Gooey Butter Cake from Scratch
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!
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.
- This ooey gooey butter cake recipe 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!!
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!!
History of Gooey Butter Cake
Years after making these bars for the first time, I found out that these dessert bars were a St. Louis, Missouri phenomena 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.
How to Make
- 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 dry ingredients for the bottom layer, add the liquids, mix, and pat evenly in the pan.
- For the next layer beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the other ingredients as listed, ending with the powdered sugar.
- Pour over the crust, smooth, and bake.
- When cooled, remove from pan to slice, and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 helps make more tender baked goods. The cornstarch dilutes the flour, therefore reducing the amount of gluten in the final recipe.
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.
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.
You May Also Like:
Bar cookies are a go-to dessert at our house. Instead of rolling or scooping out individual dough balls for cookies, bar cookies are just baked up in a pan and cut into squares! Easy, peasy! Here are some family favorites:
- Lemon Bar Cookie Cups from Barbara Bakes
- Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars
- Dark Chocolate Mousse Bars
- Peanut Butter Tagalong Cookie Bars
- The Best Lemon Bars
- M&M Blondies
- Coconut Apricot Bars
- Plus you might like my tutorial on How to Cut the Perfect Bar Cookies
- More Easy Bar Cookie Recipes
The birthday girl who requested these bars instead of cake!
Gooey Butter Cake from Scratch
Gooey Bars, a classic St. Louis treat.
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Top Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 16 ounce box of powdered sugar, sifted, reserve a few tablespoons for sprinkling over top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line 9 x 13-inch pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt into a large mixing bowl. Mix till blended. Add the egg, melted butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix to combine completely.
- Press the dough evenly in the bottom of prepared pan
- To prepare the top layer, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Mix until combined. Mix in powdered sugar and mix until smooth....you may have a few small lumps.
- Pour the batter on top of the bottom layer. Spread it out evenly.
- Bake 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved powdered sugar when cool.
Notes
*Make sure to check the date on your baking powder as it often expires sitting in your pantry. If in doubt, buy a new can.
Adapted from Gingerbread Bagels
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 274Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 185mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 0gSugar: 31gProtein: 2g
16 Comments on “Gooey Butter Cake from Scratch”
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 it’s praises!!
Ha, ha! I was worried after reading the first sentence of your comment. So glad you enjoyed it!!!
I have made both from scratch and using box cake mix and the scratch recipe is by far my favorite. My granddaughters think so too. They like it with pineapple and coconut added.
Hi, Carol, I agree!! I love the idea of adding pineapple and coconut. YUM!!
Hi Liz,
Just found your site again a few days ago on a Utah Gardners site, you get around! This looks like the gooey butter cake I grew up with in Springfield, Illinois and will make it this week. The cake mix ones are NOT like the original.
Nice to see a picture of Katie, its been a long time
SO nice to hear from you, Elaine! Laughing at the connection—who knew!! I’ll tell Katie you said hello 🙂
I can barely get through the recipe…there are SO MANY ADS and it’s so distracting and quite frankly a turn off! Going back to food network. Atleast on their site you don’t have a bunch of videos and ads popping up all over the place! ????????????♀️
There is a jump to recipe link at the top of the post that brings you right to the recipe. That helps you bypass all the ads. Have a nice week!
I have never heard of gooey butter cake, but then again, my Mom never used cake mixes so even if she had seen the recipe, she would have passed over it. I love that you made it all from scratch; definitely looks like a winner! Happy Birthday from Canada!
I find myself rationing my eggs but I will save this for later. That’s a lot of powdered sugar. These do sound delicious, Liz, and bet wishes to the birthday girl!
Dear Liz, I love the story behind these bars and your recipe – these look very decadent and utterly delicious. I also love the different textures of these treats. Looking at how your pictures – what’s not to love?!
When strawberry/raspberry season finally arrives, I can imagine they would be also nice with some lovely fresh berries…
Sending all of you a big fat hug from afar – stay safe and healthy!
Andrea xo
Looks wonderful, Liz, and not difficult to make. I’ve not been inspired to bake since this whole business started, you are tempting me back into the kitchen. Keep well and safe!
Amalia
xo
Oh my, that looks so gooey yummy!! And a beautiful birthday girl right there.
Ooey, gooey comfort food at it’s best! Sounds like a nice treat ~if~ we ever start having family Sunday dinners again… ugh. Take care and enjoy:@)
These butter cake bars look amazing with cream cheese layer! Happy Birthday Katie!
These bars are SO much better made from scratch! I love the taste and texture. They are always the first thing to go when I bring them to parties!