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
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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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
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.
Recipe Faq's
Neiman Marcus Bars, also known as Gooey Butter Bars or Texas Gold Bars, are rich, buttery dessert bars with a soft, gooey texture. They consist of a buttery cake mix crust and a sweet, creamy topping made with cream cheese, eggs, and powdered sugar.
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.
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Gooey Butter Cake Bars
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 ounce) pkg yellow cake mix
- ½ cup butter melted
- 4 large eggs divided
- 2 teaspoon vanilla divided
- 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner’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, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and using a hand mixer, beat until combined.
- Spread the mixture into the parchment-lined baking dish, spray the back of a spoon with nonstick 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 the remaining teaspoon of 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 35-40 minutes.
- Cool completely before cutting into slices.
Yes, the slight reduction in cake mix volume does not ruin the recipe.
No need to sift
Sorry, I forgot to ask my other question.....since they've changed cake mixes now to 15.25 oz. or lower, is it okay to use them in this recipe?
Do you sift the powdered sugar into the measuring cup, or just use the spoon in and level off method?