Meet your new favorite dessert, gooey butter cake, a two layer treat with a buttery cake crust and a soft, cream cheese topping that practically melts. It is simple, sweet, and totally irresistible.
What makes it special is the texture, crackly on top with a gooey center, plus pantry friendly ingredients that come together fast for dessert everyone loves.
If this sounds like your kind of sweet, try my Gooey Butter Cookies, or Strawberry Butter Cake next. Or if you want something truly incredible and easy with a cinnamon twist, check out our Honey Bun Cake.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Simple. This cake is very easy and is made with ingredients that most people tend to have on hand.
- Delicious. Everyone loves it. Chalk full of butter and cream cheese and powdered sugar (plus cake batter) – you can’t go wrong.
- Great for parties. Cut them up in tiny squares as dessert finger foods or bigger squares for a dessert. No matter what, it’s always popular.
Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix (15.25-ounce box)- The mix supplies the classic buttery vanilla flavor and a sturdy base. If you don’t have yellow cake mix, you can use vanilla or white cake.
- Eggs (1)- Binds the cake mix and butter, creating a soft dough that presses in easily.
- Melted butter (½ cup) – Adds richness and helps the bottom layer bake up moist and cohesive. We use unsalted butter, but salted can work as well.
- Cream cheese (8-ounce package) – This helps create the gooey softness in this cake.
- Beaten eggs (2 eggs)- Sets the creamy layer so it slices while staying soft.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)- Rounds out the sweetness with warm bakery aroma.
- Powdered sugar (3 ½ cups)-Sweetens and gives the creamy layer its smooth finish. Sift the powdered sugar to help eliminate any of the harder clumps that tend to form.
- Powdered sugar to sprinkle– Adds a pretty look and a delicate sweet finish.
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
PREP. Grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F. You can also line the pan with parchment paper.
CRUST. In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, 1 egg, and melted butter until smooth. Press into your greased 9×13 pan.
TOPPING. Blend cream cheese, 2 beaten eggs, vanilla, and powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) until creamy and smooth. Pour and spread over the first mixture in your pan.
BAKE. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown (middle may sink in a bit).
TOP. Top with extra powdered sugar and ENJOY!
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use a plastic knife to cut neat, clean slices. It will slice right through this texture with ease.
- You can use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to combine all the ingredients, but do not overmix.
- The bottom layer should be much thicker than a typical cake batter and more like a soft dough. Use a rubber spatula or add a little olive oil to your finger to help press it evenly in the pan.
- A delicious option is to top each slice with some fresh berries.
Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- powdered sugar, to sprinkle
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 pan and turn oven to 350°F.
- Blend cake mix, 1 egg, and butter until smooth. Press into your greased 9×13 pan.
- Blend cream cheese, 2 eggs, vanilla and powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Spread over your the first mixture in your pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown (middle may sink in a bit).
- Top with powdered sugar and ENJOY!
Notes
- Use a plastic knife to cut neat, clean slices. It will slice right through this texture with ease.
- You can use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to combine all the ingredients, but do not overmix.
- The bottom layer should be much thicker than a typical cake batter and more like a soft dough. Use a rubber spatula or add a little olive oil to your finger to help press it evenly in the pan.
- A delicious option is to top each slice with some fresh berries.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store this gooey butter cake recipe at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freeze this treat for later by wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap. Then keep it in a freeze-safe container or bag. It should last for 4-5 months in the freezer.
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This recipe was originally published March 2013.
I make this for all of our family functions and they absolutely love it!
I always use gooey cake for my strawberry shortcake …So yummy, and I always get asked for recipe!
Mmmm that sounds delicious!! So glad you the cake is a hit (as strawberry shortcake too!)
Looks good and it’s in the oven now. But prep time 7 minutes!! It took me 7 minutes to find the vanilla flavoring!!! I chose this recipe because I thought it would be quick to throw together. I sure hope it’s good.
Hope the cake turned out well and that you enjoyed it! Thanks for giving it a try!
Hope you enjoyed the cake, even if the prep time was a little longer than anticipated. 🙂
Are you supposed to add the cake mix plain or make the cake mix and then add it
Just the plain cake mix (dry mix). You won’t need to follow any of the instructions on the cake mix box… just the recipe here.
No idea what I did wrong but couldn’t get top batter creamy at all any suggestions what I did wrong
Hmmm… I haven’t had that problem before. Maybe your cream cheese needs to be softened a bit more? Or you could try mixing it longer until it becomes creamy. I use a hand mixer to help cream it all together. Not sure if you used a mixer or not? That will definitely make a difference. Hope some of these tips help!
How creamy should the middle be after it’s baked? Mine seems a little runny.?.?. Lol
The cake will definitely set a bit as it cools down. Hope it turned out well and that you enjoyed it!
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe? The only modification I make is to use 1/2 vanilla and 1/2 almond extract. Yum! Thanks for posting!
I typically use unsalted butter because then I can control the amount of salt in my baked goods. But either probably could work. Hope you enjoy the cake!
My friend made this gooey butter cake. I thought she bought it at the store. When I asked her where she bought it, she laughed. It was this recipe. Best gooey butter cake I ever had. YUMMY!!
I love it!! So glad to hear you enjoyed the cake!
What a waste of ingredients. It tastes like a warmed over brownie. Too sweet, too nothing.
We tried it and threw out the rest. I’m not getting it.
Thanks for your feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
The most decadent, Indulgent, buttery, soft desert I’ve ever made! So easy to make I encourage you to make two at a time because you will want to keep one for yourself!
Thanks for the sweet words. So glad you enjoyed the cake!!
I made this with lemon cake mix. It was amazing.
Mmm yum! I bet it was great with the lemon! Thanks for sharing.
We call these Chess Bars.
They are a family favorite.
I love that!!