Gooey Butter Cake

My friend Trudy used make this cake for birthdays when we worked together years ago. Trudy always called it South Saint Louis Gooey Butter Cake. As I think back, it was at least 25 years ago when I first tasted this cake. Trudy now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children. I wonder if she still makes this cake?

For some reason, I never asked Trudy for her recipe. A couple of years ago, I purchased Paula Deen's, The Lady and Sons Just Desserts cookbook. Gooey Butter Cake is one of the many delicious dessert recipes in this cookbook. In addition to the traditional Gooey Butter Cake, Paula has recipes for variations of Gooey Butter Cake. Some of these variations are Lemon, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip and Banana. I tried the chocolate chip and Banana recipes. With the banana recipe, I felt like the bananas overpowered the flavor of the cake. The chocolate chip was okay but I think I am a Gooey Butter cake purist, I like the original recipe.


Paula Deen's Gooey Butter Cake

Cake
1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter, melted

Filling
1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 16 oz box confectioners sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13x9x2 baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg and butter and mix well. Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside. Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla. Dump in confectioner's sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well. Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don't overbake, cake should be a little gooey in the center.

Remove from oven and cool completely. Cut into squares.

Enjoy!