Momofuku’s Butter Cake Bars
Claude could not sleep. No, he could not.
Drip, drip, drip went the sound. Beside him, Marie slept. Claude felt betrayed.
Drip, drip, drip. Each (drip) sound (drip) felt like (drip) a bullet in his eye (drip DRIP). He grabbed the covers in one hand and tossed them aside, grumbling as he walked.
Along the way, he picked up his slippers and his robe. He pulled down the sides of his nightcap until the soft fabric covered his ears. He shushed the dog who lifted his head.
Claude walked across the room and peered at the pipes. Drip drip drip. He was getting closer. He felt his teeth come together and grind down as his slippers turned cold. The floor was wet. The cold ran up his bare legs like a shock.
He brought his face very close to the pipe and wished he had brought the lamp. Then, he stopped. He sniffed. Drip drip drip. The air smelled sweet, like when Marie made caramels on the stove. The smell made him stop, made the drips fade. For a moment, Claude relaxed. He breathed in the smell of sugar, of sticky delight.
He felt a drop on his nose. The wetness dripped down over his cheek and onto his tongue. Sweetness. Butter. Claude’s eyes widened.
He cast his gaze on the ceiling, following the drop and its silk-like thread. Butter. Unmistakeable. Sugar. A bite of salt. Another fell on his tongue, then another and another. Claude stared at the ceiling in wonder, at the rain that fell there.
You guys, listen. Nicole says this is one of the best desserts she’s ever had. Maybe we should listen to her.
This dessert is crazy rich and comes with some crazy street cred (from Momofuku Milk Bar goddess Christina Tosi’s Grandma Rosemary. Thank you, Gilt Taste, for delivering such information to us. We love you.) Ours is drippier and ooyier to mimic your drool.
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Bars
From Momofuku Milk Bar via Wee Eats | Makes 64 1-inch bars | Print Recipe
Ingredients
1 box of yellow cake mix (1 pound)
4 ounces of butter, melted
3 eggs
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
1 pound (16 ounces) of powdered sugar
1 tsp. of vanilla extract
Prepare
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the base first: mix together cake mix, butter and 1 egg.
3. Pat into pan, create an even layer.
4. Make the ooey gooey layer: Cream together the cream cheese, 2 eggs, sugar and vanilla.
5. Pour gooey layer over cake layer, spread to edges.
6. Bake for 45 minutes* or until edges are golden brown, center should be a creamy yet solid consistency like cheesecake or heaven. (*updated)
7. Cool completely in pan before cutting into 1-inch sqaures with a clean, dry knife. For best square results, pop into freezer and chill before slicing.
77 Comments
Anita Menon
January 17, 2012Beautiful imagery… and the cake bars look so yummy
Judi
January 17, 2012Thanks! And congrats on getting published, Anita! So cool!
wee eats
January 18, 2012beautiful photos – and i love the story
Melissa
January 22, 2012Oh my goodness, I’m literally drooling right now. These look like exactly what I’m positively aching for at this very moment. If I wasn’t in the hospital, I would make and eat an entire pan in an instant.
Melissa
January 22, 2012I’m assuming that you took the photos before letting them cool completely? And do you think that adding orange or lemon zest to the topping would work well?
Nicole
January 23, 2012These were actually cooled overnight when I took the photos. I’m not sure if I didn’t cook them all the way or why they were so drippy, but they tasted amazing so I’m not complaining! And if you eat it with a spoon as soon as it comes out of the oven it’s even more delicious!
Melissa
January 28, 2012I’ll be surprised if I can wait for them to finish cooking before I sear my mouth on them. Your photos make me ACHE for that drippy deliciousness!
Rachel
July 16, 2012There is a small bakery in Croyden, PA (outside of North East Philadelphia) called Fritz’ that makes a Gooey Butter Cake this gooey. I’ve been trying to find a recipe to replicate but they all seem too “stiff”. It looks like that maybe I’ve just been overbaking it (I waited until the center was golden brown). I’m going to try again today or tomorrow and bake it for a shorter time (I baked for 42 minutes and may try closer to 35 minutes). I hope I get the gooeiness. I’ve also heard great reviews on using a chocolate cake instead of a yellow cake for anyone that wants to try something different.
Wanderlusting Expat
January 27, 2012those look amaaaaaaazing
Red
January 29, 2012Gooey butter cakes always has a gooey top. If not it’s overbooked. Best to make it the day before in the fridge and top with powdered sugar. This “cake” is a St. Louis tradition!
Dori
January 29, 2012I am definitely going to make these!
