Gooey Cake with Cream Cheese Topping

Gooey butter cake is the unofficial dessert of St. Louis, born when a German baker reportedly mixed up the proportions in a classic cake batter back in the 1930s. The happy accident: a dense, fudgy bottom layer beneath a sticky, cream cheese-rich top that stays just barely set in the middle.

This shortcut version uses a yellow cake mix for the bottom and powdered sugar for the cream cheese topping. The lower oven temperature (300 degrees Fahrenheit / 150 degrees Celsius) is critical here. It lets the topping just-set without overbaking, which would turn that signature gooey middle into a cheesecake-firm slice.

The cake mix base is sturdier than scratch crust, more cookie than sponge, and it absorbs some of the cream cheese liquid as it bakes for a thoroughly buttery foundation.

Pro Tips

• Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the spread-style tub. Lower-fat versions release water and make the topping weep as it cools.
• Beat the cream cheese topping until truly smooth before adding eggs. Lumps don’t bake out and ruin the silky texture.
• The center should still jiggle slightly when you pull it. Overbaking is the cardinal sin of gooey butter cake.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and the zest of one lemon to the cream cheese topping for a brighter version.
• Swap yellow cake mix for chocolate cake mix for the popular chocolate gooey butter variation.
• Top each cooled square with a dollop of whipped cream and a few fresh raspberries for a more dressed-up dessert presentation.