Here’s a rich, comforting Gooey Topped Cake—soft cake on the bottom with a sweet, gooey layer on top that sinks slightly as it bakes. This is the kind of dessert that disappears fast 😋🍰
Gooey Topped Cake
Makes one 9×13-inch cake
Cake Base
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Gooey Topping
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven
350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. - Make cake base
Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, and vanilla until combined. Spread evenly in the pan. - Prepare gooey topping
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, then butter. Batter will be thick but pourable. - Assemble
Pour gooey topping evenly over the cake base. - Bake
Bake 40–45 minutes. The edges should be set, but the center will still look slightly jiggly—that’s perfect. - Cool & serve
Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
💡 Tips & Variations
- Lemon gooey cake: Use lemon cake mix + lemon extract
- Chocolate version: Use chocolate cake mix
- Pumpkin spice: Add pumpkin spice to topping
- Extra gooey: Slightly underbake (don’t overdo it)
If you want, I can also share a Southern butter gooey cake, a from-scratch version, or a small-batch recipe.