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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Gooey Butter Cake

    By: Jessica · Posted: Apr 27, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe 3 comments
    5 from 8 votes
    GOOEY BUTTER CAKE image collage with text on image

    Gooey Butter Cake: An easy dessert recipe that’s an ooey goodness, made with a cake mix, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cream cheese.

    Slice of Gooey Butter Cake on square plate, next to fork.

     

    Definitely considered one of our easier cake recipes, (maybe not as easy as this vanilla mug cake recipe) this gooey butter cake recipe is perfect for serving a crowd for the holidays or just on the weekend for an ultra-sweet treat!

    What is Gooey Butter Cake?

    Gooey butter cake is a flat cake without icing that is made of everyday ingredients, like butter (butter being the key ingredient here!) eggs, sugar, cream cheese, and occasionally, a cake mix to keep it quick and easy!

    A St. Louis classic, this delicious dessert has a buttery cake bottom layer and a gooey cream cheese layer on top of that. It’s baked to perfection in about 35-40 minutes and ready to serve!

    Jump to:
    • What is Gooey Butter Cake?
    • Why You’ll Love This Gooey Cake
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
    • How to Serve Gooey Butter Cake
    • Additional Toppings
    • Does Gooey Butter Cake Need to be Refrigerated?
    • Can Gooey Butter Cake be Frozen?
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Why You’ll Love This Gooey Cake

    It’s a very rich (and buttery) dessert, this ooey gooey butter cake goes amazingly well with a hot cup of coffee.

    The best part is, that it’s also a simple cake to make if you’re taking a care package to a friend, as it transports well, and is easy to serve.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for gooey butter cake on counter

    What you’ll need to make this cake is:

    • 1 yellow cake mix
    • 3 eggs
    • 2 sticks butter (used at separate times)
    • 8 oz. cream cheese
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups powdered sugar + 2 Tablespoons (confectioners’ sugar)

    That’s it! Now, let’s walk through the steps to make it because you won’t actually use all of the eggs and butter at once, so pay close attention to how much and when to add them.

    (Or, feel free to scroll toward the bottom of the page to see the full printable recipe card for everything in one place!)

    How to Make Gooey Butter Cake

    First, I must say that you’re going to be pleasantly surprised at how easy this recipe is and how much your friends and family will love it!

    This recipe that I make uses a cake mix which makes things even easier in the kitchen and I think we can all get on board for that.

    1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Next, you’ll start with grabbing a medium or large bowl, or bowl of an electric mixer.
    3. Add in your cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter and 1 egg.
    1. Mix with a mixer on medium speed, until well-combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. (We use the paddle attachment on our stand mixer.)
    Yellow cake mix, eggs, butter in mixing bowl
    Pour ingredients in.
    Mixed butter, mix and eggs in bowl
    Mix together.
    1. Grab a 9×13 baking dish, spray with a little cooking spray, and spread out the cake mix batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, making sure to evenly distribute. This is the first layer.
    Gooey butter cake spread in to baking dish
    Spread in to dish.

    NOTE: You may slightly panic, thinking you don’t have enough to cover the pan. You will! Just keep spreading it out, making sure the entire pan bottom is covered.

    1. Set the baking dish aside and either wash out the bowl you used for the cake mix batter or grab a different bowl so you can mix together the gooey butter topping.

    For the Cream Cheese Top Layer

    1. In the mixing bowl, add in the cream cheese and with clean mixer attachments, mix the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
    cream cheese in mixing bowl
    Add cream cheese.
    cream cheese mixed in bowl
    Beat cream cheese.
    1. Pour in 1 stick of melted butter…
    1. …the 2 eggs and the vanilla extract.
    1. Mix until evenly combined.
    Eggs and vanilla added in to cream cheese
    Add egg, butter and vanilla.
    Cream cheese, butter, eggs and vanilla
    Mixed together.
    1. Add in the powdered sugar, and mix until evenly combined.
    Powdered sugar poured in to cream cheese mixture in white bowl
    Add powdered sugar.
    Powdered sugar mixed in to cream cheese mixture
    Mixed topping.
    1. Pour the powdered sugar mixture onto the top of the cake mix mixture and spread out evenly. (I like to use a rubber spatula for this.)
    1. Bake the cake in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake (even just the edges) turns to golden brown.
    Cream cheese mixture poured on top of cake batter
    Pour on top of cake.
    Cream cheese mixture spread evenly across cake
    Spread evenly.
    1. When the cake has been removed from the oven, and while the cake is still hot, sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar!
    Baked gooey butter cake in cake pan
    Baked Gooey Butter Cake.
    Powdered sugar sprinkled on top of gooey butter cake in white dish
    Sprinkle powdered sugar.

