Easy Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake combines a moist, buttery cake with a spiced pumpkin filling, and it’s unbelievably delicious!
Perfect for the holidays, this simple pumpkin dessert will impress all of your Thanksgiving guests.
Paula Dean’s Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake has been a well-loved dessert recipe ever since her show on the Food Network. In fact, there are many different varieties of gooey butter cake out there, including the classic chocolate and vanilla versions.
Pumpkin gooey butter cake may not be the original flavor, but it sure is one of the best! I love how simple this recipe is, made with cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and a handful of other ingredients.
It’s the best of two desserts: A moist buttery vanilla cake and a traditional pumpkin pie. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving dessert but will be just as delicious on all of the non-holiday fall days as well.
Need more pumpkin desserts in your life right now? I totally understand! I just finished perfecting my recipe for copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones, so be sure to check that one out. Otherwise, I recommend trying pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin lush, or pumpkin cheesecake bars.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The first thing to love about this pumpkin gooey butter cake is its simplicity. While I like to bake from scratch, this two-layer cake recipe works best with a boxed yellow cake mix.
Ignore the instructions on the cake mix box, and mix up the powder with some butter and an egg. That’s the gooey butter cake part!
The second layer is a sweet pumpkin and cream cheese mixture, seasoned with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. More butter is added for good measure!
The differences in the textures of the layers make this easy pumpkin dessert irresistible.
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy pumpkin cake:
- Cake Mix: Yellow cake mix works best, as it’s sweet and buttery. In a pinch, you could also use white vanilla cake mix instead. For extra spicy autumn flavor, try it with a boxed spice cake.
- Butter: Choose unsalted butter, and be sure to have enough of it! This recipe uses two whole sticks, one in the first layer and another in the second. To make things even easier, the butter is added in melted rather than softened, so you don’t even need to plan ahead.
- Eggs: One egg goes into the cake, and three go into the pumpkin filling. Eggs help to give the cake structure.
- Cream Cheese: Avoid low-fat cream cheese in this recipe. It doesn’t taste quite right and isn’t as creamy.
- Powdered Sugar, Spices: To finish off the pumpkin filling and make it taste amazing, you’ll need cinnamon, nutmeg, pure vanilla extract, a bit of salt, and powdered sugar.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
- Make the Cake Layer: First, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), and grease a 9×13 inch pan with butter or cooking spray. Then, in a large bowl, mix the yellow cake mix, egg, and melted butter with a hand mixer. The cake batter will be thick, and more like a dough. Press it evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Make the Pumpkin Layer: In a separate bowl, use your mixer to combine the pumpkin puree and cream cheese. Then add the eggs, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until you have a smooth filling.
- Pour: Pour the creamy pumpkin cheesecake mixture over the cake layer, and spread it out evenly if needed.
- Bake: Bake your pumpkin ooey gooey butter cake for 40-50 minutes. The center should be a bit gooey and jiggly. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before cutting it into squares to serve.
Tip!
Be careful with the powdered sugar! I like to add it in a half cup at a time to avoid a “sugar storm” flying all over my kitchen.
Recipe Tips
- Serve gooey butter cake with whipped cream. The cake is quite sweet on its own, so I like unsweetened whipped cream with it. You could also dust the top of the cake lightly with powdered sugar or a bit of cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
- Soften the cream cheese. You’ll want to leave the cream cheese out for a bit so that it’s fully softened to room temperature. If it’s too cold, it won’t mix in smoothly with the pumpkin.
- Cut into squares or smaller pieces. Again, because this pumpkin cake is so sweet, you may be able to get away with smaller portions and cut it into 16 or 20 pieces.
- Don’t overbake the cake. The pumpkin cheesecake should be slightly jiggly in the center. It will set up as it cools. If you overbake this dessert it could end up dry.
Storing Tips
To store leftovers, or if you’d like to make a gooey butter cake ahead of time, keep it sealed in a container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
This cake can be served chilled but I think it’s best at room temperature.
What To Serve With Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake
If you’re looking for a dessert for your Thanksgiving table, I have a whole list of easy and fail-proof recipes for the big day!
You’ll find the best roast turkey recipe, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and more in our Thanksgiving recipes section.
For more Thanksgiving desserts, I suggest that you try my pecan pie and lemon meringue pie recipes. You can never have too many pies for the holidays!
Can I Freeze Gooey Butter Cake?
Yes, you can freeze the entire pan or individual servings. Just be sure that they are wrapped well and in an airtight container.
For individual squares, I suggest freezing them first on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and then transferring the frozen slices to a freezer container.
Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Ooey Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake is so rich and decadent, and so easy to make! Add this recipe to your holiday desserts board on Pinterest, or share it with your friends who love easy baking recipes.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 baking pan
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake Layer:
- 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
- 1 large egg
- 1 stick (½ cup) (113 g) unsalted butter melted
For the Pumpkin Layer:
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese softened
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 stick (½ cup) (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C if you have a fan oven, and grease a 9×13 inch (approx 23×28 cm) pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix together the yellow cake mix, egg, and melted butter.
- Press this mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- For the pumpkin layer, in a separate bowl, using a hand mixer mix together the pumpkin puree and cream cheese until well combined. Then add the eggs, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Gradually add the poswered sugar and mix until well combined. Pour this mixture over the cake layer in the pan.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes. The center should be a bit gooey and jiggly, so don’t overbake.
- Let it cool completely before cutting into squares. Top with whipped cream and serve.
Notes:
- Serve gooey butter cake with whipped cream. The cake is quite sweet on its own, so I like unsweetened whipped cream with it. You could also dust the top of the cake lightly with powdered sugar or a bit of cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
- Soften the cream cheese. You’ll want to leave the cream cheese out for a bit so that it’s fully softened to room temperature. If it’s too cold, it won’t mix in smoothly with the pumpkin.
- Cut into squares or smaller pieces. Again, because this pumpkin cake is so sweet, you may be able to get away with smaller portions and cut it into 16 or 20 pieces.
- Don’t overbake the cake. The pumpkin cheesecake should be slightly jiggly in the center. It will set up as it cools. If you overbake this dessert it could end up dry.
- To Store: Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Barbara Tsafantakis says
First time to make this and it was a hit. The family (and me) really enjoyed it because it wasn’t very sweet like other pies. It is a keeper!!