Paula Deen Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake is a fudgy, two-layer bar dessert made with chocolate cake mix, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cocoa. It takes about 75 minutes from start to finish and serves 8. This is the kind of thing that shows up at every church supper and potluck in the South, and it never comes home with leftovers.
The whole point of this cake is the gooey center, and the only way to ruin it is to leave it in the oven too long. Pull it between 40 and 50 minutes, when the edges are set but the middle still jiggles. It firms up as it cools. If you wait for a clean toothpick, you have already gone too far.
Soften the cream cheese all the way before mixing, or you will get lumps in the filling. You can make this a day ahead and store it covered at room temperature. Dust the top with extra powdered sugar right before serving for a clean look.
Paula Deen Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy8
servings25
minutes50
minutes840
kcalA chocolate cake mix base pressed into the pan, topped with a cocoa and cream cheese filling loaded with powdered sugar and chopped nuts. Bakes up with a crisp edge and a soft, gooey middle.
Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 eggs, divided
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (18.25 oz) package chocolate cake mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
Directions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the layers: Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.
- Bake: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.
FAQs
Can I use a different type of nut or leave the nuts out entirely?
Pecans and walnuts both work well here. You can also skip the nuts and the cake will still hold together fine. The filling is rich enough on its own. Nuts just add crunch to break up the texture.
How long does this cake keep at room temperature?
It stays good covered at room temperature for about 3 days. After that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days. The texture changes a little when cold, so let it sit out for 20 minutes before serving from the fridge.
Can I make this the night before?
Yes, and it actually tastes better the next day. The filling sets up more overnight, making it easier to slice clean pieces. Keep it covered with plastic wrap at room temperature.
What if the center still looks too wet after 50 minutes?
Give it 5 more minutes, but not much beyond that. The center will look underdone in the pan, but it sets as it cools to room temperature. Overbaking dries out the filling and you lose the gooey texture that makes this cake what it is.
Why does the recipe use a whole box of powdered sugar?
The powdered sugar gives the filling that dense, fudgy texture instead of a fluffy cake texture. It also dissolves into the cream cheese and butter more smoothly than granulated sugar would. Cutting it back changes the consistency of the whole filling layer.
