Gooey Cake? Anyone ever heard of it?
I'm trying to track down a recipe that belonged to my father's grandmother. She called it "gooey cake" and NO there is no chocolate and no box cake mix.
Father's family is of German descent (lived in Baltimore), if that gives any clue as to what the heck I'm talking about. The recipe, as written down, basically reads, "butter sugar condensed milk 350" or something like that. No amounts, no further direction, obviously just a reminder of the ingredients.
Obviously I have never actually eaten real gooey cake, because we can't decipher the recipe, but I swear my father gets tears in his eyes when he describes eating an entire gooey cake for breakfast as a teenager.
We think it was made in a round cake pan? contains butter, flour, sugar, either sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk (probably SC?).
I would love to surprise my dad with a real gooey cake and don't mind some experimentation (may have to increase gym membership, mental note).
Any ideas? Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
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20 Comments:
Are you talking about gooey butter cake? It's a traditional food from St. Louis bakeries. The current recipes running around all call for cake mix, but the real stuff long predated mixes. There's a bottom crust and a gooey yellow filling, usually topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Very sweet, often used as a coffee cake or snack rather than a dessert proper. Richard Sax, I believe, has a recipe in his dessert book, and so do the older Joy of Cookings, because Mrs. Rombauer, of course, was a St. Louisan. The German-ness of it rings true; most of those old bakeries were German owned.
Sorry I don't have a recipe for you - we buy them rather than bake them - but I will say I've never seen a non-mix recipe that calls for condensed milk, although this could just be a common-sense substitution.
lemons at 12:56PM on 07/01/09
Have you looked at this recipe? http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=82659&u=http://www.recipezaar.com/24308 No condensed milk, but it is both German and recommended for breakfast. Might be worth a shot?
papagena665 at 12:59PM on 07/01/09
Gooey butter cake!!
For the past few years I have been trying so hard to recreate the Gooey Butter Cake of my youth (Lake Forest Bakery on Clayton Rd, anyone??).
I did a lot of research, and the St. Louis Post Dispatch was actually a lot of help. It seemd that there were two variations: one with a shortbread crust and one with a brioche-like crust. A lot of the toppings called for Jello pudding mix, but I was really trying to avoid that.
Anyway, I remember the cake being more like a coffee cake than a shortbread base with topping. I adapted a few recipes and found something that was EXACTLY to the tee what I wanted: brioche base with custardy topping-- and sweet, sweet, sweet. I made it for friends, and even the non-St. Louisans thought it was delicious.
I have the recipe-- let me know if you'd like it!
lizaj at 1:27PM on 07/01/09
The only one I've heard of is the gooey butter cake that Paula Deen makes - the recipe should be on foodnetwork.com
-Dawn
Eat dinner with your family tonight, I mean it.
WickedGoodDinner at 1:58PM on 07/01/09
Gooey Butter Cake from Lake Forest Bakery, Clayton Mo. is one of my favorite foods from childhood and one of the trifecta of foods we have to have when visiting my parents in St. Louis, that, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard and Pork Steaks with Mauls BBQ sauce. We always bought it and I know most of the groceries now carry a not as good version, but here is a version that is what i remember for BigOVen.com
South St Louis Deep Gooey Butter Cake
Permalink: http://www.bigoven.com/recipe59859
Share your rating or photo! Please visit www.bigoven.com and type 59859 into the search box.
Yield: 1 Servings
Main Ingredient: Cake
Cuisine: Uncategorized
Tags: Cake, Cheese, Butter, Cream, Cream Cheese, Egg, Breakfast, Uncategorized, Dessert, Spring, Sweet
Bottom Layer For Topping
1 Box yellow cake mix 8 ounces Cream cheese
1/2 cup Butter; melted 1 Box powdered sugar
2 Egg 2 Egg; beaten
Instructions
Mix ingredients for bottom layer and put into a greased and floured 9x13 pan or two eight inch pans. Mix and spread topping over bottom layer in pan. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 350 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest by KateyKC~~at;aol.com on Feb 16, 1998
bbdadd at 2:26PM on 07/01/09
The Paula Deen recipe is Pumpkin Gooey Bars. I'm sure that's not what the author is seeking. The St. Louis leads seem the most applicable.
Look at this recipe from Big Oven.
