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.

When the temperature climbs, and the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven, these no-bake desserts are exactly what summer calls for. From creamy frozen treats to rich chocolate indulgences, every single one of these recipes comes together without a single minute of bake time.

Straight From the Freezer

Ice cream and frozen desserts that deliver big on flavor and require nothing more than a little patience while they set.

Strawberries have a way of making everything better, and these recipes are proof. Grab an extra flat at the farmers’ market or a carton at the grocery store, because these easy strawberry desserts are exactly what you need. From creamy, dreamy cheesecakes to flaky pies and everything in between. We are about to put those berries to very good use.

Cakes & Cheesecakes

When strawberries meet cake (and cheesecake), magic happens. These strawberry desserts look stunning on a dessert table and taste even better than they look.

Mom’s Easy Caramel Brownies

My mom’s famous caramel brownies are hands-down the most requested recipe in our family. These cake mix caramel brownies are fudgy, gooey, and unbelievably easy to make. All you need is cake mix, chocolate chips, caramel, butter, and evaporated milk to create the most irresistible brownies ever!

Caramel Brownies with a Cake Mix

My mom has been making these caramel brownies for as long as I can remember. They were the birthday request of choice in our house and a must at every Fourth of July pool party. Everyone looked forward to them. They’re that good. When Cade and I got engaged, I baked a batch for his birthday and left them on his counter as a surprise. Two days passed, and he still hadn’t touched them. He was deep into clean eating and avoiding sugar. I felt crushed. I told him how much it hurt, so he tried one. Ever since, they’ve been his favorite dessert. Now, my mom even mails him a batch every so often.

The secrets? We always use margarine instead of butter. It makes the brownies extra gooey but still hold their shape. Only Betty Crocker German chocolate cake mix and Kraft caramels will do.

Now go make these brownies and leave a little love note for my mom so she feels special.

Can a Chocolate Cake Mix Really Make Brownies?

You know what I love most about this recipe? No tedious sifting of flour, sugar, salt, or cocoa powder. Instead, it uses just a few simple ingredients! And the best part? N