Gooey Cake (Gooey Ooey Butter Cake)
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My easy recipe for Gooey Butter Cake starts with a simple cake mix shortcut and bakes up with the soft, gooey cream cheese center everyone loves. I’ve made a few changes to the classic St. Louis version that help get the texture just right, never runny and never dried out. I’ve tried other variations over the years, but this is the one people always ask for.
Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
I love recipes that start with a good shortcut, and this Gooey Ooey Butter Cake is one of my favorites. It starts with a simple cake mix for the base, then gets topped with a sweet cream cheese mixture that puts the gooey in the cake’s name.
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The texture is exactly what you want, with a soft, gooey center, lightly golden edges, and a top that sets just enough to slice. The best part is how easy it is. A few pantry ingredients, one bowl for the crust, one bowl for the filling, and the oven does the rest. It turns out with that perfect gooey goodness every single time.
Why My Gooey Cake Recipe Is the Best
- Tested and perfected gooeyness – There’s a difference between gooey and runny. My recipe ensures the center is gooey but not too loose.
- Tender cake layer – Some versions pack the cake‑mix crust too tightly or use too much butter, which makes it heavy. My recipe keeps the bottom layer tender and easy to slice.
- Balanced sweet and tangy flavors – I made a slight adjustment with the sugar and cream cheese ratios that keep it sweet but also allows a subtle tanginess to come through.
Ingredients Needed for Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- Butter – Adds richness and helps form the base layer.
- Eggs – Provide structure and help it set properly.
- Yellow cake mix – Creates a sweet buttery base for the filling.
- Confectioners sugar – Sweetens the cream cheese layer while keeping it smooth.
- Cream cheese – Gives the topping its signature creamy texture.
- Vanilla extract – Enhances the overall flavor.
Substitutions or Variations
- Craving a little crunch? Scatter chopped pecans or toasted walnuts over the cream cheese layer before baking for a little nutty crunch.
- Want a bakery‑style twist? Swirl a few spoonfuls of raspberry jam or strawberry preserves into the top layer.
- Need a birthday cake version? Fold a handful of rainbow sprinkles into the cream cheese layer for a festive gooey cake.
- Love chocolate? Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the filling before baking.
How to Make This Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Here are my step-by-step instructions so you can make this recipe with ease. For the full, printable recipe with amounts and temperatures, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Mix melted butter, 1 egg, and cake mix until a soft dough forms. Press into the baking dish.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar, remaining eggs, and vanilla. Beat until creamy.
- Pour filling over the base.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes until edges are lightly golden and center jiggles slightly.
- Cool completely before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Soften the cream cheese – Room temperature cream cheese prevents lumps.
- Avoid overmixing – Overbeating the filling will cause it to puff up and crack.
- Resist overbaking – The center should jiggle slightly when removed from the oven.
- Cool completely – Allowing it to cool and set up before slicing gives you clean edges.
- Wait to dust with confectioner’s sugar – Sprinkle it on only after cooling to prevent it from dissolving into the topping.
FAQs
Because the center is made with cream cheese, you’ll need to store it in the refrigerator.
It’s inspired by the classic, but this version has a few tweaks that fix the usual texture issues and make it more reliable for home bakers.
A 9 x 13 gives you the right thickness for both layers. Smaller pans make the filling too deep and the center won’t set the same way.
You can make it ahead of time because this cake actually settles in nicely as it cools, and the texture gets even better after it rests.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate – Store covered for up to five days.
- Freeze – Freeze tightly wrapped slices for up to two months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More Easy Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Depression Cake
- White Texas Sheet Cake
- Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
- 7Up Cake
- Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
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Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, melted
- 3 eggs divided
- 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix 1 box
- 3½ cups confectioners sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened, 1 block
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
- In mixing bowl, mix the melted butter, 1 egg, and the cake mix together until a soft dough forms. Press into the bottom of the pan.½ cup butter, 1 eggs, 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioners sugar, the remaining 2 eggs, and the vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.2 eggs, 3½ cups confectioners sugar, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the mixture over the crust.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center still jiggles slightly. The center should not be fully set.
- Cool before cutting into squares. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar before serving.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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UMMM… are you kidding me?! This is OUTRAGEOUSLY good. I did not anticipate that crusty layer on the bottom and I wondered if it would be overly sweet – it’s not. I only had a white cake mix on hand, but I’m definitely trying it with a yellow mix next time. It absolutely does not taste like a “box cake mix hack.” It tastes like you’re at some Southern State Fair and your great-aunt Julie just won the blue ribbon with this cake! Thanks, Alicia!
Thank you for such a great review. I’m so happy you loved it, especially that little crusty layer on the bottom. White cake mix works perfectly, and the yellow will give it a touch more richness next time. Your State Fair comment absolutely made my day.
Hello Alicia,
Your recipe is decent but, …..we need to get a few things straight.
You’re obviously not a St Louis native. I am. Me, my wife, my mother, my grandmother, and now my granddaughter have been perfecting this recipe for generations.
1.) your wrong, Gooey Butter Cake does NOT need to be refrigerated ! You actually are damaging the texture of the cake. And NEVER freeze it.
2.) the St Louis texture that you’re referring to is part of the original cake recipe it’s what makes it a St Louis phenomenon.
When the cake is finished it should have a slightly crackled top layer of caramelized sugars. It’s one of the things that make it so special. And your baking time is too long you need to back that off by about 5 to 10 minutes shut the oven off and let it sit in there it will continue to cook to perfection that way. Everything else you said including your ingredients are pretty spot on there’s a few tweaks that make it St Louis style versus yours but they’re not big changes. An extra half a stick of butter would help. It will also help the cake layer from getting to dry. A tip that you should be telling your readers is to not get the cake layers too thick especially in the corners. It needs to be a thin and smooth consistency the same thing you put on the bottom you should put on the walls and the corners. People have a tendency to push their extra dough into the corners and it makes too thick it with a 13×9 pan you’re going to have four dried corners.
Thanks for taking the time to share your family’s method. I love hearing how recipes like gooey butter cake are passed down and adapted through generations. This is the version I tested and developed for my readers, so some of my instructions may differ from the way your family has always made it. I recommend refrigeration for storage because of the cream cheese filling, but I completely understand that many St. Louis families store and serve theirs differently. Your tip about keeping the cake layer even, especially in the corners, is a helpful one. Thanks for sharing your experience!