The name of this cake says it all.  It’s gooey.  It’s buttery.  And oh boy, is it rich!  It had been a few years since I’d made the cake, and I was excited when my husband suggested it.

Gooey Butter Cake

Gooey butter cake can be served as a breakfast/brunch dish, though the level of sweetness could take it to dessert-land quite easily.

The ingredients are simple and easy to find:  cake mix, cream cheese, eggs, butter, powdered sugar.

What You Need

First, you make the bottom layer of cake.  Mix together the cake mix, butter, and two of the eggs.  The batter will be very stiff.

Make the Cake

Cake Batter

Spread that in a prepared pan.  You might find it easier to spread if you lightly wet the back of a spatula or knife with water and use that to push the batter around.

Pat it in a Pan

Then, mix together the topping:  powdered sugar, cream cheese, and remaining eggs.  This will be very smooth.  Make sure that the cream cheese is completely room temperature, otherwise the topping will be lumpy!  If you’re concerned about the sugar level, I think you could easily cut back the sugar to 2 cups without any ill effects to the final product.

Topping Mix

Ready to Pour

After mixing, pour over the cake layer.  Lightly shake the pan to even out the topping layer.

Ready to Bake

Bake for about half-an-hour, until the center is somewhat set.  Remember, it’s supposed to be gooey after all!

Baked

Make sure the cake cools completely before you dig in!

Gooey Butter Cake

Servings 16 to 20 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 8 0 z block of cream cheese
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13"x9" pan. In a bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and two eggs. Batter will be very stiff. Spread in prepared pan. In another bowl, combine remaining two eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Beat until very smooth and pourable. Pour over crust. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until cake is nearly set. Top will be a light golden brown, and center should jiggle slightly. Let cake cool completely before cutting and serving.

Notes

I store the cake in the refrigerator, but I think you'd be fine with it at room temperature. I've also heard it freezes quite well.

From an old church cookbook