Gooey Butter Cake

If you have never heard of or tasted Gooey Butter Cake you are missing out! I had seen Paula Deen make GBC on her show but never got around to looking up the recipe. Then, one Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market in Pensacola, I found heaven! A local bakery was selling Gooey Butter Cake and after having a sample I knew I was in trouble!

Paula's recipe for Double Chocolate GBC was recently published in The Food Network Magazine's Jan/Feb 2011 issue. It's super yummy and I would recommend you make it for your next potluck. The recipe is super easy and made with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Last week I had my girlfriends over for bunch and decided to make a Vanilla GBC. I know there is a recipe out there but since I already had to chocolate recipe I winged it. Here's the recipe*:

Active: 20 min | Total: 1hr (plus cooling) | Serves: 20 to 24

1 18.25-ounce yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus butter for the pan
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 vanilla bean (I only used half because it's so expensive for me to get here but I am sure using the whole bean would just make it even better!)
1 16-ounce box confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Whipped cream, for topping (I made home made and did not sweeten it much at all since the cake it very sweet)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter two round cake pans (I use disposable. The original recipe calls for a 9-by-13 baking pan. Use what you like)

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1 egg and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Stir until well blended. Pat the mixture into the pan and set aside. ( I do this step in my mixer bowl so I don't dirty so much stuff.)

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs and the vanilla bean and beat until well mixed. Reduce speed to low and add the confectioners' sugar. Beat until well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 C. melted butter and the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Spread the filling over the batter in the pan.

4. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook it: The center should still be a little gooey. Let partially cool on a wire rack before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.

I use the two pans so I can share one and eat the other. The recipe makes 20 to 24 servings.

* I do not claim to have created this recipe.