Gooey Butter Cake Cooks Country

Our unique Gooey Butter Cake Bars, which are based on a favorite St. Louis cake, top the charts with three layers of sweet goodness. The shortbread crust gives the bars structure and a slight crunch. Once stirred together and baked, this crust is the foundation for a whipped filling of butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Poured on top and baked on the upper oven rack, this filling transforms into two layers: a gooey, buttery middle layer and a perfectly cracked meringue-like top. 

A Crackly Top

The filling cracks around the edges as the bars cool and will crack even more when you cut them—and that's OK. The cracks are a natural result of the baked custard and, once dusted with confectioners' sugar, contribute to these bars' signature appearance.
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
  • Filling
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
  • 4 cups (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A 2-pound bag of confectioners' sugar will yield enough for both the crust and filling with leftovers for dusting. Do not use a glass or ceramic baking dish here. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula as often as needed to make sure all the ingredients are fully combined.
1

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
2
For the crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Add melted butter and stir with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Crumble dough over bottom of prepared pan. Using bottom of dry measuring cup, press dough into even layer. Using fork, poke dough all over, about 20 times. Bake until edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
3
For the filling: Combine cream cheese and butter in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add sugar and mix until fully combined, about 1 minute, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4
Reduce speed to low; add eggs and yolks, one at a time, and mix until incorporated. Add vanilla and salt and mix until incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes (mixture should have the consistency of frosting). Spread filling evenly over cooled crust. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
5
Bake until the top is golden brown, edges have cracked, and center jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely, at least 3 hours.
6
Using foil overhang, lift bars out of the pan. Cut into 12 pieces. Dust with extra sugar and serve. (Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

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