Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

I had a piece of butter cake at a local bakery a few weeks ago & it was really tasty, so when I saw this recipe from Paula Dean I wanted to try it. I made it for dessert last night & it was delicious! I served it with sliced strawberries & blueberries. It's really rich. It kind of tastes like a really moist blonde brownie.

Gooey Butter Cakes
Recipe from: The Lady & Sons Just Desserts
by Paula H. Deen

Butter Gooey Cakes. Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes. Ooey Booey Gooey Cakes. These are just a few of the names I've heard our guests at The Lady & Sons call 'em. But to quote Shakespeare:

What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

This is exactly how I feel about our Gooey Butter Cakes. No matter what you call them, they're like that sweet rose that Shakespeare wrote about. These delectable cakes were an instant hit the first day they showed up in The Bag Lady basket and they immediately became one of my most requested items. These little sweeties actually resemble a bar-type dessert instead of what we know as a traditional cake. 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.

• Cake

• 1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

• Filling

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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!

5. 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!