A buttery crust topped with decadent cream cheese filling, this gooey butter cake recipe has been in our family for generations and it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite!
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Gooey Butter Cake, or “Ooey Gooey Butter Cake” as my family calls it, is a simple dessert that can be whipped up with just a handful of ingredients. It tastes like a mixture of yellow sheet cake and a cheesecake…it’s ooey-gooey, buttery, and totally earns its name!
Gooey Butter Cake is a recipe made famous by celebrity chef Paula Deen, however, this is actually a dessert that’s been around for almost 100 years! According to the Missouri Historical Society, a St. Louis baker created the treat all the way back in the 1930s…by mistake! Legend has it that this baker accidentally reversed the proportions of flour and butter, but the “mistake” was actually a hit.
Our own family recipe has been passed down for generations as well. My cousin’s relatives hail from St. Louis, so it totally makes sense why this dessert was a go-to recipe! I can remember it being such a treat when a pan of Ooey Gooey Butter Bars appeared on the table!
Interestingly, there are two variations to our family recipe that I’ve come across, so we kind of merged the two to make an updated version with ingredients that are easy to find at the grocery store. As with many old fashioned recipes, some of the ingredients and measurements used aren’t so common now.
The result is even better than I remember! The margarine (yes, margarine!) creates a buttery tasting crust that is delightfully flaky on the bottom, just like something you’d find at a real bakery. And the gooey butter filling is luscious, creamy, and melts in your mouth. You can see in the photos the perfect layering of the crust and cream cheese. Every bite is pure bliss…no exaggeration! I have to limit myself to just one bar at a time because they are so rich, but they taste so good I think I could eat the whole pan!
Paula Deen’s got nothing on this recipe! 😉
–Stacey
Ingredients
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- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 Stick Margarine (1/2 cup)
- 1 Block Cream Cheese (8oz)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Kitchen Tools Used
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Stand Mixer
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13″ pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment (or large bowl with an electric mixer) beat together the margarine, cake mix and 2 eggs on medium speed. When the cake batter starts to look more like a cookie dough, it’s ready.
- Press the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
- In a separate large mixing bowl (or washed bowl of your stand mixer) beat together the powdered sugar, pre-softened cream cheese, vanilla, and the other 2 eggs. Beat for 2-3 minutes MINIMUM (and up to 10-15 minutes if you have time), then pour the mixture on top of the cake dough in your pan. Spread if needed to ensure even coverage.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until the middle of the cake sets up and isn’t liquid anymore.
Prep Tips
- When beating the cream cheese and sugar mixture, the more time you have to spend on this step the better. While 2-3 minutes is the minimum, extra whipping time makes the cream cheese layer extra light and fluffy, instead of heavy.
- We always finish our cake with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar.
- For an extra flavorful crust, you can add a pinch of salt when mixing the cake mix, eggs, and butter. This way not in the original recipe, but it is a fun little tweak that makes this recipe pop even more.
- Before cutting the cake, make sure that it’s cooled completely to room temperature. This will make it slice much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use Real Butter Instead Of Margarine?
Of course! The name of this recipe even has butter in the title!
In one of our family’s recipes for Gooey Butter Cake, unsalted butter is used instead of margarine. And generally I am a fan of using “real food” ingredients. However, we taste both versions and the margarine created a flaky crust that was even more perfect in flavor and texture. It was incredible!
That being said, you can absolutely use butter and still get a fantastic cake. It’s simply a matter of what you have on hand and your personal preference.
Does Gooey Butter Cake Need To Be Refrigerated?
Gooey Butter Cake does not require refrigeration, but you can keep it in the fridge if you like it chilled or want to extend its shelf life by a couple days. Store in an airtight container (or in the pan covered with plastic wrap) at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you need to stack the bars for storage, I recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together.
Can Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze your cake for long-term storage. I like to cut into squares and place them in a gallon freezer bag. That way I can thaw them out one at a time as needed.
Gooey Butter Cake Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Old-Fasioned Gooey Butter Cake
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Margarine or butter
- 8 oz Cream Cheese 1 typical block, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups Confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- To Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13" pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment (or large bowl with an electric mixer) beat together the margarine, cake mix and 2 eggs on medium speed. When the cake batter starts to look more like a cookie dough, it's ready.
- Press the dough into the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
- In a separate large mixing bowl (or washed bowl of your stand mixer) beat together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and the other 2 eggs. Beat for 2-3 minutes MINIMUM (and up to 10-15 minutes if you have time), then pour the mixture on top of the cake dough in your pan. Spread if needed to ensure even coverage.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until the middle of the cake sets up and isn't liquid anymore.
Notes
Nutrition
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I was going by the Ingredients shown for the Gooey Butter & it showed to use 1 1/2 tbsp of Vanille Extract but it didn’t describe where or what to mix it with. With Cake Mix mixture or the Powder Sugar Mixture?
It goes in the powder sugar mixture, we’ve updated the instructions. Thanks!