    How to Serve Gooey Butter Cake

    We prefer to cut the gooey butter cake while it’s still warm and top each piece with a small slice of butter so it gently melts on top of that powdered sugar and warm, gooey, goodness. We think this makes the best gooey butter cake in the world!

    Close up of gooey butter cake slice on white plate

    Additional Toppings

    If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add other toppings to this like:

    • whipped cream
    • sliced sugared strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or your favorite fruit
    • chocolate syrup
    • caramel syrup
    • ice cream
    • ice cream toppings

    Does Gooey Butter Cake Need to be Refrigerated?

    Gooey butter cake can actually be stored at room temperature for about 2-3 days or refrigerated for up to 4-5 days. Just make sure to cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.

    However, I recommend warming it up just a tad and adding on that sliver of butter before serving if you are eating leftovers or have made it in advance.

    Two slices of gooey butter cake on two different white plate

    Can Gooey Butter Cake be Frozen?

    Absolutely! Cut it in to squares for easier serving later, and when stored, (in an airtight container) gooey butter cake be frozen for at least up to a month. Just make sure you allow enough time for defrosting when serving.

    Related Recipes

    Have you ever had an old-fashioned Ugly Duckling Cake? It’s an easy dessert like this one that you’re sure to love!

    Plus, if you love making quick desserts with cake mixes, then you’ll also love these cake mix cookies, caramel apple dump cake, and these easy strawberry brownies!

    Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

    I hope you LOVE this St. Louis tradition as much as we do.

    Originally published: October 2022
    Updated and republished: April 2025

    Recipe

    Slice of Gooey Butter Cake on a square plate, next to fork.

    Gooey Butter Cake

    Jessica Burgess
    Gooey Butter Cake: An easy dessert recipe that's an ooey goodness, made with a cake mix, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cream cheese.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 servings
    Calories 451 kcal

    Video

    Equipment

    • oven
    • 9×13 Baking dish
    • hand mixer or stand mixer
    • Mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    • 15.25 box of yellow cake mix
    • 3 eggs (Divided 2+1)
    • 2 sticks Unsalted Butter melted (Divided: 1+1)
    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups powdered sugar with an extra 2 tablespoons for garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
    • In a mixing bowl, mix together the yellow cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick of melted butter, with a mixer.
    • Grab a 9×13 baking dish, spray it with non-stick cooking spray, and press the cake mixture into the bottom. Set the baking dish aside.
    • If you prefer, wash the same mixing bowl and beaters to mix the other half of the ingredients to make the gooey butter topping.
    • Mix the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy and then add the vanilla, 1 stick of melted butter, and 2 eggs. Mix until evenly combined and then add in the powdered sugar (reserving about 2 tablespoons) and beat well.
    • Spread the powdered sugar batter, evenly over the cake batter and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown (or even just the edges and the top center is puffy). 
    • Remove from oven and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar on top of the cake while still warm.

    Notes

    How to Serve Gooey Butter Cake

    We prefer to cut the gooey butter cake while it’s still warm and top each piece with a small slice of butter so it gently melts on top of that powdered sugar and warm, gooey, goodness.

    You can also add:

    If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also add other toppings like:
    • extra butter
    • whipped cream
    • sliced sugared strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or your favorite fruit
    • chocolate syrup
    • caramel syrup
    • ice cream
    • ice cream toppings

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 70mg | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 941IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keywords cake mix, cake without icing, easy cake recipe, easy dessert idea, sheet cake, st louis cake
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      5 from 8 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    1. jess says

      February 09, 2023 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      this is the best gooey cake recipe that I have ever tried! thank you so much for sharing this amazing cake with us

      Reply
    2. Melissa says

      February 09, 2023 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      oh my goodnees – everyone went crazy for this, great recipe for a family dinner!

      Reply
    3. Kara says

      February 09, 2023 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      It’s hard to believe something so easy tastes so yummy! I love that you serve it warm, so it can be made at the last minute. 🙂

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jessica! - Owner and Creator of the blog and brand, Fantabulosity.

    I’m here to teach you how to make quick and easy recipes, using simple ingredients, that your family will love.

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