Comments made by Paula Deen: Over the years, I have made every flavor imaginable, using
this basic recipe. I'll give you some of my recommendations but by all means experiment and have fun creating your very own
version of our signature Gooey Butter Cakes.
Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Lightly grease a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well.
- Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.
- Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs and vanilla.
- Dump in confectioners’ sugar and beat well.
- Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter.
- Mix well.
- Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
- Don’t be afraid to make a judgment call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center
to be a little gooey, so don’t bake it past that point!
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Cut into squares.
Just remember that these wonderful little cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go a long way-even for piggies
like me!
Pumpkin Gooey: This variation has to be at the top of my list, especially around Thanksgiving. For the cake part,
I sometimes use a spice cake mix. I have even used a chocolate cake mix, but I think my favorite is the basic yellow cake
mix. Follow the original recipe, adding a 15-ounce can of pumpkin pie filling and an extra egg to the cream cheese filling.
Bake as usual, remove from oven, and allow to cool. Cut into squares and top each square with a pecan half. Serve with a dollop
of fresh whipped cream. I promise you’ll never want pumpkin pie again!
Pineapple Gooey: Add a 20-ounce can of drained crushed pineapple and an extra egg to the cream cheese filling. Proceed
as directed above.
Lemon Gooey: Use a lemon cake mix in place of the yellow cake. Add the juice (approximately 1/4 cup) and zest of
2 lemons to the cream cheese filling. Proceed: as directed above.
Carrot Cake Gooey: Use a spice cake mix, and add 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 1/2 cup finely grated carrots to the cream
cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.
Peanut Butter Gooey: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter and an extra egg to cream cheese filling.
You can sprinkle the top of batter with 1 cup chopped peanuts if you like. Proceed as directed above.
Chocolate Chip Gooey: Use either yellow or chocolate cake mix. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped
nuts on top of filling. Proceed as directed above. (Ladybug suggestion: Melt chocolate chips and stir
into filling before spreading on cake.)
Banana Gooey: Use a yellow cake mix. Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas and an
extra egg. Proceed as directed above.
Nutty Gooey: Use a yellow cake mix, and add 1 cup chopped nuts to the cake mixture. Proceed as directed
above.
Chippy Gooey: Stir 1 cup white chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, Heath Almond
Toffee Bits or Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits into filling. Proceed as directed above.
