My Lemony Take on Gooey Butter Cake Is Oh-So-Delicious

If you like lemon desserts and you like gooey butter cake, then you’ll love this recipe. With crisp edges and bottom and a gooey top, these bars are packed with lemon flavor.

Oct 18, 2024 - 16:00

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My Lemony Take on Gooey Butter Cake Is Oh-So-Delicious

close up of Lemon Gooey Butter Cake slices — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

Think blondie meets lemon bars. This sweet treat is buttery and super lemony, with a dense and chewy cake layer on the bottom and a creamy, gooey layer on top. I think the edges are the best part since they’re caramelized and super chewy.

Originally from St Louis, Missouri, gooey butter cake exists in a few different ways—there’s the traditional yeasted version and the more common cake mix and cream cheese version. This recipe is in the style of the cake mix and cream cheese version, but uses a homemade cake base instead of a box mix.

How To Store the Cake

You don’t necessarily need to refrigerate this gooey butter cake. You can store it at room temperature for up to 2 days. However, the fridge will extend its life up to 5 days.

Most people eat this cake at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge a little before serving to warm up on the counter. It can also be eaten chilled, though it’s less gooey when cold.

Lemon Gooey Butter Cake slices on a cutting board with powdered sugar in a sifter — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

Lemony Desserts

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray; set aside.

Prepare the cake layer:

Whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder together in a medium bowl until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the egg, melted butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice and stir until a thick, firm, shiny dough forms. Using a rubber spatula, press the mixture into an even layer in the prepared baking dish; set aside.

overhead view of large bowl of flour with egg mixture added in for Lemon Gooey Butter Cake recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

cake ingredients mixed together to form a thick batter for Lemon Gooey Butter Cake recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

cake batter spread out into a large baking pan for Lemon Gooey Butter Cake recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

Prepare the gooey layer:

Whisk the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Pour the mixture over the cake layer in the prepared baking dish and gently jiggle the baking dish to distribute the layer evenly.

gooey layer added to the cake pan for Lemon Gooey Butter Cake recipe — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel

Bake the cake:

Bake the cake until the top is golden and the edges are puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours, before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar and slice into bars.

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