Gooey Brown Butter Cake Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

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Gooey Brown Butter Cake Recipe

Recipes

ByKara BarrettandTasting Table Staff/

It's not always fair to judge a dish by its name, but it's hard to deny that gooey butter cake is both a great name and a great-tasting treat. Born in St. Louis, Missouri during the 1940s, the cake's origin is a bit unclear — some say a German baker mistakenly created gooey butter cake while trying to bake coffee cake, while others say it was purposefully developed by a master baker. Either way, the sticky-sweet treat is still a hit today. Here, Kara Barrett has created a recipe that places a scrumptious, mature twist on the St. Louis classic. "Brown butter and dark brown sugar bring a nuttier, richer taste to the gooey filling," she says.

If you're not a big baker, don't be intimidated by this recipe — it's relatively straightforward and relies on a convenient shortcut: boxed cake mix. "A lot of gooey cakes opt for the cake mix; I think it saves time for home bakers and still tastes delicious," Barrett explains. Here's how to whip up your very own gooey brown butter cake.

Gather your butter cake ingredients

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Kara Barrett/Tasting Table

Good news: For the most part, this recipe consists of pantry staples, specifically eggs, corn syrup,brown and white sugar, flour, vanilla extract, salt, yellow cake mix, and of course, butter. "I opted for dark corn syrup since it has molasses and I thought it would go well with the brown butter and dark brown sugar. But use what you have on hand. This is a very forgiving cake," Barrett notes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F and grease your cake pan.

Brown the butter

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Kara Barrett/Tasting Table

Considering it's the star of the show, it's no surprise that this recipe starts withmaking brown butter. It may sound fancy, but it's not difficult: Simply melt the butter in a saucepan over medium, then let it cook until it browns. Don't forget to stir, and make sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.

Make the batter

Gooey Brown Butter Cake Recipe - Tasting Table (7)

Kara Barrett/Tasting Table

The cake base is sort of a combination of dough and batter. Make it by combining your boxed cake mix with eggs and more melted butter. Once you have a thick, uniform mixture, press it into your greased cake pan.

Add the filling

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Now, it's time to get gooey. For the filling, stir together your browned butter, one egg, vanilla, and corn syrup, then mix in the salt and sugar. Finally, incorporate the flour a little at a time, then spread your finished filling over the cake base and pop it in the oven.

Bake and dig into this gooey brown butter cake

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Kara Barrett/Tasting Table

Once your gooey butter cake is baked (it'll look gooey, don't worry, you didn't underbake it), you must patiently wait until it's cooled. Then, cut it up, sprinkle it with powdered sugar, and enjoy. "I wouldn't make it more than a day ahead of time," Barrett notes. "It's best fresh from the oven." So, the next time you're entertaining a group and want to treat them to something sweet, nutty, and buttery, you can't go wrong with this gooey brown butter cake.

Gooey Brown Butter Cake Recipe

3.9 from 80 ratings

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This gooey brown butter cake recipe is perfect if you want a nuttier, richer twist on the classic dessert from St. Louis.

Prep Time

10

minutes

Cook Time

35

minutes

Servings

8

servings

Gooey Brown Butter Cake Recipe - Tasting Table (10)

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks of butter, one melted
  • 1 package yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs, one reserved
  • 3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. Make brown butter: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt two sticks of butter on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Butter will steam and foam. Watch closely, stirring as the butter turns brown. Remove to a cool bowl. Set aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Set aside.
  3. Make the cake batter: In a medium mixing bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, and melted butter into a dough-like batter. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan and set aside. Set aside.
  4. Make the filling: Whisk together wet ingredients and the reserved egg. Add salt and sugar, whisking to combine. Then, add flour in increments and finish whisking until thoroughly combined. Spread the filling evenly over the crust in the pan, smoothing to the edges.
  5. Bake for approximately 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown but the center still wobbles.
  6. Cool completely and cut into squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

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Gooey Brown Butter Cake Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

What is the story behind the gooey butter cake? ›

The cake was supposedly first made by accident in the 1930s by a St. Louis-area German American baker who was trying to make regular cake batter but reversed the proportions of butter and flour. John Hoffman was the owner of the bakery where the mistake was made.

