Gooey Butter Cakes

Who in the world could resist a dessert called Gooey Butter Cakes? They are so easy to make and very rich tasting. You can dress them up or leave them as they are. Keep a box of cake mix on hand and you can throw these together in a hurry. This recipe is from Paula Deen, the queen of butter herself!

Gooey Butter Cakes

Cake:

1 (18.25 oz.) box of cake mix, yellow or white

1 egg

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, melted

Filling:

1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, and butter. Mix well. Pat into the bottom of the prepared pan and set aside.

In another bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in confectioners' sugar and mix well. Beat in butter at low speed. Pour onto cake mixture in pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey so don't bake past that point. Remove and cool completely. Cut into squares.

To alter, add chocolate chips and chopped nuts on top of batter before baking. Or for peanut butter gooey, use chocolate cake mix and add an additional egg and 1 cup peanut butter to cream cheese mix.

"Eat butter first, and eat it last, and live till a hundred years be past."

-Old Dutch proverb