Lemon Gooey Butter Cake - Master Cookbook Recipe # 276

Name: Lemon Gooey Butter Cake - Master Cookbook Recipe # 276
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 12-16
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 box Lemon Pound cake mix; 2 Large eggs; 1/2 cup Salted butter (room temperature); 8 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature); 2 Large eggs; 1 tsp Vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp Lemon extract; 1 lb. Powdered sugar (reserve 1/8 cup for garnish)

This Lemon Gooey Butter Cake is a bright, citrusy twist on the classic Southern favorite. By using a lemon pound cake mix and a touch of lemon extract, you transform the rich, velvety cream cheese bars into a refreshing treat. The pound cake base provides a sturdy, slightly crunchy edge that holds up the thick, gooey layer perfectly. It’s the ultimate dessert for springtime gatherings or whenever you need a little sunshine on a plate.

This is recipe #276 in Tammy’s Master Cookbook.

Prep time: 15 minCook time: 1 hr Total time: 1 hr 15 min

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Ingredients

1st Layer (Base):
1 box Lemon Pound cake mix
2 Large eggs
1/2 cup Salted butter (room temperature)
2nd Layer (Topping):
8 oz. Cream cheese (room temperature)
2 Large eggs
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Lemon extract
1 lb. Powdered sugar (reserve 1/8 cup for garnish)

Instructions

Prep Pan: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Spray a 7x11 or 9x9-inch brownie pan well with baking spray.
Make Lemon Base: Mix the lemon pound cake mix, 2 eggs, and room temperature butter until combined. The batter will be thick and sticky. Spread this evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan.
Make Lemon Cream Layer: Cream together the cream cheese, 2 eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract until well blended. Gradually add the powdered sugar (reserving 1/8 cup for the top) and mix until smooth.
Assemble: Pour the cream cheese mixture over the lemon base layer.
First Bake: Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes.
Second Bake: Remove briefly and sprinkle the reserved 1/8 cup of powdered sugar over the top. Return to the oven, lower the temperature to 300°F, and bake for an additional 35 minutes (total bake time is 1 hour).
Serve: Enjoy it warm and gooey or cooled and set into bars.

Notes

Tammy’s Tips

While some people use regular cake mixes, I strongly recommend sticking with a pound cake mix. It creates those wonderful crunchy edges and a texture that feels more like a gourmet bar. Using the smaller brownie-sized pan is the secret to getting that impressively tall cream cheese layer!