Lemon Gooey Butter Cake

Lemon gooey butter cake brings bright lemon flavor to a classic dessert made with a cake mix base and a rich cream cheese topping. It bakes up with a dense, buttery bottom layer, a gooey center, and a thin golden top that crackles when you cut into it.

If lemon is your favorite flavor too, you'll want to try our Mini Lemon Tarts with a Cheesecake Layer and our Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake. And if you're curious how classic Southern desserts like this one have changed over the years, check out Southern Food Then and Now.

If you haven't jumped on the gooey butter cake bandwagon you need to do that now! We started making them a while back and they're so easy, loved by everyone, and best of all? You can totally customize by creating your own flavors.

As I write this it's a hot summer day in Coastal Georgia, and the most refreshing flavor I can think of is bright, citrusy lemon. The butter, the cream cheese and the lemon are indeed a combination that can't be beat.

A bit reminiscent of a lemon bar, but with a buttery, gooey filling, this easy gooey butter cake recipe is one you'll come back to again and again.

Jump to:

• What Is Gooey Butter Cake?
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Gooey Lemon Butter Cake
• Expert Tips
• Recipe FAQs
• Variations
• Storage
• More lemon flavored recipes:
• 📖 Recipe
• Cakes, Cupcakes, & Frostings

What Is Gooey Butter Cake?

Gooey butter cake comes from St. Louis, where it has been a bakery staple since the 1930s. The story goes that a baker mixed up the proportions on a batch of cake, and the result was so good that he sold it anyway.

The idea is simple. A thick, cake-like batter gets pressed into the bottom of the pan, and a cream cheese mixture is poured on top. As it bakes, the bottom firms up into something close to a soft cookie crust, while the cream cheese layer sets into a gooey filling with a thin, crackly top.

The cake mix version has been around for decades because it's so easy, and it's the one most of us grew up eating at church potlucks and family reunions. Using a lemon cake mix and adding lemon zest and lemon extract to both layers turns it into something that tastes like a cross between a lemon bar and a cheesecake.

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Cake Mix - I use Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme, but any brand will work. Check the box before you buy it, though. Some brands have shrunk their boxes, and this recipe is written for a standard 15.25-ounce mix.
• Eggs - Large eggs. You'll use one in the cake layer and two in the cream cheese layer. Set them out with the cream cheese so they come to room temperature.
• Butter - Traditional stick butter is what you want here. Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
• Lemon Extract - This is where most of the lemon flavor comes from. I use extract instead of lemon juice because it gives you a stronger lemon flavor without adding extra liquid to the batter.
• Lemon Zest - Zest adds fresh lemon flavor to both layers. Zest your lemon before you juice it for anything else, because it's much harder to zest one that's already been cut.
• Cream Cheese - I recommend a full-fat block cream cheese like Philadelphia. It needs to be at room temperature, or you'll end up with lumps in your topping.
• Powdered Sugar - The recipe calls for 16 ounces, which is one standard 1-pound box. You can pour in the whole box and skip measuring. Keep a little extra on hand for dusting the top.

For exact quantities see the recipe card below.

How to Make Gooey Lemon Butter Cake

1. Melt the butter. You can do this on the stovetop on low or in the microwave (covered).
2. Mix the cake mix, one egg, half the melted butter (8 Tablespoons), half the lemon extract and half the lemon zest in bowl with electric mixer until well blended. (If you have a stand mixer you'll want to use the paddle attachment). A medium bowl works fine for this layer.
3. Press the cake batter mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan which has been sprayed with a baking spray like Bakers Joy.
4. Mix two eggs, the room temperature cream cheese, the remaining lemon extract and zest and remaining butter in a large bowl until well blended.
5. Add the powdered sugar and mix well.
6. Pour over the bottom layer in baking pan.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown on top.
8. Remove from oven and sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired.

Just look at the crackly golden skin on that top of the cake before being garnished and cut. Doesn't it look divine?

How to Tell When It's Done

The toothpick test won't work here, because the center is supposed to stay gooey. Instead, look for these signs:

• The top is golden brown and has formed a thin, dry skin.
• You can see small cracks, especially around the edges.
• The edges are set and starting to pull away from the pan.
• The center still has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan, a lot like a cheesecake.

If the center is still sloshy and liquid, give it another 5 minutes and check again. Don't wait for it to firm up completely in the oven. It will continue to set as it cools.

Expert Tips

• This recipe makes a thick cake batter that won't spread on its own. Press it into the pan with your fingers, and wet your hands first so the batter doesn't stick to them.
• Set your cream cheese and eggs out about an hour before you start. Cold cream cheese won't blend smoothly, and cold eggs can make softened cream cheese seize back up.
• Be sure to use lemon extract and not fresh lemon juice (or bottled). You'll get more lemon flavor without adding too much liquid to the batter.
• Let the cake cool completely before cutting. If you want the cleanest squares, chill it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours first, then wipe your knife clean between cuts.
• Wait to add the powdered sugar until right before serving. The gooey layer absorbs it as it sits, so it will disappear if you dust it too early.

Recipe FAQs

Variations

• More lemon - Double the lemon extract, lemon zest, or both if you want a more intense lemon flavor.
• Other citrus - Swap the lemon cake mix for an orange cake mix and use orange zest and orange extract.
• Berries - Serve each square with fresh blueberries or raspberries on top.
• Whipped cream - Add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each slice.

Storage

You may store at room temperature in the pan or cut into pieces and placed in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

After 2 days it can be stored in the refrigerator (also in an airtight container) for up to 5-6 days.

Gooey butter cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. You can freeze it in whole or cut into pieces. For best results in separating the pieces put a layer of parchment paper between each layer of cake pieces before wrapping in a foil or plastic wrap and placing in an airtight container.

We're confident that you will love this take on classic gooey butter cake! It's so easy to make and produces a delightful lemon dessert that your whole family will love. It also travels well, so you'll want to keep it in rotation for potlucks, barbecues and picnics.

More lemon flavored recipes:

If you're here it must mean that you love lemon. Below you'll find a few more recipes that also feature lemon:

• Mini Lemon Tarts
• Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
• Honey Lemon Pepper Wings
• Air Fryer Lobster Tails with Lemon Butter
• Honey Bourbon Lemonade
• Catfish with Lemon Thyme Sauce

📖 Recipe