Gooey Butter Cake
By Traeger Kitchen
Originally hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, gooey butter cake is a beloved Midwestern treat. It’s comprised of two layers, a yeasty cake base and, as the title implies, a gooey, buttery top layer. We've added a bit of bright lemon zest to balance the richness of the butter, but you can leave it out if you prefer. For a delicious variation, scatter about a cup of fresh raspberries over the top before baking. Note that the cake base needs at least 3 hours rising time, so plan ahead.
Prep Time
1 Hr
Cook Time
40 Min
Pellets
Cherry
Ingredients
This recipe serves:
16
Activating this element will cause content on the page to be updated.Units of Measurement:
Cake Base
| 3 Tablespoon | milk, at room temperature |
| 2 Tablespoon | warm water |
| 1 3/4 Cup | all-purpose flour |
| 1 3/4 Teaspoon | instant yeast |
| 3 Ounce | unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 3 Tablespoon | granulated sugar |
| 1 Teaspoon | kosher salt |
| 1 Tablespoon | finely grated lemon zest |
| 1 | large egg, at room temperature |
Topping
| 1/4 Cup | light corn syrup |
| 2 1/2 Teaspoon | pure vanilla extract |
| 2 Tablespoon | warm water |
| 6 Ounce | unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1 1/2 Cup | granulated sugar |
| 1/2 Teaspoon | kosher salt |
| 1 | large egg, at room temperature |
| 1 1/4 Cup | all-purpose flour |
| Powdered sugar, for serving |
Steps
1
Make the cake base: In a small bowl, combine the milk with the water. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and yeast to combine. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment set to medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl, then add the egg and beat; it’s ok if the mixture looks curdled. On low speed, alternately mix in the milk mixture and flour mixture, scraping the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 8 minutes to develop the gluten; the dough should be soft, slightly sticky, and stretchy.
2
Transfer the dough to an ungreased 9- x13-inch pan. Using lightly floured fingertips and/or an offset spatula, stretch and press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan. (At first it might seem like there’s not enough dough, but there is; just keep pressing.) Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in volume, about 3 hours.
3
If your grill allows, position a grill grate in a higher position. Preheat the grill with the lid closed to 350°F; this will take about 15 minutes.
350 ˚F / 177 ˚C
4
Make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk the corn syrup, vanilla, and water until the corn syrup dissolves. In a cleaned stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the egg, and beat on medium speed. On low speed, alternately add the flour and corn syrup mixture.
5
Top the base: Evenly dollop the topping over the risen cake base. With an offset spatula, gently and evenly spread the topping stopping just short of the edges of the cake base.
6
Transfer the cake pan to the grill grate, using the higher one if available. Bake until golden brown around the edges and just beginning to color in the center (the center will still be wet if poked with a cake tester), 40 to 50 minutes. Begin checking early, especially if baking on a lower grate.
350 ˚F / 177 ˚C
00:40
7
Let the cake cool completely in its pan. Be patient! The topping needs to cool to become gooey. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before cutting into squares and serving. Enjoy!
My Notes
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