Gooey Butter Cake

Every June, Mom and I go to St. Louis for opera weekend at Opera Theater of St. Louis. While in St. Louis, we are sure to sample some local St. Louis foods, and Gooey Butter Cake is legendary in St. Louis. The most common story is that it originated in the 1930s at a St. Louis bakery when a new baker made a mistake when making a coffee cake, but the result was so popular that it became a standard St. Louis specialty. Gooey Butter Cake is a dense cake that is similar in texture to brownies. When I brought the cake to Mom's on a recent Saturday night, my nieces and nephews loved it, and all the adults loved it too.

Mom and I have gotten gooey butter cake at Missouri Baking Company. This recipe is the standard vanilla flavor. But we have gotten other flavors, including tuxedo, which is a vanilla and chocolate marble version. The next time I make this cake, I might try to make another flavor but mixing the flavoring into the topping. I think chocolate, almond or strawberry would be delicious. The recipe below is adopted from Smitten Kitchen. It uses yeast, so it does require some rise time. But don't let that prevent you from trying out this excellent cake.

Gooey Butter Cake 

Base layer

• 5 Tbsp. milk
• 1 3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cup flour

Top layer

• 12 Tbsp. butter, salted
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp. vanilla
• 4 Tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Make the base layer: In a small bowl, warm the milk to about 120 degrees. Add the yeast to the milk and allow it to dissolve and foam. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Alternately add in the yeast and the flour, blending completely. Grease a 13X9 glass pan. Press the dough into the pan. Cover the pan and put in a warm place to allow the dough to rise until doubled, about three hours.

Make the topping: In a bowl, blend the sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Alternately add in the corn syrup and the flour and mix until smooth.

Spoon the topping over the risen cake and use an offset spatula to form an even layer. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!