St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

This cake is a personal favourite of mine.

Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus about 3 hours’ rising

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 3 tablespoons/45 millilitres milk at room temperature
  • 1 ¾ teaspoons/5 grams active dry yeast
  • 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons/45 grams sugar
  • 1 teaspoon/5 grams kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ¾ cups/215 grams all-purpose flour

For the toppings:

  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon/50 millilitre light corn syrup
  • 2 ½ teaspoons/10 millilitres vanilla extract
  • 12 tablespoons/170 grams/1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups/300 grams sugar
  • ½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons/145 grams all-purpose flour
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix milk with 2 tablespoons of warm water. Add yeast and whisk gently until it dissolves. The mixture should foam slightly.
  2. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and the milk mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Beat dough on medium speed until it forms a smooth mass and pulls away from sides of the bowl, 7 to 10 minutes.
  3. Press dough into an ungreased 9-by 13-inch baking dish at least 2 inches deep. Cover dish with plastic wrap or clean tea towel, put in a warm place, and allow to rise until doubled, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the topping, in a small bowl, mix corn syrup with 2 tablespoons water and the vanilla. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg. Alternately add flour and corn syrup mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
  5. Spoon topping in large dollops over risen cake and use a spatula to gently spread it in an even layer. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes; cake will rise and fall in waves and have a golden brown top, but will still be liquid in the center when done. Allow to cool in pan before sprinkling with confectioners’ sugar for serving.

Notes: