Description
This Gooey Lemon Butter Cake is irresistibly soft, tangy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. With a buttery cake base and a luscious lemon cream cheese topping, it delivers that signature gooey center balanced by bright citrus flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake Base
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the Gooey Lemon Layer
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 ½–4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional Topping
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Lemon slices or zest curls
Instructions
1. Prepare the Base
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a bowl, mix cake mix, egg, and melted butter until a thick dough forms.
- Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
2. Make the Gooey Lemon Layer
- Beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Add eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla; mix well.
- Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
3. Assemble
- Pour the lemon mixture over the cake base and spread evenly.
4. Bake
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until edges are set, but center remains slightly jiggly.
- Do not overbake—the center should stay gooey.
5. Cool & Serve
- Cool completely before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- For extra lemon punch, add an extra tablespoon of zest.
- Chill before slicing for cleaner bars.
- Serve at room temperature for maximum gooey texture.
- Prep Time: PT10M
- Cook Time: PT45M
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 70mg