Lemon Gooey Butter Cake

 

Some days I just have to say...DAMN I'M GOOD and be done with it.  By now you know I love the Gooey Butter Cake, but this guy just can't do vanilla.  This is an amazing slice of happiness.  Hit you in the face with lemon flavor but not so lemony as to be acidic.  

Swapping out cake mixes for the bottom layer is easy enough.  For the top layer, the gooey part it took a little of careful thought.  I increased the powdered sugar part of this layer to counteract the extra bit of liquid in the form of lemon juice to amp up the flavor in this layer.  Also adding to the flavor bomb is the generous use of lemon zest.

Lemon Gooey Butter Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1 8 oz package full fat cream cheese
• 4 1/2 c powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 t vanilla
• zest of one large lemon
• juice of 1/2 large lemon (About 1 tablespoon)

Preheat oven to 350F

In mixer with paddle attachment add the cake mix.  Beat 1 egg.  With mixer on low slowly add egg and melted butter.  Increase speed to medium and beat on medium until egg and butter incorporated into a sticky dough, about 2 minutes.

Grease a 9X13 baking pan with cooking spray.  scoop dough into the prepared pan and press with fingers until level and entire bottom is covered.  Helpful hint...spritz your fingers with cooking spray and the dough won't stick to your hands.

In mixer swap paddle for whisk attachment.  Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl.  Cut room temperature cream cheese into cubes and add to powdered sugar.  Add 2 beaten eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, with the pinch of salt to the bowl.  Start mixer on low and increase speed as mixture becomes a loose batter like consistency.  Increase speed to medium and beat 2-3 minutes until all cream cheese is incorporated.  Pour this layer over the cake mix bottom layer.  Smooth with spatula to get it into the corners.

Bake 40-50 minutes until top is a good brown color and there is a visible thin layer of crispy crust on top.  Cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.  Note the cake will fall a little while cooling.  Serve with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Cake base in prepared baking pan.  Note there is a baking sheet under the pan to catch any spills that happen as the cake rises during the baking process.

Top layer on the cake mix base

Cake baked to a perfect brown with crispy crust over the gooey layer.