Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Recipe

ooey gooey butter cake on a white platter covered in powdered sugar

There is no treat as deliciously sweet as Ooey Gooey Butter Cake! Also known as chess cake, chess pie, or chess squares, this simple dessert recipe is a classic Southern food everyone who tries it loves.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword butter cake recipe, chess cake, chess pie, chess squares, gooey butter cake, gooey butter cake recipe, ooey gooey butter cake, ooey gooey butter cake recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings squares

Calories 626kcal

Author Jordin Webert

Equipment

Handheld electric mixer

Ingredients

For the bottom layer:

1 box yellow cake mix (18 ¼ oz. box)
2 sticks butter (melted and divided; 16 Tbsp.)
1 egg

For the top layer:

1 package cream cheese (softened, 8 oz.)
1 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs
1 box powdered sugar (16 oz. box)

Instructions

Add 1 box yellow cake mix, 1 stick of melted butter, and 1 egg to a large bowl. Mix well until a batter forms.
Coat the inside of your baking dish with cooking spray and spread the batter mixture evenly along the bottom. You want it to lay mostly flat and touch the edges of the dish.
Add cream cheese to a large bowl. Mix until fluffy, then add two eggs, 1 stick of melted butter, and almond extract. Mix well until liquefied.
Add confectioners sugar to the bowl and mix until fully combined. Spread this mixture evenly over the top of the batter in the baking dish.
Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. The top should be golden brown in color when it is ready.
Let it cool for at least 10 minutes, then serve, sprinkle with additional confectioners sugar, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

What makes this chess cake recipe so special is the almond extract. A traditional butter cake recipe uses vanilla extract, but we find the nutty, cherry-like sweetness of almond extract kicks this butter cake up a notch in deliciousness! You can use vanilla extract if you do not have almond extract.

Nutrition