Here's a place that ships these cakes. I'm posting the link because the site has some folklore about the cake. Apparently, some very respectable versions call for cake mix.
This looks like a lovely recipe from a blog - and is the second one I've seen call for yeast. No cake mix in sight.
Never heard of this cake before but it appears to be legendary in St. Louis!
therealchiffonade at 2:42PM on 07/01/09
lizaj, don't keep us in suspense any longer! Please post the recipe!
Roxipapi at 2:47PM on 07/01/09
Yes, Lake Forest!!
I actually don't have the recipe on my computer-- only handwritten in my "baking notebook" at home... I will post it tonight! Hope that's not too late for pressing Gooey Butter Cake needs!
lizaj at 2:55PM on 07/01/09
The cake mix versions went around like wildfire because they were a lot easier. A couple of generations now have had only them. But The Real Thing is definitely not a mix. I, too, prefer the yeast-crust dough, although it isn't actually a brioche (not enough butter, if any), but an eggy dough, to be sure. It seems to cut the sweetness.
As to Lake Forest: I'm thinking that Straub's (an old grocery store chain, quite small and local, full of good, high-end things) has been doing some of the Lake Forest stuff - they hired someone from there a couple of years ago. Go look there.
lemons at 3:04PM on 07/01/09
@bbdad: If you were trying to make me homesick, you succeeded! I left St. Louis in 1975, and I don't get back often. But when I go back, my list reads like this: Maull's BBQ Sauce
Gooey Butter Cake
White Castle Sliders
Fried Ravioli
Pork Steaks (from Schnuck's, of course.)
1stmakearoux at 4:23PM on 07/01/09
Here is Paula Deen's recipe for Gooey Butter Cake:
http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/795
Hope this helps :-)
-Dawn
Eat dinner with your family tonight, I mean it!
WickedGoodDinner at 8:33PM on 07/01/09
i found this after poking around on google for a while. i'm SO making this the next time i have an excuse to bake.
How to make St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake:
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
Filling
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar to prepare the crust. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. Pat into the bottom and sides of a greased 9 x 9 pan.
To prepare the filling, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in egg until combined. A bit at a time, alternately add the flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well blended.
Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until cake is nearly set. Do not overcook. Let cool in pan.
cybercita at 9:55PM on 07/01/09
Thank you all so much! I think we may be on the right track here.. St Louis, who'da thunk? cybercita, that recipe looks suspiciously close to the one I remember (can't ask my dad for the card, would spoil surprise...). So I will be making some gooey butter cakes this weekend to see what the outcome is! I am seeing my dad on sunday so I hope to be able to surprise him with a childhood memory.
I'll let you all know how it goes! Thanks for the help!
wasliche at 7:49AM on 07/02/09
Here is one from the St. Louis Post. It has no cake mix - you basically make your own.
St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake
Yield: 9 servings
For crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
For filling:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar
1. Prepare the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. Pat into the bottom and sides of a greased 9-by-9-by-2-inch pan.
2. Prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and 3/4 cup butter until light and fluffy. Mix in egg until combined. A bit at a time, alternately add 1 cup flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well blended.
3. Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until cake is nearly set. Do not overcook. Let cool in pan.
Per serving: 492 calories; 25.5g fat (46 percent calories from fat); 92mg cholesterol; 5g protein; 62g carbohydrate; 1g fiber; 277mg sodium.
edhen72 at 10:44AM on 07/02/09
gee thanks for the nutritional information :-) I guess it's good to be aware... I am eating salad for lunch today... i did go to the gym yesterday...
along with an obsession for this recipe I seem to have inherited my dad's ability to justify any treat
wasliche at 11:24AM on 07/02/09
Okay, I'm sorry this is so belated, but I can't find my recipe!! What follows is essentially what I did, recreated...
This filling is from the Post (posted above, too.) I know I tweaked it, but, argh! Where did I put my recipe?
Dough:
1/4 cup whole milk , warmed
1 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened
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 greased bowl, cover with plastic, and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Filling:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and 3/4 cup butter until light and fluffy. Mix in egg until combined. A bit at a time, alternately add 1 cup flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well blended.
