Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
This Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake is the best chocolate cake recipe! Easy to make using a box cake mix, it’s both fudgy and moist. Perfect for any party or gathering with a crowd, everyone will be asking for more.
The cake of all chocolate cakes! This Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake is one of those dessert recipes that will be requested over and over by your family and friends. We make it for every tailgate, picnic, dinner party, etc. – it’s just that popular!
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With 15 minutes of prep time, this cake comes together in less than an hour. It’s simple to mix together using a boxed chocolate cake mix as a store-bought shortcut. Topped with a cocoa cream cheese, it’s rich and gooey in every bite.
If you’re looking for more delicious dessert recipes, we have so many! Try our Coca-Cola Cake or Oatmeal Pie. They’re both delicious.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy Dessert Made in Under an Hour. If you need a quick to make sweet treat that everyone will love, this cake is for you! With 15 minutes of prep time, it’s simple to whip up.
- Perfect for a Crowd. This is a cake that can serve a whole party. It’s also easy to pack up to bring to someone’s house.
- Gooey Chocolate Cake. There’s nothing better than a slice of the best chocolate cake and this recipe is exactly that.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Full Printable Recipe Card Below
- Dark chocolate fudge cake mix: We love the dark chocolate flavor of the cake mix for this recipe, but you can use whatever chocolate fudge cake mix is your favorite.
- Salted butter: A key ingredient to ooey butter cake that gives it that signature melt in your mouth texture.
- Chopped pecans: Adds a crunchy texture and rich nutty flavor to pair with the chocolate.
- Large eggs: Binds all of the ingredients together.
- Cream cheese: The most important ingredient that’s layered on top of the cake mix for the signature gooey texture.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese layer perfectly.
- Cocoa powder: Gives cocoa flavor to the cream cheese layer of the cake.
- Vanilla extract: Adds caramel notes to every bite.
- Garnish options: Fresh berries, whipped cream, ice cream, powdered sugar, and fresh mint are all perfect to finish off this decadent cake.
Tools You’ll Need
How to Make Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, 1/2 cup of the melted butter, pecans, and 1 egg. Stir until well combined.
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust layer.
- In another mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs. Beat again for 30 seconds.
- Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Blend the remaining melted butter and vanilla extract into the mixture.
- Spread the chocolate cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust in the baking dish.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar if desired. Cut into squares or bars and serve with fresh berries, ice cream and/or whipped cream.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to layer the cake ingredients correctly. This is important to make sure the cake bakes to the correct gooey texture.
- Use a fudgy cake mix for the base. These cake mixes have a higher moisture content than some of the other boxed cake mixes and make this dessert recipe truly foolproof.
- Allow the gooey chocolate cake to cool completely before serving. The cake needs to set before cutting into it and enjoying.
- Soften the cream cheese before serving. If you forgot to soften your cream cheese, no worries. Just microwave in 10 second intervals until soft to the touch.
Storage
Store this chocolate gooey cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze this cake as well but we can’t guarantee the fudgy texture will be the same after thawing.
It’s also the perfect make-ahead dessert for entertaining or bringing to an event – it will be the favorite dessert of the party!
FAQs
Yes, you can use vanilla, red velvet, even lemon would be nice.
The sides will be set and the center will be slightly jiggly in the center. The cake will continue to set as it cools from the residual heat.
This is a result of over-baking the cake.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Gooey Butter Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate Meringue Pie
- Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
- 1 cup salted butter divided
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 3 large eggs divided
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 1 pound powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Garnish options: fresh berries, whipped cream, ice cream, powdered sugar, fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate cake mix, 1/2 cup of the melted butter, pecans, and 1 egg. Stir until well combined.
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the crust layer.
- In another mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs. Beat again for 30 seconds.
- Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Blend the remaining melted butter and vanilla extract into the mixture.
- Spread the chocolate cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust in the baking dish.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar if desired. Cut into squares or bars and serve with fresh berries, ice cream and/or whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- Be sure to layer the cake ingredients correctly. This is so important to make sure the cake bakes to the correct gooey texture.
- Use a fudgy cake mix for the base. These cake mixes have a higher moisture content than some of the other boxed cake mixes and make this dessert recipe truly foolproof.
- Allow the gooey chocolate cake to cool completely before serving. The cake needs to set before cutting into it and enjoying.
- Soften the cream cheese before serving. If you forgot to soften your cream cheese, no worries. Just microwave in 10 second intervals until soft to the touch.
Nutrition
About Laura
Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more…
Made it for an event and it’s delicious! Can’t wait to try it with different cake mixes. Thank you for the recipe!
Awwww!! That makes my heart so happy to hear!! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I’m so happy you liked them so much!!
I made this with peanut butter topping with the cream cheese! Oh my goodness, my mom loved it. It was for her birthday and she loved Reese’s peanut butter cups , so I thought, ooh I can do it this way for her.
Awwww!! That makes my heart so happy to hear!! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I’m so happy it was a part of her special day! Happy Birthday to your mom!!
It looks exactly like the Neiman Marcus chocolate cake.
A little different. There are lots of variations for Ooey Gooey bars or Yum Yum Bars 🙂 I’ll be sharing a new one for the holidays too.
I will be making this tomorrow! Already love regular ooey gooey cake and I’m a choco-holic, so I know this is going to be “the bomb!” Love your videos too! Keep ’em coming!♥️👌♥️👌
Aww!🥹You’re so sweet! Thank you SO much!!!🥰 I hope you LOVED them too! It means a lot to me!
Great recipe. How do you recommend storing leftovers?
Thank you SO much!!!🥰 Store this chocolate gooey cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze this cake as well but we can’t guarantee the fudgy texture will be the same after thawing.
I would like a light, sweet frosting for this cake. any suggestions?
I have a go-to whipped cream frosting for instances like this. You’ll need 8ounce cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (whichever flavor you want), 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, and 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream. This makes a hefty batch, but you can use however much you want. Here are the steps…
In a stand mixer or bowl with a hand mixer, whip cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar and coconut extract, and whip again starting on low and building to medium speed until incorporated well and smooth. Scrape down the edges of the bowl as needed. While the mixer is mixing the cream cheese on low speed, gradually add the heavy whipping cream. After about 30 seconds to 1 minute, the mixture will begin to thicken. Once it begins to thicken, gradually increase the mixers speed to medium-high. When stiff peaks form (mixture holds its shape), the frosting is complete.