Nicole
January 31, 2012This looks a lot like St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake, delicious! I love the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook, I’ve only made the crack pie so far, but I have a bunch of other recipes in it bookmarked for later.
taash
February 1, 2012Great, up until I reached the part about cake mix. Maybe I can substitute a recipe’s worth of real cake?
Nicole
February 1, 2012Probably you can, just the dry ingredients though I would think since that’s what the cake mix is.
Diana
February 3, 2012You can also substitute a lemon cake mix for the bottom crust instead of the yellow cake mix. I do that and I also use the butter cake mix also instead of the yellow cake mix. Lemon is my husbands favorite.
Nicole
February 3, 2012that’s a great idea, sounds delicious!
Blair
February 3, 2012My grandmother has made this recipe for 50+ years. We call it “buttermilk cake”. My friends call it “crack cake” because every time I make it for an event they inhale it in 10 minutes.
Tobias @ T and Tea Cake
February 4, 2012One word: AMAZING!
You say they are rich and I believe you.
I see the 4oz of butter and I know for sure but HELL I would totally skip dinner for them. Like, for a week or so…
Cheers,
Tobias
Elaine R.
February 4, 2012I tried this recipe and unfortunately did not get the same result — perhaps it did not bake long enough? I let them fully cool before cutting, but they were still a gooey mess (gooey to the extent that they would not hold together and seemed a blend of cake and goo. I let them bake for 40 minutes until edges were golden brown, but the cake part wasn’t baked except at the very bottom, apparently. I thought I had the right consistency, but guess not. Thoughts/suggestions? I have looked up similar recipes since then that have the same ingredients but say to use a 13″x9″ pan — Has anyone tried that approach? Either way, I have to admit ‘they’ are still quite tasty and I will take the credit for inventing them as ‘butter cake pudding’ to be consumed in servings by the tablespoon… Joking (kind of). Any suggestions are appreciated!
Nicole
February 5, 2012I had that happen the first time I made it too, it was delicious, but very messy to cut! The second time I made it, I just baked it longer until the inside is starting to brown too and it came out perfect. So I would suggest just baking it a little longer.
Elaine R.
February 10, 2012Awesome, thanks!! I’ll definitely try that next time.
Cindy
June 4, 2012I have been using this recipe since 1978, long before Paula Deen added a second stick of butter and passed it off as her own recipe. Here in St. Louis, where it was invented, it is called gooey butter cake. I always use a 9 X 13 pan, only bake it 30 minutes, and cut it into 24 pieces. Cutting an 8 X 8 pan into 64 pieces is ludicrous. With a whole stick of butter in the base, parchment paper is not necessary. If you don’t believe me, then just spray the pan instead. I also use only about half that amount of sugar, although my recipe calls for one pound.
Linda
July 19, 2012I, too, have been making gooey butter cakes for years, and now into gooey butter cookies, with endless varieties. Love them.
Jane Didway
November 10, 2012Gooey butter cookies! Could you share your recipe? I have always made gooey butter cake but last weekend, while visiting the StL area, I had gooey butter cookies and have not been able to get them off my mind! They were delicious!
Sarah
September 3, 2012I had the same trouble too. I think I will try these in a 13×9 pan next time.
Brenda
February 10, 2012OMG! Drooling! I need to make these ASAP!
Ann
February 10, 2012I have made these for years, in MS we call them Chess Squares for their similarity to chess pie. Totally addictive,and are good with lemon cake mix as well.
Mary Middleton ~ Scensty Independent Consultant
April 20, 2012I’m from KY and that is what we called them too!
Susan Wetter
February 13, 2012I make this same recipe, but instead of vanilla, I use one tsp. almond extract in the cake part and another tsp. in the gooey part. We refer to it as Gooey Bars.
Susan Wetter
February 13, 2012Try the recipe omitting the vanilla. INSTEAD Use 1 tsp. almond extract in the cake part, and another tsp. in the gooey part.
We call these Gooey Bars. Yummy!
james t
February 13, 2012The cooking time is extremely conservative. I’d go for almost 50min vs. 30min. Also, the 8X8 inch pan is too shallow to allow full cooking of the cream cheese topping. I’d recommend a standard 9X11 pan for proper baking and nice cutting into squares.
Denise
July 5, 2012I totally agree. I guess I should have read the reviews before I made it!!
Weekly Menu Plan « Monica's Nest
February 16, 2012[...] thought of attempting to focus on an involved recipe makes me want to cry, so they’re getting Momofuku’s Butter Cake Bars instead. Not as awesome, but they’re supposed to be delicious! I hope everyone likes [...]
