St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake - Yum!

I am not from St. Louis, although I have been there a number of times, especially in my teens and 20s as we often took weekend road trips there. There isn't a whole lot there that I find interesting aside from seeing the arch; but seeing it once is enough, right?

There is a yummy breakfast cake/dessert though, from there called the "St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake" and many of the area local church cookbooks and newspapers have printed one version or another of this local treat. Like most local time-honored, family cherished recipes; the variations on the recipe are endless. Many use cake mixes as a base but I really like the yeast dough version of the base since I love the taste of a yeasted sweet dough. It also isn't as sweet as the cake mix versions, and believe me - it is the perfect level of sweetness to have with a cup of coffee or tea.

Here is the recipe:

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake


(Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days

Serves 18

Base Cake Dough
1/2	cup evaporated milk , heated to 100 degrees
1	tablespoon rapid-rise yeast
1/2	cup granulated sugar
4	large eggs , room temperature
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
1	teaspoon salt
3	cups all-purpose flour
12	tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Gooey Butter Topping
1	cup granulated sugar
1	stick unsalted butter , softened
4	ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese , softened
4	tablespoons light corn syrup
2	large egg , room temperature
2	teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3	cup all-purpose flour
6	tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
	confectioners' sugar for dusting on top

1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, shut oven off. Grease a 9 x13-inch baking pan (or line it with a with a greased foil sling). Also grease a medium bowl.

2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix milk and yeast on low speed until yeast dissolves. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-low and add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated, then continue mixing for 5 minutes. Transfer batter to prepared bowl, cover with plastic, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.

4. For the topping: In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar, butter, and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add corn syrup, egg, and vanilla until combined. Add flour and pudding mix and mix until just incorporated. Portion dollops of topping evenly over batter, then spread into even layer.

5. Once oven is fully heated, bake until exterior is golden and center of topping is just beginning to color (center should jiggle slightly when pan is shaken), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan at least 3 hours. Use foil sling (if used) to lift cake from pan.

Dust cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days.)