Whip up a delicious pumpkin gooey butter cake with just a handful of ingredients, including a cake mix and cream cheese. It has all the ooey goodness of butter cake, but with pumpkin spice!
I spent my younger years in St. Louis, Missouri, and if you’ve ever been to St. Louis, you know that this ooey gooey butter cake recipe is a St. Louis icon, staple, whatever you want to call it. Let’s just say it was one of my favorite desserts from an early age.
There are a lot of St. Louis foods I love; in fact, you can find the best St. Louis gooey butter cake at Soulard Market.
However, my ooey gooey pumpkin cake is a fall/Thanksgiving twist to that favorite, iconic dessert. And man, is it ever delicious. You’re going to love it!
Why This Recipe Works
- There’s just something really yummy about cream cheese mixed together with butter and powdered sugar.
- And then, of course, there’s the chewy crust and crackle-y top, probably my favorite things about gooey butter pumpkin cake.
- It only takes a few ingredients to make this dessert.
- And it can be made in a jiffy. Pumpkin butter cake takes less than 20 minutes mix time from start to bake time.
Ingredient Notes
- Yellow Cake Mix – You can use just a regular yellow cake mix or a gluten-free yellow cake mix. I like to make my pumpkin spice gooey butter cake gluten-free.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice – Store bought works, but you can also make your own pumpkin pie spice; it’s super easy to do.
- Salted Butter – Be sure to use salted butter, so you’re not missing out on flavor.
- Cream Cheese – I prefer to use full fat cream cheese for pumpkin ooey gooey cake, but you can substitute reduced fat or Neufchatel cream cheese, and your finished cake will still be really good.
- Pumpkin Purée – I get a lot of questions about where to find pumpkin purée, and I’m gonna let you in on a little secret… It’s just canned or mashed up pumpkin. You can use canned pumpkin straight from the can, or you can make homemade pumpkin purée, using a fresh pie pumpkin and your blender.
How to Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
First Make the Crust…
- Mix together the cake mix and pumpkin pie spice.
- Add the softened butter and 2 eggs, mixing everything together really well. It’ll form a stiff, somewhat crumbly batter.
- Spread or pat the mixture into an un-greased 9×13 baking pan.
Then Make the Filling…
- In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the egg, softened cream cheese and butter, and pumpkin purée.
- Slowly and gradually add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing well between each addition.
- Spread the filling onto the crust as a second layer.
- Bake at 350° for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out barely gooey. Once you remove it from the oven, allow it to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes; then sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you absolutely can; in fact, winter squash makes a fabulous pumpkin pie. You’d just need to roast the squash and purée enough of it (in a blender) to make this pumpkin gooey butter cake recipe.
Because of the cream cheese in the ooey gooey pumpkin cake, it does need to be covered and stored in the fridge. It should last at least 3 to 5 days (although probably not, if your house is like mine and filled with hungry, growing boys).
More Pumpkin Recipes for You To Enjoy:
If you love this pumpkin gooey cake, you’ll love these recipes too…
Watch the video below, where I’ll walk you through every step of this recipe. I get it; sometimes it helps to actually see the recipe in action. You can also find my recipes on YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, and right here on the website.
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Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Whip up a delicious pumpkin gooey butter cake with a cake mix and cream cheese. All the ooey goodness of butter cake, but with pumpkin spice!
- Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Powdered Sugar Shaker
Crust:
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 8 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
- 2 large eggs
Filling:
- 1 large egg
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin
- 4 1/3 cups powdered sugar
Crust:
Mix together the cake mix and pumpkin pie spice.
Add the softened butter and eggs, mixing everything together really well. It'll form a stiff, somewhat crumbly batter.
Spread or pat the mixture into an un-greased 9" x 13" baking pan.
Filling:
In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the egg, softened cream cheese and butter, and pumpkin purée.
Slowly and gradually add the powdered sugar to the mixture, mixing well between each addition.
- Spread the filling onto the crust as a second layer.
Bake at 350° for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out barely gooey. Once you remove it from the oven, allow it to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Then sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and serve.
*I get a lot of questions about where to find pumpkin purée, and I’m gonna let you in on a little secret… It’s just canned or mashed up pumpkin. You can use canned pumpkin straight from the can, or you can make homemade pumpkin purée, using a fresh pie pumpkin and your blender. You can also use winter squash instead of pumpkin. You just need to roast the squash and purée enough of it (in a blender) for the recipe.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes, you can. You can use a gluten-free yellow cake mix; and just be sure to check your other ingredient labels to make sure they’re all gluten-free.
Does it need to be refrigerated?
Because of the cream cheese in the cake, it does need to be covered and stored in the fridge. It should last at least 3 to 5 days.
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