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Gooey Butter Cake from Scratch

posted by Liz Berg on May 2, 2023

My family adores Gooey Butter Cake AKA Gooey Butter Bars. This from-scratch recipe is even better than the cake mix version that’s been around for decades!

The original recipe was developed in St. Louis nearly a hundred years ago. It’s a safe bet there were no boxed mixes involved!

Overhead view of gooey butter cake slices on a white plate with raspberries.

Table of Contents hide

6 Frequently Asked Questions

7 You May Also Like:

8 Gooey Butter Cake from Scratch

Why You Must Make

I was baking a version of Paula Deen’s Gooey Butter Cake long before she was on TV. In fact, one of the nurses I worked with shared the recipe before I was married. Way back when. We were creating an array of holiday treats for the staff on our oncology unit. Both of us dug through the recipe cards copied from our mothers for some old favorites. This was one of Anne’s. She called them Gooey Butter Bars and my family shortened this favorite dessert to “gooey bars.”

The cake mix version results in a cloying dessert with an artificial taste. We still ate every crumb!
This ooey gooey butter cake recipe from scratch is SO much better!
My family has loved this St Louis Gooey Butter Cake for decades! You must see if yours will, too.

The whole family loved this version of gooey butter bars. I’m certain I’ll still make the cake mix version on occasion when time is tight! But this is my favorite recipe. And for a portable version, try these tasty Gooey Butter Cookies!!

Gooey Bars ingredients with labels on a sheet pan.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Salt, Milk
Cake Flour – Swans Down and King Arthur brands are readily available or see the frequently asked questions for how to make a homemade version.
Baking Powder – Unlike baking soda, baking powder will often expire while it’s in your pantry. Check the date on the can or you can test its potency by putting a spoonful into a cup of very hot water. If it’s still active it will bubble vigorously.
Eggs – Have them at room temperature for easier incorporation.
Vanilla Extract – Always make sure you buy real vanilla extract not artificially flavored.
Cream Cheese – Have at room temperature for easy and smooth incorporation.
Butter – Melted. Salted is fine.
Powdered Sugar – A 16-ounce box.

Reader Endorsement

From Terry: Ok, I am a little upset that I tried this recipe, because this cake is DANGEROUS!! O. M. G. I’ve made it several times with the cake mix for crust and always loved it but wished the crust was thinner. This recipe is PERFECTION and I will sing its praises!!

How to Make

Process shots 1, 2 for gooey butter bars.

Line your baking pan, make the crust mixture.
Pat onto the bottom of the pan.

Process shots 3, 4 for gooey butter bars.

With a mixer, beat together the topping.
Smooth over the crust with an offset spatula.

Bake as directed, then sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled to room temperature.
Slice and serve.

Two gooey butter bars on a round white plate with fresh raspberries and mint.

Expert Tips

Prep your baking pan by lining it with non-stick foil. This helps prevent the bars from sticking to the pan and also creates a sling to remove the cooled bars to a cutting board to slice.
Sift the powdered sugar to make a smooth batter.
PRO-Tip: Have the cream cheese and eggs at room temperature for easier incorporation. Place cream cheese in its wrapper and/or eggs in a bowl of very warm water to hurry the process along if you didn’t pull them out of the refrigerator early enough.
If you want your crust nice and even, use the palm of your hand over a butter wrapper (buttery side down) to pat and smooth the surface.
Use an offset spatula to smooth the top of the filling before baking.
When cooled, you may want to remove the bars from the pan to slice, and dust with powdered sugar for a nice presentation.
If you want to cut nice squares, it’s best to chill the bars well so they firm up a bit. But let come to room temperature to serve so you get the full “gooey” experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What If I Don’t Have Cake Flour?

PRO-Tip: You can easily make your own version of cake flour with corn starch and all-purpose flour. Measure out 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch. Whisk together and use in this recipe. Cake flour has less gluten and the addition helps make more tender baked goods. The cornstarch dilutes the flour, therefore reducing the amount of gluten in the final recipe.

Why Does My Cream Cheese Need To Be at Room Temperature?

After years of making cheesecakes, I’ve learned to set my cream cheese on the counter about 2 hours before I plan to start mixing. If I don’t, there will be little bits of cream cheese that don’t blend smoothly into the batter. Although it won’t ruin your dessert, this extra step makes a more homogeneous-looking batter. If you forget, take the cream cheese out of the box, but still in its foil wrapper, place it in a bowl of hot tap water, and let it warm up for about 15 minutes.

How Do You Store Gooey Butter Cake?

Keep these bars covered at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. They do not need to be refrigerated. For longer storage, they can be refrigerated up to a week and frozen for up to 3 months.

If desired, cut into bars, spread them out on a baking sheet, and freeze until firm. Then they can be placed in a freezer-grade Ziploc bag and stored in the freezer. One or two can be pulled out and defrosted as needed.

Where Did Gooey Butter Cake Originate?

Years after making these bars for the first time, I found out that these dessert bars were a St. Louis, Missouri phenomenon known as gooey butter cake. Supposedly they were an accidental invention in the 1930s.

The story goes that a baker was making a coffee cake and messed up the proportions. Instead of the typical texture, the resulting dish was gooey with a pudding-like center.
No matter the name, this St. Louis Butter Cake is an uber-sweet layered dessert with a dense cake-like base and a luscious, sugar-laden cream cheese topping that forms a paper-thin crackled layer when baked. A sprinkle of powdered sugar is all that’s needed to finish off these gems.