I’ve had the recipe for the famous St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake in my “must bake” folder for several years now. I didn’t really know anything about it. I just knew if it had gooey and butter in the title, it was destined for my oven. Then I forgot about it, until one of my cooking pals, Janne Mahan, moved to St. Louis, Missouri. There, she established a book club, and then the pandemic put a halt to group gatherings. Her book club then began to via Zoom video conferencing. Since the members of Janne’s book club were also foodies, I thought it might be fun to have her poll the group and let me know what their very favorite St. Louis foods are. As it turns out, top of the list was the St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake. It was the perfect excuse to pull out my folder, dig for the recipe and get to work. Holy Cow. No wonder it’s a favorite! This cake is one sweet St. Louis treat! It’s dense and rich and acts a bit like a brownie with a dusting of powdered sugar baked into the top. It has two distinct layers; the bottom one is the pound cake and the top is a blend of cream cheese, powdered sugar and eggs which provides the gooeyness. It’s perfect as a coffee or snack cake and is a great make-ahead treat to transport to a picnic or party. Not only is St. Louis the home of the world’s tallest arch known as the Gateway to the West, but also the city rich with ooey gooey goodness!
Watch my How To Video for St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake here!
| Servings |
- 1 box pound cake mix
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
Ingredients
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- Blend dry cake mix with 2 eggs and melted butter. Spoon into a 9 x 12 baking Dish and spread evenly. Combine cream cheese, 2 eggs, vanilla, almond extract and the powdered sugar, reserving 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Mix well and then pour over the batter in the dish. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Carefully remove cake from oven and sprinkle remaining powdered sugar over the top. Return to oven and continue to bake 25 minutes longer or until top is golden brown. Cool to room temperature before cutting into squares to serve. Tip: Since cake is gooey, the best way to slice the cake is to dip your knife into hot water. Dry with paper towel and slice cake.
