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Gooey Butter Cake Bars

These decadent Gooey Butter Cake Bars are also known as Neiman Marcus bars and are made with only 6 ingredients. These indulgent treat bars have a cake-like crust with a gooey center and a crinkle-crackly top

Butter bars cut into squares.


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If you couldn't tell by the name, these ooey gooey butter bars are truly a rich dessert. They're full of buttery goodness and sweet sugar- the recipe for a sinfully sweet treat. They're almost as heavenly as these Caramel Apple Crumble Bars or my Apple Pie Bars. Consider this your warning that these Gooey Cake Bars are a real sweet, rich treat.

Why should I make these bars?

These simple Gooey Butter Cake Bars come together quickly in under an hour. 

They easily satisfy that sweet tooth and go incredibly well with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

I have found that since these are so, so easy to make, they have become one of our favorite desserts to enjoy any time of the year. 

 

Let's Gather the Ingredients

All the ingredients needed for these bars.
  • Yellow cake mix: Any brand will work.
  • Dairy: melted butter and softened cream cheese
  • Eggs:
  • Vanilla extract:
  • Confectioner's sugar: also called powdered sugar.

How To Make Gooey Butter Cake Bars

Cake batter mixed in a bowl then added to a baking pan.
  • Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the box of yellow cake mix, the melted butter, and two eggs. Use a hand mixer to beat everything together until combined.
  • Step 2: Line your baking dish with parchment paper or foil, and pour cake batter into the baking dish. Use a rubber spatula or the back of a spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to smooth out the batter.
Powdered sugar with cream cheese mixed in a bowl then spread on top of the bars.
  • Step 3: Add softened cream cheese with the other two eggs, vanilla and powdered sugar, in a separate medium bowl, and beat until smooth.
  • Step 4: Pour the gooey cream cheese layer over the cake batter layer. Bake until the top cracks a bit and the buttery crust layer is finished baking. The middle layer may still be gooey. Be sure to let the cake cool completely before cutting into bars. 
Goosy bar squares stacked on top of each other.

Recipe Tips

  • You could use other flavored cake mixes, but this would change the classic Gooey Butter Cake Bars flavor that you would originally have. Chocolate cake mix, white cake mix.
  • I find room-temperature ingredients mix more easily than chilled ingredients. Like most cakes, this cake bakes best when on the middle oven rack.
  • For a slight flavor profile change, swap the vanilla extract out for some almond extract.
Two butter cake bar squares on a plate.

Recipe Faq's

Are these the same as Neiman Marcus Bars?

Neiman Marcus Bars, also known asย Gooey Butter Barsย orย Texas Gold Bars, are rich, buttery dessert bars with a soft, gooey texture. They consist of aย buttery cake mix crustย and aย sweet, creamy toppingย made with cream cheese, eggs, and powdered sugar.

Does ooey gooey cake need to be refrigerated?

The cake can be stored at room temperature for 2- 3 days in an air-tight container. You can also store it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and serve it chilled or warm it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

More Dessert Bar Recipes

Butter cake bars on a baking sheet.

Gooey Butter Cake Bars

5 from 1 vote
Written By: Wendie
These decadent ย Gooey Butter Cake Barsย are also known asย Neiman Marcus barsย and are made with only 6 ingredients. These indulgent treat bars have a cake-like crust with a gooey center and a crinkle-crackly topย 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 15 bars
Calories 260

Ingredients
  

  • 1 (18.5 ounce) pkg yellow cake mix
  • ยฝ cup butter melted
  • 4 large eggs divided
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla divided
  • 1 (8 ounce) pkg cream cheese softened
  • 4 cups confectionerโ€™s sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper (make sure it hangs over the edge for easy removal of the bars)
  • In a large bowl add the cake mix, melted butter and two eggs and using a hand mixer beat until combined.
  • Pat mixture into the parchment lined baking dish, spray the back of a spoon with non stick cooking spray and press the cake mixture into the pan.
  • In a medium bowl add the softened cream cheese and the remaining two eggs, and vanilla using a hand-mixed beat until smooth, slowly add in the powdered sugar and beat until fully mixed.
  • Pour the batter over the cake layer, spread with a spatula. Place on the middle rack and bake for 40-45 minutes.
  • Cool completely before cutting into slices.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 260kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 34mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 253IUCalcium: 81mgIron: 1mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Southern
5 from 1 vote

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Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these for a family get together and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them! I will definitely make again.

  2. Where does the confectioners sugar go into the recipe? It's in the ingredient list, but can't find it anywhere in the instructions. Would like to make these. Thanks