Gooey cakes (or bars) have been around for decades; they were developed in St. Louis – the original was called Ooey Gooey Buttercake – and creative cooks have developed dozens of variations and flavors. I made my first gooey cake in the 70s, and felt like the original recipe was too sweet. I adapted the recipe to my personal tastes and reduced the amount of powdered sugar by one cup. While not cloyingly sweet, the following Ooey Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake is similar to one of the desserts served at Paula Deen’s restaurant, Lady & Sons. Although I like my less sweet version a bit better, I don’t skimp on the butter (it would be a crime to substitute margarine) , which is the key flavor ingredient.

Although you can use any chocolate cake mix, I’ve found that a Triple Chocolate Fudge mix is the most chocolately and best for this treat.

24 Bars


Crust:
1 16.25 ounce Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix, or your favorite chocolate cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter

1 8 oz. package softened cream cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9" x 13" shallow baking dish with non-stick spray and line it with parchment.
2. Mix the cake mix, egg, and melted butter until combined; press into the prepared pan.
3. Beat the cream cheese until light; beat in the eggs, vanilla, cocoa, and powdered sugar until combined (or use the food processo). Pour over the crust and drizzle the butter over all .
4. Bake 40-50 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and let cool thoroughly before cutting into bars or squares.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 176 Calories from Fat 105
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 60% Protein 4% Carb. 36%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Cholesterol 58 mg
Sodium 121 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 2 g

Vitamin A 9% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 2%