Photo by T. Mike Fletcher
Alarmed by the proliferation of recipes on the Internet, we asked Tony’s pastry chef and St. Louis Magazine contributor Helen Fletcher for the definitive gooey butter cake recipe. The recipe yields 9 to 12 servings, and does not involve cake mix. If you want to try a chocolate version, just add a couple of ounces of melted semisweet chocolate to the filling before baking.
Sweet Yeast Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar (25 grams or 1 scant ounce)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (210 grams or 7 ounces)
Instructions
Dissolve the yeast in water. Set aside. Combine the milk, butter, and sugar and either microwave or heat until the butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Pour it into the bowl of a mixer and add the egg yolk, vanilla, and yeast. Mix briefly to combine. Add the flour and beat until it comes together, then beat on medium for three minutes. Place in a greased container, cover, and allow to rise until doubled. The dough may be worked at this point, although it will be easier to work if you punch it down and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, spray a 9×9 pan and set it aside. Roll the dough into a 10 ½-inch square. Place in the pan, covering the bottom and sides. Set the pan aside while you make the filling.
Gooey Butter Filling
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups sugar (250 grams or 9 ounces)
- ½ cup butter, room temperature (114 grams, 4 ounces, or 1 stick)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (160 grams or 5 ⅔ ounces)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Beat the sugar, butter, and salt to combine. Add the egg and corn syrup, beating just to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Pour the batter into the dough-lined pan. Cover pan and allow dough to rise 30 to 45 minutes, until the edges are puffy. Preheat oven to 350° F (or, if using a dark or glass pan, 325° F). Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until crust is lightly browned. The filling will be wiggly. Do not overbake, or the gooey part will be too firm. Cool, release, and dust with powdered sugar.
