Gooey Butter Cake is a St. Louis classic that everyone should try! A buttery, ooey gooey filling on top of a sweet dough base, and crispy edges surrounding creamy center…it’s utterly divine!
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
This St. Louis gooey butter cake is addictively sweet and wonderfully delicious! Kids and adult alike are going to love this unconventional, ooey gooey cake.
You’ll think you’ve gone to heaven as soon you get a bite! The texture is unbeatable, and the flavor is just delicious.
This cake also inspired my Gooey Butter Cookies, Gooey Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, and of course these Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies. All are so delicious!
Why You’ll Love this Gooey Butter Cake Recipe:
- GOOEY: It’s right in the name. The buttery filling will melt in your mouth!
- CRISPY: The crust comes out with lovely crispy edges, which perfectly balance out the creamy cake.
- VERSATILE: This makes for a great weekday treat, dessert, or even to pair with your coffee!
This is the perfect sweet treat for parties and game day! The recipe serves up 18 indulgent squares of deliciousness, so it’s perfect for pleasing the crowd.
How to Make Gooey Butter Cake
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Mix your dough ingredients to form a stretchy dough.
- Transfer the dough into a prepped baking pan, spread into an even layer, and allow to rise.
- Mix your filling ingredients in a stand mixer bowl.
- Spread the filling evenly over the dough base and bake until golden brown.
- Dust with powdered sugar, allow to rest, then serve and enjoy!
Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis classic! It consists of a layer of sweet dough topped with a sugary butter-based filling. It’s baked until crispy around the edges and creamy in the center. Some describe the texture as a cross between a blondie and a lemon bar.
According to legend, a German baker living in St. Louis added the wrong proportions of ingredients in the coffee cake batter he was making, and it turned into a gooey, pudding-like filling. It was an instant hit, and has been a classic ever since!
This is a recipe for the traditional St. Louis butter cake. The traditional recipe is made with a yeast-raised sweet dough and sweet, buttery filling. The more commercial variation (often called ooey gooey butter cake) consists of yellow cake mix with a cream cheese filling.
Although a yeasted cake base is more traditional, you can absolutely make the cake layer with a 15.25-ounce box of yellow cake mix. Use just the cake mix (not any of the ingredients listed on the box), and mix it with ½ cup of melted butter and 2 large room temperature eggs.
If your yeast isn’t foamy, it’s either expired or was killed by milk that is too hot. Check the temperature of the milk, and aim for 100-110°F. Any hotter could kill the yeast. If the temperature is good and the yeast still doesn’t foam, your yeast is probably expired and should be discarded.
Nope! Gooey butter cake can be left at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can put it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This simple yet indulgent cake is perfect with a glass of milk or a nice iced coffee.
Make Ahead Instructions
Gooey butter cake is one of those desserts that taste even BETTER the next day. Time permitting, bake the cake 1 day in advance of when you plan to serve it.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover gooey butter cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze gooey butter cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and set in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Butter Cake Variations
- Add ¼-⅓ cup of unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder to the cake and 1-2 tablespoons to the filling for a chocolate butter cake.
- Stir a few teaspoons of cinnamon into the cake and filling for a cinnamon butter cake.
- Drizzle raspberry sauce over the filling and swirl with a toothpick or toss some raspberries or strawberries into the filling before baking .
- Add chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the filling before baking.
Tips for the Best Gooey Butter Cake
- Grease AND flour the baking pan for easier release.
- Use REAL butter. Most of the flavor in this cake comes from the butter, so don’t use any other substitute.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the smoothest mixture.
- Leave the oven door closed until about 10 minutes before the baking time is up. Opening the oven door before then reduces the oven temperature and can cause the cake to collapse.
- Check the cake about 10 minutes before baking time is up. You don’t want to overbake this cake or it won’t be gooey. The center should jiggle just a bit, but the edges should be set.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing. It will fall apart if sliced before then.
- Use a hot knife and wipe it down between cuts for cleaner slices of cake.
More Indulgent Dessert Recipes We Love
This homemade gooey butter cake is such a great example of simple ingredients making an indulgent dessert! The mix of creamy and crispy textures makes these gorgeous squares so addictive. If you love brownies, blondies or anything sweet, then this is for you!
More Classic Cake Recipes to Try:
- Black Magic Chocolate Cake
- Lemon Meringue Cake
- Vanilla Sheet Cake
- New York Cheesecake
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Homemade Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Homemade Funfetti Cake
- Homemade Pound Cake
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast 3 grams
- ½ cup milk 114 grams, warm (100-110°F)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature (1 stick)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 2 large eggs 100 grams, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk 14 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
For the Filling
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter 141 grams, melted (1¼ sticks)
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar 250 grams
- ¼ cup light corn syrup 78 grams
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 gram
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 grams
- ¼ cup milk 57 grams, room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar 28 grams, for dusting
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and flour. Set aside.
- Add the yeast and warm milk to a bowl let it rest for a few minutes until foamy.1 teaspoon instant yeast, ½ cup milk
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add in the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until combined, about 1 minute2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add in half of the flour, and beat until incorporated. Then, add in the milk mixture and beat until incorporated. Add in the remaining flour, and continue beating on low speed until the dough becomes stretchy, about 5-6 minutes.2 cups all-purpose flour
- Transfer the dough the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to spread it into an even layer.
- Cover the pan with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- To prepare the filling, add the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until combined, about 1-2 minutes.10 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light corn syrup, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat until incorporated.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Add in the flour and milk, little by little, beating until well-combined.1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup milk
- Drop dollops of filling over the dough layer. Use a spatula to gently spread it in an even layer over the dough.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and the center of the cake is mostly set, but still a bit jiggly.
- Dust the cake with powdered sugar.¼ cup powdered sugar
- Let the cake rest for a few minutes before slicing into squares and serving. Let cool completely for cleaner slices. Parts of the cake may sink and form little craters, which is totally fine!
Video
Becky’s Tips
- Grease AND flour the baking pan for easier release.
- Use REAL butter. Most of the flavor in this cake comes from the butter, so don’t use any other substitute.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the smoothest mixture.
- Leave the oven door closed until about 10 minutes before the baking time is up. Opening the oven door before then reduces the oven temperature and can cause the cake to collapse.
- Check the cake about 10 minutes before baking time is up. You don’t want to overbake this cake or it won’t be gooey. The center should jiggle just a bit, but the edges should be set.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing. It will fall apart if sliced before then.
- Use a hot knife and wipe it down between cuts for cleaner slices of cake.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
