Gooey Butter Cake
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jul 9, 2024 
Say hello to this fantastic Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe! This is the solution to all your holiday dessert needs.
What is Gooey Butter Cake?
Sticky-sweet ooey gooey butter cake… Ever tried it?
If not, you have been missing out!
Gooey butter cake is a simple two-layered snack cake with a soft, sumptuous top layer and a tender, crumbly, almost shortbread-like layer on the bottom. It originated in St. Louis, Missouri, nearly a century ago and is similar to other regional treats like Southern Chess Squares and Philadelphia Style Cake.
I like gooey butter cake the most, if only for its name.
There are countless recipes on the web for semi-homemade and made-from-scratch Gooey Butter Cake, Chess Squares, and Philadelphia Style Cake.
I’ve tried many of them. So many of them.
In fact, when I decided to make my own Gooey Butter Cake Recipe, I tested the cake-mix version, the scratch-made yeast version, cream cheese and non-cream cheese versions, and nut versions… All in the same week.
You could say I get a little obsessive at times.
Honestly, they were all pretty good. However the cake-mix version was definitely missing that fresh butter flavor, while the scratch-made yeast versions were just too darn lengthy to make.
Ultimately, I took what I felt were the best elements of each recipe and created my own.
So here it is, the best Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe we’ve ever tried or made. I’m confident you will think so, too.
When To Serve Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Our Best Gooey Butter Cake Recipe is the perfect dessert for the holiday season. Decadent hand-held treats with massive homey appeal!
Serve at Halloween, Thanksgiving, and/or Christmas Dinner. Take them to parties. Wrap and mail as holiday gifts. Mix things up in your holiday cookie exchange. The possibilities are endless.
One thing is for sure: no one can resist the Best Gooey Butter Cake Recipe.
How To Make this Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Firstly, pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Keep a close eye on how long you grind them – a little too long, and you might accidentally make almond butter.
Then, toss in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and pulse to combine. Next, add the eggs and butter and slowly form a loose dough.
Drop your cake batter in a pan and gently pat it to form an even layer. Be careful about packing it too much – you don’t want your cake to be dense.
Next, to start the gooey top layer, whip the cream cheese in the food processor. Once it is light and fluffy (1-2 minutes), add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract and pulse the mixture until a smooth paste forms. Lastly, add powdered sugar and whip until smooth.
Make sure you are scraping the bowl between adding ingredients so that everything is mixed in well and your batters are nice and smooth.
Pour the cake mixture on top of the first mixture into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. When it’s done, it should be fluffy and a nice golden brown.
Keep in mind that this recipe must be TOTALLY cooled before slicing. The time it takes to cool allows the cake to finish cooking and firm up to hold its shape.
Finally, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below.
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Looking For Other Great Holiday Recipes:
- Scotcharoos (Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars)
- Texas Sheet Cake with Coffee
- Best Pumpkin Muffin Recipe
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Coffee Bread Pudding
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- Halloween Brownie Treats
- Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
For the Bottom Layer:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds, ground
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 12 tablespoons melted butter
For the Top Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to the food processor. Pulse to combine. Then add the eggs and butter. Turn the food processor on low and run until the mixture forms soft crumby dough.
- Dump the dough into the prepared pan. Lightly press the dough evenly over the surface of the pan. Don’t pack it down too much. Set aside.
- For the top layer, wipe out the food processor bowl and add the cream cheese. Turn on high and whip to soften. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat the mixture again until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl again, and mix one more time to make sure there are no clumps.
- Pour the mixture over the bottom layer. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. The top should be golden and puffed up in the center when it’s done. If the top starts to turn dark before it puffs up, lay a loose piece of foil over the top to stop the browning, and continue baking.
- Allow the gooey butter cake to cool completely at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barn Light Electric. All porcelain-enameled loving opinions are my own.
Hello,
Is there a difference if i mix it in the mixer than in the food processor? Considering the almonds are already grounded of course.
Thanks :)
Just wondering if you did this with a blender? How did it turn out?
So rich and delicious! YUM!
I am so excited to make this recipe! My mother used to make something similar growing up. Saving this one for sure!
Being a St. Louis native, I always love comparing gooey butter cake recipes! This is great!
I love making cookies from scratch! This was really amazing!
I LOVE Butter Cake, but have never seen it done like this! So, I had to try it! IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Thank you!
Hi,
Can you make with Almond flour or Coconut Flour instead of All-Purpose Flour?
Thanks
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
I have not tried this one with almond or coconut flour so I can’t say for sure. However, I have made this with gluten free 1-to-1 baking mix and it turns out wonderful. I hope this helps!
I don’t have almonds could I add granola instead?
Hi – can I replace the ground almonds with Almond Flour? Can’t wait to try this recipe 😊
Hi Kathleen,
Absolutely! Happy baking!! :)
I’ve made this cake twice so far. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, it tastes incredible! The only issue I’m having with it is the appearance. There are different sized bubbles and cracks on the surface. Any ideas how to make a smoother looking cake?
I haven’t made this yet, but when I bake cheesecakes I also put in a pan of water on the bottom rack. the moisture helps keep the cheesecake from cracking on the surface. bet it would work with this too – will be trying it today
Hi Sommer,
My friend’s birthday is coming soon, and she likes these Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes by Prairie City Bakery that are typically available in convenience stores. To surprise her I’d like to make one of these cakes from scratch, and your recipe is exactly what I was looking for! My question is, if I wanted to give the top layer a lemon flavor (her favorite), how much fresh squeezed lemon juice would I have to add? Also, if I wanted the top layer to have a peanut butter flavor (my favorite), how much peanut butter would I have to add in that case?
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Hi Chris,
Without testing the recipe with these ingredients, it’s hard to say. I might swap the almond extract for lemon extract, instead of juice, because it’s stronger. As for adding peanut butter, it will definitely change the texture of the top. I would start by swapping some of the cream cheese for creamy peanut butter. Maybe 1/3 to 1/2? Hope this helps!
Made this amazing cake many times but still don’t know how to test for doneness. Anybody know? It’s always a guessing game because it’s so gooey.
This is by far the best version of the gooey butter cake I’ve tried. I think the almonds make a huge difference and NOT using a cake mix. Haven’t tried the yeast version but am curious.