Description
Delightful St. Louis gooey butter cake marries creamy richness with crumbly texture in a classic Midwestern dessert. Home bakers can easily craft this sweet indulgence that delivers comforting flavors you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.25 cups (532 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1.25 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1.75 cups (397 g) butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 0.67 cup (158 ml) evaporated milk
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup
- confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 350°F and lavishly coat a 9×9-inch baking vessel with unsalted butter, creating a non-stick canvas for the delectable dessert.
- Crust Formation: Merge all-purpose flour and granulated sugar, then integrate cold butter cubes using a pastry cutter, transforming the mixture into a crumbly landscape with pea-sized butter fragments.
- Crust Setting: Compress the crumbly foundation firmly into the baking dish, crafting an even layer that gracefully ascends the dish’s sides.
- Filling Creation: Whip sugar and butter using an electric mixer until the blend becomes ethereally light and voluminous, approximately three minutes.
- Liquid Integration: Introduce the egg at minimal speed, then methodically alternate flour and evaporated milk additions, ensuring a silky, lump-free batter.
- Flavor Enhancement: Fold in corn syrup and vanilla extract, stirring until the ingredients harmonize into a cohesive mixture.
- Assembly: Cascade the filling over the prepared crust, using a spatula to distribute evenly across the entire surface.
- Baking Process: Slide the dish into the preheated oven, baking for 25-33 minutes until the edges set and the center maintains a subtle wobble.
- Cooling and Presentation: Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack, then dust generously with confectioners’ sugar and slice into elegant squares.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Use cold butter for the crust to achieve a crumbly, flaky texture that provides a perfect base for the gooey filling.
- Mixing Technique: Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy to create a smooth, airy filling that contributes to the cake’s signature texture.
- Baking Time Watch: Monitor the cake closely during the last 5-8 minutes of baking; the edges should be set while the center remains slightly jiggly for the authentic gooey consistency.
- Sugar Dusting Tip: Dust confectioners’ sugar just before serving to prevent moisture absorption and maintain the cake’s delicate powdered sugar topping.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 33 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Midwestern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg