Name: Gooey Butter Cake
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients: ¼ cup whole milk; 2¼ tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast; 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature; 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar; ¾ tsp. salt; 1 large egg; 1¾ cups all-purpose flour; Soft butter for prepping the pans; ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1½ cups granulated sugar; ½ tsp. salt; ¼ cup light corn syrup; 1½ tsp. vanilla extract; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; ¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature; 1 cup cake flour; Confectioners’ sugar for dusting the cake

A Gooey Butter Cake cut into eight pieces on a serving platter with confectioners sugar orange wine and utensils on a...

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

The signature dessert of St. Louis, this gooey butter cake is exactly what its name suggests: a wonderfully gooey treat that doesn’t quite set when baked. Cake mix and cream cheese versions exist, but locals know that the original was made from scratch using yeast. But is the original from St. Louis? Or was this cake a typical German kuchen (cake) of the early 20th century, baked and sold in the German bakeries that dotted the Midwest? Locals in St. Louis like to say the cake originated there in the 1930s, and the story goes that a baker was in a hurry and left out a key ingredient, or that the baker intentionally experimented to create something new. Judy Evans, who was the longtime food editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, often searched for the origin of this cake, but “surprisingly no one takes credit for it.” Here is the recipe that Evans shared each time a reader wanted the most authentic St. Louis recipe.

Recipe information

Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Yield
Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

For the cake

¼ cup whole milk

2¼ tsp. (1 package) active dry yeast

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

¾ tsp. salt

1 large egg

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

Soft butter for prepping the pans

For the filling

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ cup light corn syrup

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature

1 cup cake flour

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting the cake

Preparation

Step 1
For the cake, place the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 1 minute, or in the microwave on low power for 45 seconds, and heat until the milk is 100° F. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
Step 2
Place the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg, and beat until incorporated. Stop the mixer, and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour alternately with the yeast and milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. When all the flour has been added, blend on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Lightly rub butter into the bottom of two 8" square pans. Divide the dough in half, and press one half into the bottom of each pan. Cover each pan loosely with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise until nearly doubled, about 2 hours.
Step 4
When the dough has nearly finished rising, make the filling. Place the butter, sugar, salt, and corn syrup in a large mixing bowl, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla and 1 egg. Beat on medium speed until combined, then add the second egg. Add the milk and half the flour, beating until combined. Add the rest of the flour, and beat until smooth. Set aside.
Step 5
Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the filling over the rising dough, dividing it evenly between the 2 pans, and spread it to the edges. Place the pans in the oven.
Step 6
Bake the cakes until the tops are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let the cakes cool for 20 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, slice, and serve warm.

Image may contain: Food, Dessert, Cake, Icing, Creme, Cream, and Ice Cream

Reprinted with permission from American Cake by Anne Byrn copyright © 2021. Photographs by Mitch Mandel/Rodale Images. Published by Clarkson Rodale, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from Penguin Random House or Amazon.