Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is a rich and delicious cream cheese cake that’s rightly named! Learn how to make this easy, buttery dessert and impress your friends and family. This quick cake is one they will request – often!
There aren’t enough superlatives in the world to describe this Ooey Gooey Butter cake! It’s an explosion of creamy, buttery flavor with a texture that almost melts in your mouth.
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
As if the name “butter cake” wasn’t enough to make my ears perk up, they went and added “ooey gooey” to seal the deal. This St. Louis style Ooey Gooey Butter Cake MORE than lives up to its name! A yellow cake bottom topped with sweet cream cheese filling and a layer of nuts for good measure is the cake bar recipe of my dreams. Sometimes referred to as a cream cheese cake, this is a dessert that everyone raves about.
Cream Cheese Cake
Starting with a box of yellow cake mix, these scrumptious cake bars require minimal ingredients and are ready to eat in under an hour.This would be the perfect cake bar to bring to a potluck. Just be prepared to be bombarded with requests for the recipe.
What is Ooey Gooey Butter Cake?
Legend has it that this method for this amazing cake was born in Depression-era St. Louis, Missouri. A bakery accidentally mixed up their proportions for their classic yellow cake, making it extra buttery. Not wanting to waste ingredients, they sold it to customers who instantly raved about it.
Thankfully for me, it’s super easy to learn how to make your own St. Louis butter cake at home.
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Here’s a look at what you need to make this easy recipe (full printable recipe found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Ingredients:
- Yellow cake mix – Use your favorite brand here, just make sure it doesn’t have any added extra flavors or mix-ins.
- Butter – Melt the butter before beginning the recipe. The melted butter is key to giving these cake bars their signature ooey gooey consistency.
- Eggs – You need one for the cake layer and another two for the cream cheese layer.
- Cream cheese – This creates a creamy cheesecake-like layer. Use full fat cream cheese here for best results, and make sure it’s softened a bit before using.
- Powdered sugar – You beat this with the egg and cream cheese to make the cheese layer fluffy and sweet.
- Pecans (optional) – Chopped coarsely
How to Make:
- Make the bottom layer: Combine the cake mix with melted butter, and one of the eggs. Fold in the pecans if using.
- Make the cream cheese layer: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and eggs until fluffy.
- Bake: Spread the cake mix batter into a 9 x 13 cake pan, then top it with the cream cheese mixture. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. When done, the cake should be lightly golden brown on top.
- Set: After removing the cake from the oven, let it stand for about 10 – 20 minutes until slightly cooled. This helps set the topping so it doesn’t slide off the cake. Cut into bars and serve! You can enjoy the cake as is, sprinkle on some powdered sugar or top with fresh berries.
With all the best parts of moist cake and creamy cheesecake, Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is irresistible! You can serve this cake as is, topped with powdered sugar or garnished with fresh berries. However you make it, your friends and family will love it!
Because this cake contains cream cheese, my personal preference is to store leftovers in the refrigerator. It can be eaten straight from the fridge, or you can give it a few minutes to come to more of a room temperature, then serve.
Check out these other deliciously easy cake and cake bar recipes. . .
- Kentucky Butter Cake
- Dark Chocolate Chunk Cream Cheese Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars
- Cherry Cream Cheese Bars
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs (divided)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (1 box)
- 10 oz powdered sugar (1 box)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix with one of the eggs and the butter. Fold in the chopped pecans.
- In a separate bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until it begins to fluff. Add the remaining eggs and continue beating until well combined. Finally, add the powdered sugar and beat into the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy.
- Pour the cake batter layer into the pan. Add the cream cheese layer on top distributing over the entire pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until the top of the cake is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let stand at least 15 - 20 minutes.. Slice into bars and serve!
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
Can you use a chocolate cake mix in place of yellow
I’ve never tried. If you do, let us know how it turns out!
Pure heaven. The cream cheese combined in the top layer is delicious.