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!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 423kcal
- 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
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-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.
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!
Tips:
- 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.
Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 519IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg