Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake is a fall dessert recipe, but I like to make (and eat!) this ooey gooey cake year-round! If you don’t know what gooey butter cake is, then you NEED to make this recipe ASAP. The combination of pumpkin and the gooey butter cake will blow your mind!
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake is the perfect combination of two of my favorite desserts: gooey butter cake and pumpkin pie. It’s the perfect fall dessert recipe!
For those of you who don’t know what Gooey Butter Cake is, I’m about to change your life. It’s a dense, moist, gooey cake that hails from St. Louis. It’s a Midwest original and we are very proud of that! This cake is made from cake mix, butter, eggs, and cream cheese, creating one of the best cakes ever.
It comes out more like a layered cake bar rather than traditional cake, and it is so delicious. We had it at my bridesmaids lunch, and all the girls who aren’t from the Midwest couldn’t believe their taste buds. It’s shockingly good, and I feel sorry for anyone that doesn’t have this cake in their lives.
Of course, I had to combine this cake with another one of my favorite desserts to create the PERFECT fall dessert recipe: Pumpkin Pie! Autumn is nothing without pumpkin flavored everything, so this Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake recipe was bound to happen eventually. I just added in some pumpkin to the gooey top layer and…well, this pumpkin dessert has quite possibly changed my life!
Serve this Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake on Thanksgiving and your guests will be amazed, especially those that have no idea gooey butter cake even exists. Or just make it literally any time of year, because this recipe is too good to be limited to the fall season!
This Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake recipe is a combination of gooey butter cake and pumpkin pie, aka the PERFECT fall dessert!
Be sure to also try our Gooey Butter Cookies, Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies, and Gooey Butter Cake Martinis!
Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
I think I’ve made my love of pumpkin pretty clear around here. October and November should be nothing but pumpkin! I love coming up with new pumpkin recipes and pumpkin desserts to share, because I know you all love them just as much as I do. You have to get festive during the fall season and just give in to the pumpkin!
This Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake might be my favorite pumpkin dessert, but there are so many great recipes that I can’t really choose…and luckily I don’t have to! I have plenty of time to eat them all.
Here are my other favorite pumpkin treats:
- Pumpkin Brownies
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Pie Dessert Lasagna
- Caramel Macadamia Nut Pumpkin Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Monkey Bread
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
How to Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
This Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake recipe is meant to be easy. Just use a boxed yellow cake mix for the base, and the ooey gooey layer is made from cream cheese, pumpkin, eggs, butter, powdered sugar, and some spices.
- Combine cake mix, egg, and butter with an electric mixer.
- Pat mixture into the bottom of a baking dish.
- Beat together cream cheese and pumpkin puree, then add in eggs, vanilla, and butter.
- Lastly, mix in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Spread the pumpkin mixture in an even layer on top of the cake batter layer.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350°F. (Don’t over bake; you want the middle to stay a bit gooey)
Once the pumpkin gooey butter cake is done and has cooled, cut it into squares and serve. You can eat it as is, put I definitely recommend sprinkling it with powdered sugar! You can also add pecans, whipped cream, or other toppings.
Does Gooey Butter Cake need to be refrigerated?
This pumpkin gooey butter cake does not to be refrigerated right away. You can wrap it in aluminum foil and leave it at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Any longer than that, then you should keep it in the refrigerator (for up to 1 week).
I’m so excited about this Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, and I really can’t wait for you to try it. It’s the perfect pumpkin dessert for the fall season, for Thanksgiving, or for any time of year!
See the recipe card below for details on how to make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake. Enjoy!
If you like this recipe, try these other easy dessert recipes:
- Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies
- Homemade Brownies from Scratch
- Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe
- Gooey Texas Cake Skillet
- Carrot Cake Bars
- Frosted Pecan Pie Muffins
- Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 18 ounces yellow cake mix 510 grams (1 box)
- 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 113 grams, melted (1 stick)
For the Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick)
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree 425 grams (1 can) – NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 3 large eggs 150 grams, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 113 grams, melted (1 stick)
- 16 ounces powdered sugar 454 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 3 grams
Optional Toppings
- Whipped cream
- Chopped pecans
- Caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with a hand mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Set aside while you make the filling.18 ounces yellow cake mix, 1 large egg, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.8 ounces cream cheese, 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together.3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.16 ounces powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Spread the pumpkin mixture over the cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be conscious not to overbake; the center should be slightly gooey. You won't regret it :)
- You can serve it plain, or top with whipped cream, pecans, caramel, or more powdered sugar.Caramel sauce, Chopped pecans, Whipped cream
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Use your favorite brand of yellow cake mix.
- Make sure all of the cake and filling ingredients are at room temperature!
- The center of a properly baked gooey butter cake should be, well, gooey. Don’t overbake it!
- Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.
Nutrition Information
The recipe says 16 oz of powdered sugar- is that 2 cups or 16 net weight ounces? Thanks!
I have made this for a long time. I need to make 2 tonight. I thought I had 2 yellow cake mixes. I have 1 and one French Vanilla. Will the French Vanilla be an okay substitute?
Definitely!
Spice cake mixes are awesome in this recipe. I do back off a lil bit on the pumpkin pie spices in the filling.
I plan to make this tomorrow. I’m wondering about pan size. The recipe says 9×13 but the picture shows a square dish. It also says 8 servings. I love ooey gooey cake and am anxious to try this pumpkin version for bunco dessert!
You can use either! The square pan will just yield thicker cake. I also updated the servings error. It will make more like 12 servings.
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Becky, I think I’m going to just have a “Cookie Rookie” board on Pinterest! These look amazing and I’m definitely going to have to make these soon! Keep up the great work!!
thank you so much cindy!! that is so sweet :) I can’t wait to show mom your comment. she will love that! thanks for always stopping by, means a lot :)
I am one of those people that has all the ingredients of this recipe on my shelf. I am making sweetened condensed milk caramel to drizzle on top. I can’t wait to get these in the oven. My co-workers will love me in the morning. PS. I graduated with your dad and love your blog.
Sherri Moore
oh wow!! thanks so much for stopping by the blog, so glad you’re making these! the caramel drizzle sounds amazing…you have very lucky coworkers! dad says hello, let me know how the recipe works for you!