Make a foil "sling" for a 9x9" pan. Grease well. Spread dough in pan, and top with filling-- you might have a little extra. Bake until filling is set through (does not jiggle) and is uniformly browned. Cool completely before cutting or before removing from pan.
Enjoy!!
lizaj at 10:13AM on 07/03/09
@lizaj, when you put the batter into the pan, do you stir it first, or do you try to leave it as fluffy as possible and just sort of spread it to fit, or do you spread it and sort of smash it down so the bubbles collapse?
I just made one from the one of the online recipes that used yeast, and when it went into the pan it was quite fluffy and spongy because of the yeast action, but it didn't bake evenly. I'm not sure if it was my technique or the fact that I'm at high altitude. It tastes good, but it's not the prettiest thing I ever made.
dbcurrie at 8:24PM on 07/03/09
I didn't stir the batter-- I spread it into the pan as it was when risen. The batter should be silky and smooth, and buttery feeling. As I recall, it spread easily-- I think the batter should be fairly pliable and obedient!
Best of luck!
lizaj at 11:43PM on 07/03/09
Hmmm...okay, it was more fluffy than silky because of all the holes. and when it baked, the top wasn't flat because of the rising and sinking that went on. This might just be another high altitude issue, but I think I'll try your recipe next time and see how that turns out. It does taste good, but since I have no idea what the original is, I have no clue how this compares.
dbcurrie at 12:19AM on 07/04/09
okay gang, just wanted to update y'all who may have been on the edge of your seats wondering which was the "authentic" Baltimore-style version, ha ha! I actually got worried and made two versions, the one linked-in by papagena665 and lizaj's.
Lizaj, btw, I printed out your recipe but didn't notice until I was ready to put the thing in the oven... hey, what temp? Luckily the computer was close by :-).
So I started with lizaj's, and I don't know if it was the humidity that day or what, but my dough/base came out really really runny... it was definitely more of a batter consistency. But it appeared to have risen, so I put it in the pan, and then poured the (much heavier) filling all over the top. I tried to glob in on evenly, but the problem appears to have been that the filling was much heavier than the dough... so while baking, the filling all slid to the middle and there was a kind of dough "ring" around the outside.
However, it looked fantastic and smelled fantastic and I just could not wait. So I picked up this beee-yootiful cake by the sling and set it on a pretty plate for presentation to daddy dearest. However, DH's though was... what if it's awful? Shouldn't we taste it first? So I cut a sliver... hmm, very gooey but pretty yummy. And the batter-y dough turned out very nice, very light and fluffy, but the "goo" was obviously all in the middle. Frankly, it was so sweet it set my teeth on edge, but that actually made me think, this is it! Knowing my father. So here's where it goes downhill... beautiful cake on a pretty plate (minus one slice) with the ends of that foil sling hanging over the sides. I didn't want to just cut the ends off, for fear of someone accidentally eating the foil (or putting the whole thing in the micro). So I tried to slide the foil out, which probably would have worked had I not 1, had a mass of yummy goo in the middle, and 2, taken that first slice. Long story short... cake became a total (tasty) mess. I scooped out a few individual portions and containered them up.
So then I tried papagena665's recipe... very different, but i had the same issue with the yeast dough. However I caught it while still in the mixer. The recipe: "turn dough out and knead a few times, etc." Me: "Are you kdding me?" So I added some more flour, oh well, probably another cup's worth. Needless to say the dough came out much more dough-like, was pressed into the pan, etc. The filling was much lighter in this recipe and more spread-esque... less gooey. So it came out of the oven looking beautiful and YES I learned my lesson and left it alone! This one (Philly style) i preferred over the STL style - it was less sweet and went quite nicely with a cup of coffee. The recipe actually made two pans and I kept one for myself.
Turns out I was right - the STL style is the one my father remembers! He said the crust was thinner but not as thin as the Philly style (granted, neither crust really came out the way they should have, but they were both tasty). He remembers his grandmother poking holes in the dough before pouring the filling on top... which jives with the STL recipe as well.
Lesson: maybe I wasn't reading the recipe correctly? Maybe it was too humid? Maybe my yeast was old? I dunno... but the STL is definitely the "memory" he was looking for, and I was quite happy to get the "Philly-style" into the bargain, since I liked that one better.
Thanks to all for your help and comments! SE'ers strike again!
wasliche at 6:47PM on 07/10/09