Gooey butter cake

This sticky-sweet cake is a St. Louis specialty – every bakery in Missouri has its own version.

Credit: Martha Bakes

• serves

  20

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Cake

• 115 g unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking dish
• ¼ cup warm full cream (whole) milk (38°C/100°F)
• 7 g (1 envelope) active dry yeast
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

Topping

• 230 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp coarse salt
• 1 large egg, plus 1 large yolk
• 3 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1⅓ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Rising time: about 1 hour.

Instructions

1. Brush a 33 cm x 23 cm (13-by-9-inch) glass baking dish with butter. Line with baking (parchment) paper, leaving a 5 cm (2 inch) overhang on each of the long sides, and butter. Set aside.
2. Make the cake: In a small bowl, stir together milk and yeast; let stand until slightly foamy, about 5 minutes.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour in two additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Beat on medium speed until it forms a soft dough, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Press dough into prepared baking dish and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place until puffy and full of air, about 1 hour.
5. Make the topping: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour in two additions, alternating with corn syrup. Beat until thoroughly combined.
6. Spread topping evenly over risen dough using an offset spatula. Bake until just golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in baking dish on a wire rack before dusting with confectioners' sugar and serving.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.