This legendary Original Gooey Butter Cake delivers pure comfort in every heavenly bite. A St. Louis classic that takes just over 2 hours to create, this indulgent dessert lives up to its name. With its perfectly balanced sweetness and rich, buttery texture, each serving offers a delightful 319 calories of pure satisfaction.
The magic happens when the cake develops its signature gooey center during its 40-minute bake time. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or new to the kitchen, this foolproof recipe promises to become your new favorite.
Crust Ingredients
- Active Dry Yeast: 1¾ teaspoons, crucial for dough rising
- Granulated Sugar: 3 tablespoons + ¼ teaspoon, divided use
- Warm Milk: ⅓ cup, temperature around 110°F for optimal yeast activation
- Butter: 6 tablespoons, softened to room temperature
- Egg: 1 large, at room temperature
- Salt: A pinch, enhances flavor
- All-purpose Flour: 1¾ cups, measured correctly
Topping Ingredients
- Light Corn Syrup: 3 tablespoons, creates signature gooey texture
- Water: 2 tablespoons
- Vanilla Extract: 2 teaspoons, for wonderful aroma
- Butter: 12 tablespoons, room temperature
- Granulated Sugar: 1⅓ cups
- Salt: A pinch
- Egg: 1 large
- All-purpose Flour: 1¼ cups
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare Yeast: Combine yeast, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and warm milk in a small bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes until foamy.
- Make Crust Base: Cream butter and 3 tablespoons sugar until fluffy. Mix in yeast mixture, egg, salt, and flour until smooth.
- Knead Dough: Mix/knead for 7 minutes until dough becomes smooth and pulls away from bowl sides.
- Let Rise: Press dough into 9×13″ ungreased baking dish. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 2 hours).
- Prepare Topping: Whisk corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Separately cream butter, sugar, and salt for 5 minutes.
- Complete Topping: Add egg to butter mixture, then alternate adding flour and corn syrup mixture.
- Assemble: Drop spoonfuls of topping over risen dough and smooth into even layer.
- Bake: At 350°F for 35-40 minutes until golden brown with slightly soft center.
- Finish: Cool completely, dust with powdered sugar, and serve same day for best results.
Baking Tips & Techniques
Getting your yeast dough just right makes all the difference in this St. Louis favorite! Keep your milk warm (about 110°F) but not hot – this helps the yeast wake up and work its magic.
When mixing the dough, watch for that moment when it pulls away from the bowl’s sides – that’s your signal it’s ready. The doubled-in-size test never fails – if you gently poke the dough and the indent stays, you’re good to go!
Storage & Freshness
This gooey butter cake tastes amazing fresh from the oven (after cooling, of course!). While you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a day, the texture is best on baking day.
If you need to keep it longer, pop it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just bring it back to room temperature before serving to get that perfect gooey texture back.
Serving Ideas
A light dusting of powdered sugar makes this cake shine! Serve it for brunch alongside fresh coffee, or make it the star of your afternoon tea party.
Some folks love it slightly warm, while others prefer it completely cooled – both ways are delicious! Cut into small squares for sharing, since this rich treat is wonderfully satisfying even in modest portions.
Common Questions
Having trouble getting your dough to rise? Place it in a warm spot like near (not on!) your preheating oven. If your topping seems too thick when spreading, let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
Remember that the center should be soft when it comes out – it will set up more as it cools, giving you that classic gooey butter cake texture.
Original Gooey Butter Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar + 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/3 cup warm milk
- 6 Tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
For the topping:
- 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 Tablespoons butter
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine yeast, ¼ tsp sugar and warm milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In a stand mixer cream together the butter and 3 Tbsp of sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the yeast mixture, egg, salt and flour and mix on low until combined. Increase speed and mix/knead for about 7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Press the dough into an ungreased 9×13” baking dish. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
- For the topping: Whisk together light corn syrup, water and vanilla until combined.
- In a separate bowl cream together the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add a little of the flour, alternating with adding the corn syrup mixture, until both are combined.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Drop large spoonfuls of topping all over the risen dough. Use a spatula to gently smooth it into an even layer.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top has set and is golden brown. The center should still seem soft when it comes out of the oven.
- Allow to cool on a wire cooling rack to room temperature. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.
