Like some of the food world’s most beloved dishes, gooey butter cake was invented by accident. In the late 1930s or 1940s, a local baker in St. Louis, Missouri is rumored to have created the dessert by messing up the proportions of a traditional butter cake recipe. His mistake yielded a delicious thin, dense yellow cake with a sweet, goo-like topping that’s best sliced into a bar.
Since then, gooey butter cake (also known as chess cake) has become a beloved Midwest staple, particularly in its hometown of St. Louis. Many versions of the decadent treat have emerged across the country over the years. Here are eight of our tried-and-true recipes, including favorites made with a boxed cake mix base and options infused with ingredients like carrot and sweet potato.
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Neiman Marcus Cake
Peyton Beckwith
Gooey butter cake tastes so luxurious, the dessert earned the nicknamed Neiman Marcus Cake. While it’s unclear whether gooey butter cake has actually been on the menu at the swanky department store chain’s cafe, the name continues to resonate with home bakers. The evidence? This 6-ingredient Neiman Marcus Cake recipe has nearly 200 4.5-star reviews.
Gooey Butter Cake IV
Getty Images
While most gooey butter cake recipes now start with a packages of cake mix and cream cheese, Allrecipes community member shirleyo’s version takes the classic back to its from-scratch roots. Her recipe features an easy yeasted dough with a rich topping sweetened with corn syrup and sugar.
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
Dotdash Meredith Studios
This brownie-like variation of gooey butter cake is made for chocolate lovers. “Made the cake as the recipe as written,” says SweetRoe8375. “Took it to a St Patrick’s dinner and it was a big hit. Thanks for another great recipe to add to my collection!”
Ooey Gooey Carrot Butter Cake
Allrecipes / Sonia Bozzo
“This ooey gooey carrot butter cake hits somewhere between a carrot cake, a chess bar, and a cheesecake.” says Allrecipes community member Tricia Manzanero. “It has crisp sugary edges, a gooey interior, and a soft cookie-like crust which makes the cake extra scrumptious.”
Gooey Butter Cake II
Allrecipes community member Vicki Monte’s Gooey Butter Cake II is zinged with key ingredient—almond extract—giving the dessert a pleasant dose of nutty flavor. “WOW!” says reviewer GutsyGyro2959. “Just WOW!!!! Fantastic!!! Made it exactly as recipe said and it was fantastic! Will make this again for sure. I’m a baker by trade and this is a huge favorite.”
Apple Butter Gooey Butter Cake
Musselman’s Apple Butter
This perfect-for-fall cake is enriched with a whopping cup of apple butter, which gives the crumb a super-soft texture and lots of fruity flavor. If you can’t find Musselman’s apple butter, feel free to swap in another brand!
Gooey Sweet Potato Butter Cake
“Easy dessert recipe that is perfect for the holidays,” says Allrecipes community member Dawn Stone. “Every time I bring it somewhere, I am always asked for the recipe. If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, bananas are a wonderful substitution.”
Gooey Butter Cake
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
While many reviewers recommend reducing the amount of powdered sugar in the recipe (you can use anywhere from two to four cups), it’s one Allrecipes community members’ most-loved gooey butter cake recipes. OKWEBMOM’s all-caps review is a testament to that: “WE HAVE MADE THIS RECIPE SINCE THE EARLY 80’S. IT IS ALWAYS A BIG HIT. FOR A DIFFERENT TASTE YOU CAN ADD COCONUT AND/OR CHOPPED PECANS TO THE “CRUST” MIXTURE.”
