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Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is an easy 6-ingredient dessert made with a boxed yellow cake mix on the bottom layer and a soft, gooey cream cheese layer on top. It’s a copycat of the famous Paula Deen version (and the original St. Louis classic), made with just a few pantry staples — and no frosting required.
For more riffs on butter cake, try my Kentucky Butter Cake and Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake recipes!
Why you’ll love this ooey gooey butter cake recipe!
I’ve been making this butter cake recipe for years — it was a family favorite long before recipe blogs existed, passed down from my cousin Lea Ann, who could turn the simplest ingredients into something everyone begged for!
- 6 simple ingredients — cake mix, cream cheese, butter, eggs, powdered sugar, vanilla.
- No skills required — press a crust, beat a filling, bake.
- That signature gooey center — set edges, soft middle.
- Crowd-friendly — one 9×13 feeds a party, and it’s even better the next day.
Table of Contents
What Is Gooey Butter Cake?
Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis original — a happy bakery “mistake” from the 1930s that became a Midwest classic. It has two layers: a buttery cake bottom that bakes into a chewy crust, and a sweet cream-cheese top that stays soft and gooey. Paula Deen made a boxed-cake-mix version famous, and this is that easy take — no one will guess it started with a box.
Ingredient Notes
Scroll to the bottom recipe card for the full recipe and to print
- Yellow cake mix — the shortcut base (Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker are my go-tos). Swap in chocolate, lemon, or red velvet to change the whole cake.
- Butter — melted, for the rich crust.
- Eggs — bind both the crust and the filling.
- Cream cheese — softened, full-fat blocks (not spread), for the gooey top.
- Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar — sweetens and gives the gooey layer its texture.
- Vanilla extract — rounds it all out.
Variations
- Chocolate — use a chocolate cake mix.
- Lemon — lemon cake mix plus a little zest in the filling.
- Red velvet — festive for the holidays.
- Pumpkin — stir pumpkin + pumpkin-pie spice into the filling for fall (see my Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake).
- Pecan or white-chocolate-caramel — fold into the gooey layer.
- Almond — swap almond extract for the vanilla.
How to Make Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
- Make the crust. Beat the cake mix, melted butter, and one egg until combined, then press evenly into a greased 9×13 pan.
- Make the gooey layer. Beat the softened cream cheese smooth, then add the remaining eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Spread over the crust.
- Bake. At 350°F for 40–50 minutes, until the edges are golden and set but the center still has a slight jiggle — that’s the gooey part. Don’t overbake or it firms into regular cake.
- Cool, then cut. Let it cool so the center sets enough to slice into clean squares.
How to Store
Cover and keep at room temperature 2–3 days, or refrigerate up to a week (I cut squares and store them airtight). To freeze, wrap well and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
A St. Louis classic with a buttery cake crust and a soft, sweet cream-cheese top — this is the easy boxed-cake-mix version.
It’s overbaked — the center is meant to stay soft and slightly jiggly. Pull it when the edges are set but the middle still moves a little.
Give it a few more minutes, and let it cool fully so the center sets enough to slice.
Golden, set edges and a center with a slight jiggle; it firms as it cools.
Yes — a scratch base uses flour, sugar, butter, and a little leavening, but the cake-mix shortcut is what makes this one so easy.
Yes — wrap well and freeze up to 3 months.
More Easy Cake Mix Desserts
Quick & Easy Desserts
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Breakfast
Cake Mix Sour Cream Coffee Cake
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Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- To a bowl, add the cake mix, egg and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 baking pan.
- In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and 8 tablespoons butter and beat together until combined well.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and mix well until light and fluffy.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake mix crust layer.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Do not overbake. It will be a little “gooey” in the center.
Video
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese fully — cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the gooey layer.
- Watch the center, not the clock. Set edges + a slightly jiggly middle = perfect gooey. A toothpick should come out gooey, not wet-raw or bone-dry.
- Cool before slicing for clean squares — or serve warm and scoopable with vanilla ice cream.
This is my go to for my Gluten Free Yellow cake mix and then follow ingredients. I have also made it dairy free before. Delicious..
All look likeable
I found this recipe under deserts to send through mail. in your post it says it can stay at room temp for 2-3 days then in tips says to refrigerate for 2-3 days, which is it?
So sorry about that, Joanna! Thank you for the feedback.
This is a very easy cake to make, I make all the time, not just holidays. So delish, especially if ADD different ingredients to to car certain ones, I have added toffee bits to a spice cake to the cream cheese mixture, or a caramel cake second step the filling.,but to me the plan one is best. But I have made many all different kinds but is very easy to make.
I have a vanilla cake mix. Can I use it instead of yellow cake mix?
Your video does not show the second stick of butter for the filling/topping. Other recipes do not have that second 1/2 c butter. Which is incorrect, the video or the printed recipe?
Easy …. Looks delicious! More butter the better!
Should you refrigerate these, or is it safe to keep them at room temperature for a few days?
I have never left a comment nor rating but this was deserved. Unbelievably delicious. The crust was a nice base for the creamy filling. We topped with strawberries and whipped cream. It will be a family staple. Thank you.