Original Gooey-Gooey Cake from 'Grandbaby Cakes'

Yahoo Food

Every week, Yahoo Food spotlights a cookbook that stands out from all the rest. This week’s cookbook is Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams. Read more about Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week here.

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Photograph by Jocelyn Delk Adams

Original Gooey-Gooey Cake
Serves 20–24

It’s funny how a craze can begin. A few years ago, the baking world was consumed by a gooey butter cake trend. Little did most people know that this cake was invented decades ago—in St. Louis, not the South. In fact, my mom first received this recipe from my Aunt Beverly, a St. Louis resident, over 20 years ago. She would make it whenever we visited her and her family: my Uncle Richard and my cousins LaKeisha and Raquel.

I can definitely see why the craze caught fire. The cake itself is quite a feat! It is about as easy a baking recipe as there is, but the taste is out-of-this-world good! The bottom layer starts with yellow cake mix, but bakes into a buttery blondie texture that serves as the ideal vehicle for the cream cheese custard topping. I guess you could say that Aunt Beverly was a pioneer in the gooey-cake movement. At least, I like to think so.

Bottom Cake Layer
1 (15.25-ounce) box classic yellow cake mix or 1 recipe From-Scratch Yellow Cake Mix (recipe follows)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, room temperature

Gooey Top Layer
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt

For the Bottom Cake Layer
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Liberally prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with the nonstick method of your choice.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until combined and thick. Evenly pat the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.

For the Gooey Top Layer
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the sugar, cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt over low speed. Once the sugar is fully incorporated, turn your mixer speed to high. Continue beating until all ingredients are well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, on top of the bottom layer, and spread it evenly across the pan using a spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The center should still be gooey and will look underbaked.

Let cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve in the pan at room temperature.

From-Scratch Yellow Cake Mix
1 ¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
3 tablespoons malt powder or powdered milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients and grind until the butter is fully incorporated and fine crumbs form. Use immediately, or transfer to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.

Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams (Agate Surrey, 2015).

More ooey gooey recipes:

Ovenly’s Ooey Gooey Blondie Recipe

The Imploding Honey Custard Cake

Ooey Gooey Mississippi Mud Brownies