Pumpkin gooey butter cake is simple to make and tastes like fall. It is part cake bar, part pumpkin cheesecake and all delicious!
This fabulous ooey gooey pumpkin cake recipe is easy to make because it start with a cake mix. It just takes a few simple ingredients and is ready to go in the oven in no time at all.
Then you can enjoy the simple crust and rich ooey gooey pumpkin filling. Really this pumpkin butter cake just might be the perfect fall dessert.
Are ooey gooey butter cakes a thing where you live? We are just a couple hours outside of St. Louis and if St. Louis is known for anything (outside of baseball and the arch of course) it is gooey butter cake.
For the un-ooeyed of you out there, ooey gooey butter cake is part buttery, cakey crust and part ooey gooey cheesecake-like topping.
You usually dust it in powdered sugar and go to town. It’s just how it’s done.
Of course over the years, people have taken it from it’s original form and created all sorts of fun flavors. I made one laden with sprinkles for a fun birthday gooey butter cake.
We have also have a recipe for apple lovers. Apple gooey butter cake uses apple butter to bring big apple punch with the same butter cake texture you have come to love.
To tell you the truth, I’d be perfectly happy with this instead of pumpkin pie on our Thanksgiving table. Of course that would be semi-blasphemous so maybe we’ll just have both instead!
Tips For Making a Pumpkin Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Luckily putting this yummy treat together is super easy. Sometimes I line my pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper so I could lift the bars out and cut pretty pieces.
I don’t normally do that if I am just baking them up for my family. You are welcome to bake and serve them right from the pan, but feel free to follow suit if you are willing to go the extra mile to impress someone with perfect pieces.
The biggest tip for making the filling is to make sure you get the butter and cream cheese beaten smooth before adding anything else. That will ensure the finished product is lump free.
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Just make sure both are fully softened and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. It really is that easy.
Mix in the remaining ingredients and pour it over the crust. Bake until the edges are golden and the center has just a little wobble.
You don’t want it to be soupy, but you do want to avoid letting it set completely. That wobble is what gives you that gooey finish!
The hardest part of the whole thing is letting it cool and chill. Waiting to dive in is no fun!
Though if you aren’t going for picture perfect pieces, you can dig in whenever you would like. My youngest sister warms her gooey butter cake up in the microwave, so there’s no reason you couldn’t eat it warm.
It will just be really soft and super gooey. Even gooeyer than normal! It will taste delicious but likely look like a hot mess.
Gooey butter cake is almost always finished with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. I usually just sift some on for a simple but pretty finish.
It is best to wait until right before serving to do with, otherwise the powdered sugar can be dissolved by any moisture or condensation on the cake.
But the pumpkin made me want whipped cream, so I added a dollop of maple whipped cream on top. We all give the combination two thumbs up and highly recommend you do the same!
Storage
While the internet says you can keep gooey butter cake at room temperature for up to 3 days, the eggs and cream cheese make me nervous. So, I like to keep it covered tightly and store it in the fridge. It can be kept that way for up to a week. Or freeze the bars in freezer safe containers for up to a couple of months.
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup butter melted
Filling
- ½ cup butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13" pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine 1 box yellow cake mix, 1 large egg and ½ cup butter (melted). Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. I like to press mine up the edges just a bit to form a crust all the way around.
- Cream together the ½ cup butter and 8 ounces cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the 15 ounces pumpkin puree, 3 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Don't over mix as you don't want to aerate the mixture too much.
- Stir in the 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg then pour the pumpkin mixture onto the prepared cake layer.
- Bake for about 45-55 minutes. The edges should be golden and the center of the pumpkin layer should have just a bit of wobble left, but not be too liquid-y. (You want that cake to be ooey and gooey!)
- Cool completely and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with additional powdered sugar or top with whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to use a spice cake mix instead of a yellow cake for a deeper flavor.
- You can also use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and nutmeg.
- For the best results, use full fat cream cheese.
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I made this cake it is so delicious 😋. I used pumkin spice. Is it okay to freeze it. I’ve read yes to wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil and put in a zip lock bag. I’m afraid it’s going to stick to the plastic wrap. I’m wondering if I can put it in foil pans with plastic on top and then the cardboard lids that come with the foil pan
The foil pans is a good idea. Otherwise, you could freeze them for a little bit to firm them up prior to wrapping them in plastic wrap. Then wrap them tight and you would be in good shape.