Timothy
February 21, 2012I made them for the annual Wild Game dinner my 90 year-old Grandfather has hosted for 32 of the last 33 years. Last year his wife of 67 years, my grandmother, died; so, it was good to have it again. I think I backed them at 40-42 minutes and then threw them in the fridge over night. This worked pretty well, only the center was somewhat runny. The recipe is basic and open for altering. Nuts, other flavors et al, would be served well. I was almost scared to try them, thank god. They were all eaten, my friend had three in ~10 minutes, UGGGHHHH! My teeth hurt just thinking about such a feat. This is so simple that I know I will repeat it.
Critiques: One egg in the base was not enough, I used two. Also, I used an extra 2 oz of butter in the base. THis worked like a charm. I mistakenly used wax paper instead of parchment. Do not follow my lead on this. Always use parchment. I am lucky there was not a fire, also, the wax paper will stick to the top layer. There is enough butter in the bottom for it not to stick at all. Thank you so very much.
Nicole
February 21, 2012Great suggestions! We’ve adjusted the cooking time in the recipe because we seem to be hearing that from a lot of people, thanks!
momofukus butter cake bars
February 27, 2012[...] me so I ate the top off. Anyway, if you look at all the comments from Tastspotting.com and from Some Kitchen Stories (who posted these on Tastespotting) you will see many a fabulous comment. We all got the recipe [...]
Cassi Kwast
February 27, 2012I used one of those “Perfect Brownie Pans” and let it bake for 40 minutes. It was way over baked!! But, my own fault for not checking on it. All I can say is, if it was this tasty over baked, I can’t wait to make it again, and try it when it’s properly made!!
Evelyn
February 28, 2012This looks like Philadelphia Butter Cake. This has been sold in bakeries in the Philly area for my whole life. Funny, how I thought it was a local speciality. Anyway, I never knew how it was made. I’m going to try this recipe and see if it’s as good as what we had when I was a kid. Might be a nice Easter dinner dessert. Found this posted on Pinterest.
what’s up | MamaFace Says
March 2, 2012[...] back in time, Sunday’s Pinterest Recipe, (a new tradition), was Butter Bars. Based on the name of the recipe alone, you would assume and you’d be right, that these would [...]
Gooey Butter Cake Bars | Butter and a Pinch of Salt
March 11, 2012[...] Gooey butter-cake bars. I believe this recipe has southern origins in St. Louis, Missouri. I’m also fairly certain Paula Dean originally made it famous. It’s called butter cake after all. This particular version comes from the Momofuku Milk Bar book, which tweaks the original a bit to make the centre a touch gooey-er. It’s a good thing. Trust me. [...]
Tavia
March 13, 2012I made these and they were so good! I think I cooked them a bit longer than you, as mine weren’t as runny. Very tasty.
Serena
April 2, 2012Hi ladies, if one happened to live in the UK and need to make the cake mix from scratch – ie eggs, flour etc, can you suggest a suitable recipe? Thanks!
Nicole
April 2, 2012Hey Serena, I can’t guarantee this will work, but I would guess use a cake mix recipe like this one http://allrecipes.com/recipe/davids-yellow-cake/ and omit all of the wet ingredients since the butter bars recipe only uses the dry cake mix. So take out the butter, eggs, milk & vanilla. hopefully that works!
nicole
April 4, 2012my mom used to make ooey gooey butter bars when i was a kid, and yeah– your imagery is spot on. they are THE greatest dessert ever invented.
JMS
April 5, 20128×8 pan seems too small to get 64 one inch squares .. is that a typo ?
Nicole
April 5, 2012They can be very small squares, they’re super rich all you need is a tiny square!
Xx
January 12, 20138″ times 8″ equals 64 square inches… Thus 64 1″ by 1″ squares
gooey butter cake « Town Mouse and Country Mouse
April 24, 2012[...] adapted from some kitchen stories [...]
Stacy
April 29, 2012I made this and it came out great. I cut back the amount of powdered by 4 oz (25 %) because a pound seemed like too much for a cake of this size. You need enough to create the gooey texture, but otherwise why waste ingredients? Baked it for a little under 40 mins because my oven tends to run hot. I used a disposable foil pan from the supermarket because I didn’t have an 8 x 8 cake pan. The top browned lightly, and when cooled it crackled when cut, and the next layer is nicely soft without being runny. Do let the cake cool off entirely before cutting. I found one large egg was enough for the bottom layer. Gave some to a friend, and she loved it. I’m trying hard not to snack on the remaining pieces, and I’m losing that battle. Posted picture of my result here: http://pinterest.com/pin/251497960411295040/
Vickie
May 30, 2012My Mom passed this recipe along to us…she always called it “Gooey Cake”. It can be made even “yummier” I know how ?you are thinking! Add some pecans to the bottom layer before baking…Yumo!
