Serving Up {Cake}: Gooey Butter Cake

 

Disclaimer right off the bat - these are more of a "bar" than a true cake.  But please don't let that deter you.
I admit that this is one of those recipes that you can google search and find hundreds of variations for, which is remarkable considering that this recipe only has six ingredients.  But then again, in my hunt for a St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake I went for the "cheater" recipe - the one that uses a box mix as part of the ingredient list, resulting in a significantly quicker end product.  Believe me, you are going to be glad to get to the end product quickly too!  But if for some reason you are opposed to quick and easy when it comes to your desserts, you can search out a more labor intensive recipe...in fact here is one that I still have in my archives to make.  Let me know how it turns out because I'm kind of stuck on this quick recipe as it is.

I have read some cooks who call this a "breakfast" cake.  As much as I love desserts for breakfast, this would be a bit too rich for me that early in the day.  It really is a dessert and the rich buttery goodness goes a long way. In my attempt to glamorize the end product, I swirled a bit of caramel over the top and added a strawberry.  It makes for a nice presentation, and even a nice flavor, but this cake can stand alone as it is.   I personally like it better chilled, versus warm out of the oven - but by all means try it both ways :)  It also freezes really well and I love to eat my desserts partially frozen.  I think deep down I believe that if a dessert is eaten frozen it only contains half the calories.  Please don't correct me if I'm wrong.

GOOEY BUTTER CAKE     
(recipe from Tasty Kitchen)
printable version

For the crust:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 stick unsalted butter, melted (I have used salted butter with no problem)
1 egg

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a wooden spoon until moist. Transfer to a 13x9" ungreased baking pan and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
In another large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and melted butter, and continue to mix. Next, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time until all sugar is mixed in. Pour filling over the crust, and spread evenly with a spatula.
Bake gooey butter cake for 40-45 minutes until it is browned, but the center still jiggles when the pan is shaken. Cool for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar and serve.
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