Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake-Irresistibly Good!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake is a dessert like no other. A rich pumpkin cream cheese filling nestled on golden cake crust; the ultimate seasonal treat!

A gooey butter cake is not only a delectable dessert and a huge favorite of our family, but to native St. Louisans, it’s a dessert staple as common as brownie recipes! The chewy cake-based crust and decadently gooey filling is a dessert that goes beyond the hype! 

I’m always pleased with our growing catalog of gooey butter cake recipes; here are a few ultimate favorites: Nutella Gooey Butter Cake, Chocolate Pecan Pie Gooey Butter Cake, Strawberry Gooey Butter Cake, and a fan favorite, Christmas Gooey Butter Cake Cookies

Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

If you’re a pumpkin enthusiast, you’ll be blown away by my gooey pumpkin butter cake! An autumnal take on the famous St. Louis Gooey Cake Recipe, it’s the very essence of a fantastic fall dessert-or any time you’re craving a creamy, luscious pumpkin pastry! Here are just a few reasons why our family are total gooey butter cake enthusiasts!

• Gooey butter cakes are a unique spin on traditional cake recipes, where the cake becomes the crust.
• Its irresistibly moist textures deliver a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
• Using a boxed cake mix streamlines an already simple process for a quick 10-minute prep.
• Each bite is a satisfyingly creamy balance of rich pumpkin and cream cheese.
• Pumpkin gooey cake is excellent as a breakfast or coffee cake and tastes even better over the next few days.
• Bonus Reason: We get to introduce our pumpkin version of the beloved gooey butter cake recipe, and you don’t have to travel to St. Louis to experience this famed regional favorite.

What You’ll Need

Gooey butter cake is the ultimate sweet indulgence, with the magic of pumpkin, cream cheese, eggs, and sugar coming together to create an irresistible dessert filling. Even better, you probably have all these basic pantry ingredients on hand!

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Cake Mix Crust

• Boxed Yellow Cake Mix – The dry mix is used as a base for the crust but will not be prepared with the cake mix instructions.  
• Large Egg – should be room temperature.
• Butter – gently melted and cooled. Avoid overheating to keep the milk solids from separating out.

Pumpkin Filling:

• Cream Cheese – softened to room temperature for seamless blending.
• Pumpkin Puree – A small can of pure packed pumpkin, not the sweetened and spiced pumpkin pie mix.
• Butter – melted and cooled.
• Large Eggs – brought to room temperature and beaten. 
• Vanilla Extract – with its warm aromatics, enhances the sweet notes and provides a balanced contrast to the tangy cream cheese.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice – is a commercial blend of spices traditionally used in the famed Thanksgiving dessert. Typically containing cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, it’s simple and economical to make your own pumpkin pie spice for the season!
• Powdered Sugar – adds sweetness to the pumpkin cream cheese filling.

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How To Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Gooey Butter Cake is such a unique dessert with its rich cream cheese layer and sweet, dense crust. You only need a 9x13x2” greased metal cake pan, electric mixer, spatula, and a cooling rack. (And 10 minutes!)

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

1. Thoroughly combine cake mix, egg, and melted butter, then press cake dough into a greased pan to create the butter cake crust. 
2. Beat cream cheese and combine pumpkin pie mix; add beaten eggs, vanilla, and butter and mix until well combined. 
3. Beat in pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar until smooth.
4. Spread cream cheese pumpkin filling over cake mix dough layer.
5. Bake in a preheated oven until edges are brown and the center jiggles slightly. 
6. Completely cool the cake on a wire rack, then dust it with powdered sugar.
7. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Recipe Notes And Tips

• Always read through the entire recipe before starting.
• It’s important to remember this gooey butter cake recipe turns a box cake mix into the crust. Don’t follow the box instructions; just mix the dry yellow cake with the melted butter and egg, and you’ll end up with a thick dough for your crust.
• To avoid lumps in the filling, ensure that the cream cheese is softened to room temperature.
• Cut cold cream cheese into cubes and cover with plastic wrap to warm it to room temp faster.
• Make sure to use REAL butter. This cake has butter in the name after all, no substitutions are recommended.
• Use room-temperature eggs, they blend better with ingredients.
• To quickly bring eggs to room temperature place them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes.
• Use your clean hands to gently press the cake dough in the bottom and up the sides of the pan to keep the filling from overflowing the crust.
• The hallmark of a gooey butter cake is its gooey center. Bake just until the edges are set, leaving the center slightly jiggly.
• Making a pumpkin gooey cake the day before lets the filling set and gives it its signature gooey texture.