If there is one dessert worth making this week, it is Paula Deen’s gooey butter cake. This is the original recipe and it’s so easy with only a yellow cake mix, butter, cream cheese and eggs and it has that classic ooey, gooey middle!

Now don’t be confused, this is NOT the traditional St. Louis bakery version. This is Paula Deen’s original gooey butter cake recipe—the easy cake-mix version that made this rich, gooey dessert famous with home bakers.

Don’t worry, I’ll take you through all the trouble shooting below, but first, here’s one I don’t want you to miss:

How do I get the perfect gooey center?

This is so important!! 🚨 Don’t Wait for the Center to Look Fully Set!

You must do the jiggle test on an ooey-gooey dessert. It’s going to look undone, but give the pan a jiggle and then take the cake out of the oven when the edges are golden brown but the center still moves slightly.

What Does Gooey Butter Cake Taste Like?

Imagine a buttery, melt in your mouth yellow-cake crust topped with a rich cream-cheese custard that’s sweet, soft and just a little gooey in the center. It’s somewhere between a cake, cheesecake bar and blondie—but much more wonderful.

This is a pure Southern comfort recipe. Our Ooey Gooey Butter Cake with a dusting of powdered sugar on top makes it look as good as it tastes.

The Surprising Twist on How We Eat Our Gooey Butter Cake

Fair warning: Claire and I did extensive testing on the best way to eat this cake, and the unanimous winner was straight from the fridge the next day. Chilled, dense, and impossibly rich with that cold sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. Do not skip that step.

These homemade Gooey Butter Cakes with fresh raspberry sauce are one of my favorite desserts to serve when I want something that feels extra special without a lot of work. Each little cake has a soft buttery exterior, a creamy gooey center, and a crisp sugar-coated edge that’s completely irresistible.

Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberry sauce, and you’ll have a restaurant-worthy dessert right at home.

Ingredients You’ll Need

One of the things I love most about these mini butter cakes is that they use simple baking ingredients to create a truly unforgettable dessert. The buttery cake, creamy filling, and fresh raspberry sauce come together perfectly in every bite.

• Turbinado Sugar: Creates the signature crunchy exterior that makes these butter cakes so irresistible.
• Butter: Provides rich flavor and the tender texture every great butter cake needs.
• Cream Cheese: Adds richness and helps create the creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
• Sugar: Sweetens the cake while helping create a soft crumb.
• Egg: Provides structure and richness.
• Vanilla: Adds warm, classic bakery flavor.
• Almond Extract: A small amount adds incredible depth and enhances the buttery flavor.
• Flour: Gives the cakes structure while keeping them soft and tender.
• Baking Powder: Helps the cakes rise properly.
• Fine Sea Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Cream Cheese: Creates the signature gooey center.
• Sugar: Adds sweetness to balance out the tang of the cream cheese.
• Egg Yolk: Adds richness and creaminess to the filling.
• Vanilla Paste or Extract: Adds warm flavor.

Raspberry Sauce

• Fresh Raspberries: Provide bright, fresh flavor that balances the richness of the cake.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens the raspberry sauce and enhances the berry flavor.
• Sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the tart berries.
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