Public Service Announcement: My Favorite Pumpkin Dessert
The internet is all abuzz with Thanksgiving culinary masterpieces, so it is only fair that I join in on the fun and share this recipe.
They are called Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes and they make pumpkin pie feel like the third sister-wife of the dessert table. I figured many of you would be planning your Turkey Day menus in the next 24 hours, so I urge you to include these in your spread. Would I lead you astray on a day with this much at stake? Certainly not.
You can tell by the title that this recipe is clearly a Paula Deen creation. Only she would title a recipe “Gooey Butter Cakes.” Thanksgiving is her bailiwick. No contest.
Usually I have a nose for the more nutritionally balanced recipes, but this is a well-worth-it exception. And if you want to make yourself feel better about the two sticks of butter in this recipe, remember that pumpkin is a vegetable. Or is it a fruit? Either way.
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar – equivalent to 3 3/4 cups (reserve a 3 Tbsp for dusting)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the bag of cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Check on them after about 35 minutes so you make sure not to overbake them. The center should be a little gooey. Let the pan cool completely before you cut the squares. You could even pop the cooled pan in the fridge before cutting them to get extra clean cuts. Dust them with powdered sugar to make them extra pretty before serving them.
Please, please trust me on this one. Tear up that stale pumpkin pie recipe and enjoy this variation. Just put on your heals and your naughtiest of aprons
Gobble. Gobble.
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Comments are closed.
This looks delicious! Does it have the consistency of pumpkin pie or is it more cake-like with a creamy filling? Wondering for the little picky eater I have …
The consistency is more like pumpkin pie…gooey and delicious!
just an FYI, Gooey butter cake is a St.Louis tradition– it just fits so well with Paula Deen because of her notorious butter fiending xD
This is DIVINE! I made it over the weekend, and am making it again tonight. It is now my FAVORITE pumpkin recipe.!
Looks delicious! Pumpkin is actually a fruit though! =-)
This looks so good. I think I will try it for thanksgiving this year instead of cheesecake or pumpkin pie. Yum O.
This is an awesome recipe, yes, and while Ms. Paula Deen has taken all the credit for everything with the words gooey butter cake in them the past few years, this is not actually her creation. My family has been making this stuff for 30 years…way before Paula Deen. And yes, as the above commenter mentioned, gooey butter cake originated in St. Louis, MO……which makes it Midwestern not southern!
Actually Gooey Butter cakes were not named by Paula Deen, they originated in St. Louis back in the 1940’s. Don’t take credit for what isn’t yours, I am disappointed.
Do any of you know if this can be made ahead and frozen
Sounds delicious!! Does it need to be refrigerated or can it sit out?
Would you please convert the recipe to a “printable version?”
YES!Allow them to fully cool before you cut–then freeze, thaw and serve cool or at room temp. Enjoy!
How many cups of powdered sugar is a 16oz box? I only have a huge Costco size bag of powdered sugar.
I made this today…it is fantastic!! Much better than pumpkin pie! My whole family loved it.
A 16oz box is 3 3/4 cups if unsifted. If you sift before measuring, 1 pound would be 4 1/2 cups. Hope that helps!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Keep it in the fridge. And it freezes really well too. Serve cool or at room temp and add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar over the top before serving to make them look fabulous.
The base is more cake like and the pumpkin layer is about the consistency of pumpkin pie. They are the best!
Could you add pecans?
Thanks for the info! It sounds so delicious! Just one more question, do you sift your powdered sugar before mixing or not? I’m so excited! Going to make it tomorrow and see if my family gives it thumbs up or not for Thanksgiving….thanks again! 🙂
Oops, I just made this and assumed that 16 oz.was two cups like in liquid measurements. Do you think it will be ok?
not sure–but please let me know if it works 🙂
no need to sift!
I have never added pecans but I’m sure it would be delicious. I would suggest toasting them and adding them to the top after the bars are cooked and cooled. Then dust the top with powdered sugar. Yum.
I can only find the yellow cake mix that is 15 1/4 oz not the 18 1/4 oz. Any suggestions for that?
How long until it expires???
Hi making this today for Thanksgiving tomorrow and was just wondering if it would matter if the box of cake I got was 15 1/4 rather then 18 1/4? I live 45 min. from the closet grocery store and would hate to make a trip for a box of cake mix. I guess I should have paid more attention when shopping last week thats what happens when you shop w/ a toddler 🙂 Thanks!
I’m so glad you are making this for Thanksgiving. The 15oz box will be just fine. No worries. Enjoy!
not a problem all!
Do you prepare the cake mix as directed on the box or just add dry cake mix, one egg, and butter?
Oh My Goodness! I am thankful for such a delicious addition to our Thanksgiving feast! This is way better than the old school pumpkin pie!! Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
follow the instructions in the recipe–not as the box directs. enjoy!
Made this for Thanksgiving today! It was a hit! So yummy! Much better than a pumpkin pie! So glad I found it!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Jennifer, Thanks so much for sharing such a great recipe everyone loved it! It was like a pumpkin cheese cake (best of both worlds) also thanks for the help the smaller box worked wonderful! LOVE YOUR WEBSITE!
I tried this recipe out and loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Quick question….I made it and it was delicious, but the cake part must have risen too much and broke through the pumpkin part. It tasted good, but didn’t look pretty. What did I do wrong? Any ideas? Thank you for sharing!
My friends and I changed the name of this to “Dang” because it’s just so Dang good!!!
My daughter and niece made this for Thanksgiving but refused to put it out for the other guest.
Mine doesnt look like the picture. I followed everything as instructed. Dont know what I did. Oh well it was still gooey and delicious!
This is delicious. I love this recipe.
Interesting. I’ve never had that happen, but I’m sure a dusting of powdered sugar will make it prettier!
I made this for our Christmas family dinner. Having never made this before, I wasn’t sure if it would be well received. Well, lets just say, I’ve been asked to make it again for next year and got many rave reviews to how great it tasted. Some said it tasted better than pumpkin pie! It was easy to make too. Thank you for such a great recipe.
Hi! We dont have canned pumpkin where we live. Can i use fresh pumpkin? If so how do i prepare it? thanks!
Butter cake is a Philadelphia creation this is a easy copy cake recipe the original has a yeast crust made at German bakeries in the Philadelphia area