Gooey Lemon Butter Cake
This Gooey Lemon Butter Cake recipe is rich, tangy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Made with lemon cake mix and cream cheese for a gooey, buttery lemon dessert everyone will love!
Melt in Your Mouth Gooey Lemon Butter Cake 🍋
This Gooey Lemon Butter Cake is like sunshine in dessert form. It’s rich, tangy, buttery, and unapologetically gooey in the best possible way. If you love lemon desserts and melt-in-your-mouth textures, this one’s for you.
Whether you’re baking for a backyard BBQ, a church potluck, or just to satisfy your citrus cravings, this is a recipe you’ll make on repeat.
As long as I can remember, I have loved lemon-flavored everything. Lemon Chicken, Lemonade, Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Wafers…I could go on and on.
This recipe did not start out with any lemon in it at all. My first attempt was making a classic gooey butter cake using a plain, butter-flavored cake mix with no lemon flavoring in the filling. It was good, but I thought lemon would make it better. And, in my opinion, it did! This is a must-try recipe if you’re a lemon lover like me.
Why You’ll Love These Gooey Lemon Bars
Ingredients for Gooey Lemon Butter Cake
For the Crust
- 1 box lemon cake mix
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
For the Filling
- 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon extract
💡 Pro Tip: Rub the lemon zest into the sugar before mixing to release more citrus oils and boost the lemon flavor.
How to Make Gooey Lemon Butter Cake
Step 1: Prepare the Buttery Lemon Crust
Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Do not follow the directions on the box of cake mix. In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix, melted butter, and one egg until combined to form a thick batter. Press the buttery lemon cake base evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Step 2: Make the Gooey Filling
In a large bowl (you can use the same bowl), beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer or use a stand mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined and creamy.
Step 3: Assemble and Bake
Pour the cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake batter and smooth it out with a rubber spatula. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges are set and golden brown, but the center still jiggles slightly.
Step 4: Cool and Slice
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then slice and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Gooey Lemon Butter cake is also great served cold. Dust with powdered sugar before serving or with fresh fruit, if desired.
Tips for Perfect Gooey Lemon Bars
- Don’t overbake: The center should be slightly jiggly when you take them out.
- Use room temperature cream cheese and eggs for the smoothest filling.
- Cool completely before slicing for cleaner cuts.
- Want even more lemon flavor? Add 1/2 tsp of lemon extract and lemon zest to the crust layer.
Baking Time by Pan Size
8×8-inch pan
Bake for 50-60 minutes
9×13-inch pan
Bake for 40-45 minutes
Mini muffin pan
Bake for 20-25 minutes
Troubleshooting Common Problems
Bars Too Runny?
They likely need more bake time. Add 5-10 minutes and let them cool completely before slicing.
Top Cracked?
The oven may be too hot. Try reducing the temp by 25° next time.
Bars Too Firm?
You may have overbaked them. Pull them out while the center still has a bit of a jiggle.
🛠️ Pro Tip: If your oven runs hot, consider using a water bath to prevent cracking.
Ingredient Swaps & Flavor Variations
- Swap lemon cake mix with vanilla or yellow cake mix
- Add a swirl of lemon curd to the filling before baking
- Stir in 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries or raspberries
- Make it gluten-free with your favorite GF cake mix
- Use Meyer lemons for a sweeter citrus flavor
FAQs About Gooey Lemon Butter Bars
How to Store & Serve
- Store in the fridge: Keeps best in an airtight container.
- Freeze for later: For longer storage, wrap individually in plastic wrap for grab-and-go treats.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature: Dust with powdered sugar for a pretty finish.
Sunshine in Every Bite ☀️
This Gooey Lemon Butter Cake is everything a dessert should be. It’s easy to make, bursting with zesty lemon flavor, and impossible to stop at just one piece. You don’t need to be a professional baker. This is the kind of recipe that turns out delicious every time. You may want to serve yourself a piece before you let the rest of the family know they’re ready.
If you make them, I’d love to see them! Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram, or leave a comment below. Happy baking!
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Gooey Lemon Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Lemon Cake Mix
- 1 stick butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Do not follow the directions on the box of cake mix. Place cake mix, 1 egg and melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Mix together with a spoon to form a thick batter.
- Spread batter into prepared 9×13 baking pan. Cover the entire bottom of the pan.
- For the filling layer, mix together powdered sugar, 2 eggs and softened cream cheese. Use a mixer to make the filling smooth. Add lemon extract, vanilla extracxt, lemon juice, and lemon zest, then mix well.
- Spread filling layer on top of batter layer in 9×13 pan.
- Bake at 300 degrees 40-50 minutes. Do not overbake or you will lose the gooey-ness. It is done when the edges are golden brown and the center stil sll ghtly jiggles.
- Serve warm sprinkled with powdered sugar or chill and serve later.
Notes
Tips for Perfect Gooey Lemon Bars
- Don’t overbake: The center should be slightly jiggly when you take them out.
- Use room temperature cream cheese and eggs for the smoothest filling.
- Cool completely before slicing for cleaner cuts.
- Want even more lemon flavor? Add 1/2 tsp of lemon extract and lemon zest to the crust layer.
