Easter Gooey Butter Cake

I feel like gooey butter cake doesn’t get enough attention. I bet if you serve this on your Easter dessert table it’ll get all the attention. Sorry carrot cake, I still love you.

Before you finalize your Easter menu, or even if you have it ready to go, make some room for this dessert. While it does use boxed cake mix, we’re not using it in the traditional sense. Instead is it mixed with just butter and eggs to create the base of this Easter themed gooey butter cake. To me, the consistency of gooey butter cake resembles that of no-bake cheesecake. It can hold it’s shape until you apply any pressure to it and then it easily succumbs.

As for the Easter-ness, the only thing that makes it Easter themed is the addition of chopped Cadbury candy coated mini eggs, which are the best things that Cadbury has ever made. Personally I’m not a big fan of the traditional Cadbury egg but their dark chocolate candy coated eggs are like crack. In an effort to not eat them by the handfuls, I threw them into this dessert. That may backfire as now I just want to eat handfuls of these bars.

What are your Easter plans? We are hosting a potluck brunch and true to form none of our friends have yet committed to what they are bringing. Pot lucks are always a very last minute decision for this group haha. We are going to provide a mimosa bar with various kinds of juices and for our “dish to pass” we are going to make some rendition of eggs benedict because it’s one of my favorite brunch items. And if I can keep my hands off them, maybe my friends will be lucky enough to have a bar of gooey butter cake as well.

One year ago: Weekly Meal Plan: April 11-17

Two years ago: Eggplant Tofu in Garlic Sauce

Three years ago: Apple Jelly Glazed Pork Chops

Four years ago: Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos

Five years ago: Cheesy Potato Casserole

EASTER GOOEY BUTTER CAKE

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs, room temperature

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 (10 oz.) bag Cadbury Easter candy coated mini eggs, chopped

Directions:

1. Place rack on the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, line with parchment paper leaving overhang, and grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, with a hand mixer on low speed mix together the cake mix, 2 of the eggs, butter, and vanilla until combined. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and press evenly along the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1/2 inch. Wipe off mixers and bowl.
3. In the same bowl, on low speed mix together the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs and mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Sprinkle half of the chopped eggs over the bottom layer. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the crust. Top with the rest of the chopped eggs.
5. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until set and golden. Allow to cool for two hours on a cooling rack before cutting and serving (speed up process by placing in the refrigerator once no longer oven-hot). Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Funfetti Gooey Butter Cake.