Paula Deen Original Gooey Butter Cake

Paula Deen Original Gooey Butter Cake is a St. Louis classic made with yellow cake mix, cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. It takes under an hour and serves 10. This is the dessert that shows up at every church potluck and holiday table across the South, and it disappears first every time.

The filling has to stay underbaked. Pull it out when the center still jiggles, even if the edges look golden and set. Once it cools, that soft center firms into the dense, gooey layer that gives this cake its name. Overbake it by five minutes and you end up with a dry bar cookie nobody asked for.

Soften the cream cheese all the way before mixing or you get lumps that won't smooth out. The bottom layer is pressed in, not poured, so use damp fingers to keep it from sticking. Make it the night before and store it covered in the fridge.

Paula Deen Original Gooey Butter Cake

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

640

kcal

A rich, dense St. Louis butter cake with a pressed cake mix crust and a sweet cream cheese filling that bakes up golden on top and stays soft in the center.

Ingredients

• 1 (18 1/4 oz) package yellow cake mix
  

• 1 egg
  

• 16 tablespoons melted, divided Butter
  

• 1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
  

• 2 eggs
  

• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

• 1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar

Directions

• Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 °F.
• Make the crust: Combine the cake mix, egg and 8 tablespoons butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
• Make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and 8 tablespoons butter and beat together.
• Top and bake: Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Wilton 9-inch angled spatula, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can you use a different cake mix instead of yellow?

You can use white, French vanilla, or even chocolate cake mix as the base. Yellow gives you the most buttery flavor, which is why Paula uses it here. A flavored mix like lemon or spice will work but changes the taste more than you might expect.

How long does gooey butter cake last?

Cover it and keep it at room temperature for up to two days. After that, move it to the fridge where it stays good for about five days. The texture gets denser when cold, so let it sit out for 20 minutes before serving if you refrigerate it.

Can you make gooey butter cake the day before?

It is even better the next day. The filling sets up more overnight, which makes it easier to slice. Just cover it with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature or in the fridge.

How do you know when gooey butter cake is done?

The top should be golden brown and slightly cracked, but the center will still jiggle when you shake the pan. It firms up as it cools, so pulling it out while the middle looks underdone is the right move.

Why use a cake mix for the crust instead of making it from scratch?

The cake mix gives you a consistent, tender base that does not compete with the filling. Paula keeps the bottom layer simple so the cream cheese topping stays the star. A from-scratch shortbread crust works but takes longer and can turn out too crisp.