What makes a cake dense and heavy? ›

Six common baking-fails, and how they can be prevented. Your cake is too dense A cake that is overly dense typically has too much liquid, too much sugar or too little leavening (not excess flour, as is commonly thought).

Why is my cake gooey in the middle? ›

A cake that's wet in the middle, in most cases, has not baked long enough. Put it back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to check every 5 minutes with the toothpick test for any changes. If sliced, cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning even more.

What bakery invented gooey butter cake? ›

He said his father was Herman Danzer, who owned Danzer's Bakery. In the article, he said Johnny Hoffman of St. Louis Pastries Bakery created gooey butter cake by mistake. After realizing his creation, Hoffman called Danzer, and together, they worked on a final recipe.

What did the old woman notice when she baked cake? ›

Answer: Saint Peter asked the old lady for one of her baked cakes. The lady tried to bake a small cake for the saint. But as the cake was baking, she noticed that it seemed too big to give away, so she kneaded a smaller dough.

Can I freeze gooey butter cake? ›

Can you freeze ooey gooey butter cake? I like to freeze it in individual squares, wrapping them in plastic wrap and then foil. You can also store them in a large zippered freezer bag. You can also freeze the whole cake by covering the pan in plastic wrap or foil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Is it OK to eat gooey cake? ›

First, if your oven presents you with an undercooked cake, do not eat it. Per Healthdigest, consuming undercooked eggs is a one-way ticket to foodborne illness. That being said, you don't need to throw out the cake and start over, either.

What is Kentucky butter cake made of? ›

A Kentucky Butter cake is the simplest cake you can find. The ingredients are truly pantry staples: eggs, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, and buttermilk. Don't skip the buttermilk. Butternilk is essential for the rise of the cake and its tender texture.

What happens if I add an extra egg to my cake mix? ›

Because eggs help build the cake's structure (don't use them and you're looking at a gooey mess), adding an extra egg yolk makes the cake batter denser. Translation: you'll have a moister confection. Conversely, she suggests an extra egg white for a fluffier cake.

What does too much egg do to a cake? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

What is the secret to a dense cake? ›

If a recipe includes a lot of acid such as lemon juice and buttermilk and isn't lifted with enough baking powder, the cake will taste dense. In that case, you may need the addition of baking soda which will react with the acid and create a fluffier crumb.

Is Gooey cake undercooked? ›

Look at it when you pull it back out: if it's clean, then the centre has finished cooking. If it's got batter or batter-like goo on it then the starches have not set and it needs more time.

Can you still eat a cake that has sunk in the middle? ›

If your cake was cooked to the proper temperature, chances are it is still edible even if it sunk in the center. Check that it's baked through the middle, then try a small piece of your cake. It might not taste good if the ingredient measurements were off. Notice the texture to make sure it's not too dense or spongy.

Why does my cake sink in the middle after I take it out of the oven? ›

The pan is too small. There's too much liquid. Opening the oven or moving pans during baking. Oven temperature is too low, or cake isn't baked long enough.

Where did gooey butter cookies originate? ›

Where did gooey butter cookies come from? Gooey butter cookies are the cookie form of gooey butter cake, which originated in St. Louis. The creation of the cake itself was actually an accident, but it was so delicious that it became a hit!

What is the meaning of butter cake? ›

Butter cake. 1. a type of cake that is made with a high proportion of butter, resulting in a rich, tender crumb and a delicate buttery flavor.

What did the old woman feel about her cakes? ›

Saint Peter asked the old lady for a cake from her store of cakes. The very greedy woman did not wish to part with her cakes as she felt they were too large to be given away. So she made a small cake for him, but that too seemed too big to be given away. In the end, she made a very small and thin cake.

What is the meaning of jelly roll cake? ›

a cake that has been spread with cream, jam, or chocolate and then rolled into a cylinder shape. Mezhoud Samira/EyeEm/GettyImages.

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