There's no question that we're experiencing a renaissance of the gooey butter cake, that St. Louis original. It's easy to remember when it wasn't on a single St. Louis restaurant's dessert menu. And flavors? Well, how many generations would have looked puzzled if someone asked what flavor GBC was being offered? There was only one flavor, right there in the cake's name, until the 21st century brought innovations.
For the uninitiated, we usually explain that it's a coffee-cake-ish dessert, a single layer consisting of crust, these days usually leavened by baking powder like cake, and a moist, sticky, and very sweet filling that bakes up with a slightly crisp top. (One occasionally used to find yeast dough for the crust, which balanced out the sweetness to some degree.)
We've found a fine seasonal variation at the venerable Lubeley's Bakery. Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake is a swell idea for holiday brunches or nibbling while dealing with the results of a visit from Santa. The center is unusually moist, almost the texture of the inside of a pecan pie, the ginger notes clear but not overwhelming. If there's molasses in it, it's not apparent. The powdered-sugar top outlines a fat gingerbread boy, a nice detail for this marvelous holiday treat.
$5.99 for an 8-inch square cake. Lubeley's Bakery and Deli 7815 Watson Rd., Shrewsbury, 314-961-7160 www lubeleysbakery com Closed Mondays
by Joe and Ann Pollack
