- Bake in whatever dish you have on hand – 9×11, 9×13, 9×9 etc. Adjust bake time as needed.
- It’s done when a crust has formed on the top, yet the cake is slightly gooey and jiggles a bit when you shake the dish.
- Make it ahead or bake and enjoy warm.
Variations
Add any of the following to customize your gooey butter cake.- chocolate chips
- blueberries
- blackberry
- lemon juice and or lemon zest
- espresso powder
- toasted coconut
Storage Notes
- Room Temperature – Store gooey butter cake covered in an air tight container for up to two days at room temp.
- Refrigerate – The cake will last up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze – You can also freeze the cake for up to a month by wrapping it in plastic wrap or in a large freezer bag.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
I’ve only ever had store bought butter cake. Saw your recipe and decided to give it a try. OMG absolutely delicious! My husband loves nuts, so I put both chopped pecans and chopped macadamia nuts on the top. I will NEVER buy another store bought butter cake again. Such and easy recipe!!
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for the 5 stars!
Has anyone had the issue where the top does not come out shiny and flaky?
I’ve tried many times and 50% of the time, this happens. I cannot figure out what is causing this. The flavor is different as well.
When it comes out right, it is beautiful and delicious!
Please help? It is a lot of work and ingredients to come out wrong so many times.
Hi Connie,
It could be a couple different things.
First, Ingredient Temperatures: The temperature of your ingredients can impact how the cake bakes. Make sure all ingredients, particularly butter and cream cheese, are at room temperature to ensure they blend smoothly and evenly.
Mixing Technique: Over-mixing the batter can incorporate too much air, affecting the texture and the surface of the cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined and no longer.
I hope this helps! Thanks so much for reaching out- have a wonderful week,
Julie
Thank you Julie. I will use your suggestions the next time I make this cake.
It is a wonderful recipe and I make dozens around the holiday! Everyone loves this one!
Would this bake ok if I doubled the recipe & baked in a 9×13 pan. I want a substantial size serving for a funeral dinner. Or does it bake fairly high in a 9 x 13?
Absolutely, you’ll just need to adjust bake time.