One more thing–we make ours in a 9×13 cake pan
Natalie
June 2, 2012I am going to be making these tonight! They look so yummy. I hope I succeed!
Riley
June 5, 2012for the cake part do you actually make the box cake? like with the oil and eggs or just mix the cake mix butter and 1 egg?
Nicole
June 6, 2012No, just use the dry part of the cake mix, butter and 1 egg.
Jennifer
June 24, 2012Has anyone tried using more than the 1 8oz package of cream cheese? I feel like the top is too sweet and not creamy enough!
Revee
July 7, 2012Should you refrigerate if making it the day before a gathering, or is it okay to stay out overnight?
Nicole
July 7, 2012It’s probably fine either way, but I would refrigerate it so it keeps it’s shape and is easier to handle
Alice
July 8, 2012My mother and her mother made this for many years. Their recipe was called “Girdle Busters”, lol. Probably dating myself on that one.
Nicole
July 8, 2012lol that name sounds appropriate
Cindy
July 11, 2012Great Recipe – everyone loved them and now I am gong to attempt a chocolate gooey bar !!
Michael
August 4, 2012Oh my god! These things are delicious! I didn’t have an 8×8 pan nor parchment paper, so I made it in a 10 inch spring-form pan (lightly sprayed with cooking spray). Then cut it like a pie…I cant get enough of these, soooo glad I tried it!
Alicia Ragsdale
September 17, 2012Wow, I am in the minority here. I made these tonight for a group of friends and we all thought they we sickeningly sweet. Maybe the 1 lb of powdered sugar should have been a giveaway. Anyhow, I’m an avid baker so I’d sure love to try something else posted on this blog and give it another try.
Nicole
September 17, 2012Yes, they are very sweet & rich! That’s what makes them so delicious. You have to be a fan of sweet things for a dessert like this, especially with a name like Gooey Butter Bars!
Vickie
December 24, 2012Hey these are really good,if you want to like lemon, they are really good with lemon cake mix
Vickie
December 24, 2012I meant to say if you like lemon
Kerie Waller
December 27, 2012I cannot wait to try these, also if I didn’t know this was page was about food I would swear you were all pervs. LOL! Such filthy descriptive mouths!
@Melissa “Your photos make me ACHE for that drippy deliciousness!”
Gail
March 29, 2013I made these today and they we so easy to make. Unfortunately due to my oven working hotter than it should they were a little over-cooked and not gooey. Still really good and taste something like cheesecake. I will try again for perfection.
Pinterest Wins | with whimsy
June 6, 2013[...] Momofuku’s Butter Cake Bars [...]
cathy
July 8, 2013I made these with a lemon cake and lemon extract-they were divine!
robin
October 23, 2013Philadelphia gooey butter cake is a completely different recipe. It has a bottom made from scratch not cake mix, and the top does not use cream cheese. Its much better imo. I will post the recipe later.
FRAN
October 23, 2013This sounds good, have you ever made it with chocolate?? Everyone I know always wants only chocolate cake.
Birthday Cake Bars | with lovely,with lovely,
November 4, 2013[…] Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar via Some Kitchen Stories […]
bekka
November 13, 2013This is Paula Deen’s Gooey Butter cake recipe. I made it for my mom’s birthday. You only changed it to bars. Give credit.
Momofuku’s Butter Cake Bars | Food and Everything Else
December 4, 2013[…] Directions@ Some Kitchen Stories <CLICK HERE […]
Judy
January 19, 2014I made this in a 13×9 pan and I cut the baking time to 30 minutes. This does not last long. It doesn’t even make a day. I use other cake mixes too. Chocolate, lemon, pound cake. This is my son’s favorite recipe.
Bob Marley
February 16, 2014I made these, got really stoned and ate the whole batch.
Diana
April 4, 2014Just made these bars – they are delicious!! I baked them in an 8×8 pan as directed, but they did end up baking for ~55 minutes instead of the 45 min in the directions. I waited until the center kind of puffed up and started to get light brown spots. They were perfect after that. Would recommend cutting down on the 1 lb of sugar though…I used maybe 2/3 lbs and it was still really sweet (but delicious).
Bethenia
April 15, 2014I’ve had this on my Food and Beverage Pinterest board for a while and just now came to see the recipe. I had my hopes up on making this because it looked so good but I’m disappointed to see that it’s made with boxed cake mix, instead of being a real made-from-scratch recipe. If I wanted to make something from a box, I’d just get the whole desert bar in a box mix!