665343 Fri Nov 06 21:31:22 -0800 2009 32 31 Home Cooking 0 5162703 The New York Times printed a recipe of this St. Louis iconic dessert last week. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/dining/041arex.html?ref=dining Does it seem similar to others? Was there a definitive version, ever? Fri Nov 06 21:31:22 -0800 2009 18222 maria lorraine 1 5163253 I don't know the lineage of the recipe. I did look at it last week and I couldn't tell if I would love it or hate it. Would be interested to hear from anybody who's made it. Sat Nov 07 09:00:39 -0800 2009 5162703 123744 karykat 2 5163264 Me again. Apparently there is a Philadelphia version also? You've probably already seen this thread on the subject, but just in case you haven't: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/329301?tag=footer_recommendation%3bboard_discussion_module_small Sat Nov 07 09:07:11 -0800 2009 5163253 123744 karykat 3 5164115 This is a great link, karykat, to info on the The Real Deal. Thanks. Sat Nov 07 17:46:08 -0800 2009 5163264 18222 maria lorraine 1 5163537 I;ve never made it but have had it from a bakery near Philly - it was their specialty and it was out of this world when fresh. Leftovers probably should have been frozen, then thawed in the fridge before bringing to room temp on the counter. Sat Nov 07 12:03:13 -0800 2009 5162703 159317 greygarious 1 5163813 Could not pass a thread with the words "gooey butter cake" in the title. I am from Toronto and have never heard of such a thing, but I am making it real soon. Oh yeah!!! Thanks!!!! Sat Nov 07 14:44:07 -0800 2009 5162703 19782 Full tummy 1 5163840 I thought this was Paula Deen's specialty...gooey butter cakes....google it and you'll see...doubt she created it but she has surely made it popular and I've seen plenty of references to it on this board. Sat Nov 07 15:02:13 -0800 2009 5162703 11983 Val 2 5163852 All other recipes I've seen, including Paula Deen's, start with cake mix. I might give the NYT one a try as the first scratch recipe I've come across. Sat Nov 07 15:08:13 -0800 2009 5163840 39874 chowser 3 5163860 yep! You're correct...all of hers start with a cake mix-- I thought it was only her pumpkin gooey cake. Thanks! Sat Nov 07 15:11:19 -0800 2009 5163852 11983 Val 2 5163961 The one I mentioned was like a flat, yeasty dough of the sort you'd have in a danish or a pecan ring, then covered with a sweet, buttery goo and some granulated sugar for crunch. It is a different animal from Paula Deen's creation of the same name. Sat Nov 07 16:10:39 -0800 2009 5163840 159317 greygarious 3 5164117 Paula Deen's cake is an imposter. There, I said it. But it does have lots of butter. Sat Nov 07 17:47:00 -0800 2009 5163961 18222 maria lorraine 2 5190064 There's two different animals when it comes to Gooey Butter Cake, the one Paula has popularlized, and one from St. Louis which is more a coffee cake, with a yeasted cake base. And No, Paula didn't invent it for sure, because my mom used to make them, and she died before Paula started The Bag Lady, much less The Lady & Sons. Tho I will credit her Pumpkin one with inspiring me to create my own variations :) Tue Nov 17 17:15:18 -0800 2009 5163840 1125375 mhalbrook 3 5191817 My cousin used to bake gooey cakes for family reunions. I'm 36 and she was baking them when I was a young child so I don't give Paula credit for creating it, just for making it famous. It took me years as an adult to find a recipe because my cousin always called it a "chess cake". Then I saw Paula make one on her show and knew I had to try it. Wed Nov 18 10:51:08 -0800 2009 5190064 78897 alliedawn_98 4 5192767 But this is nothing like chess pie, right? Wed Nov 18 16:46:54 -0800 2009 5191817 56762 LulusMom 5 5192986 Nothing like it. Wed Nov 18 18:44:07 -0800 2009 5192767 18222 maria lorraine 1 5163858 I know I'll be in the minority... but I can't do the Gooey cakes. For me it's like eating uncooked batter. Sat Nov 07 15:10:41 -0800 2009 5162703 28006 Jennalynn 2 5163861 Oh, well maybe I won't like it, either, but as of right now, I NEED it, hahaha. Sat Nov 07 15:11:40 -0800 2009 5163858 19782 Full tummy 2 5164111 You're right, Jennalynn, Gooey Butter Cake is pretty buttery and sweet. It's a cultural phenomenon, from St. Louis and Philly, and around long before Paula Deen. Sat Nov 07 17:45:02 -0800 2009 5163858 18222 maria lorraine 2 5164467 Oh, and one more thing, I like uncooked batter!!! Always the best part of my mom's baking when I was a kid... Sat Nov 07 21:49:28 -0800 2009 5163858 19782 Full tummy 3 5164506 No child's life would be complete without uncooked batter. I get the textural association of gooey butter cake with uncooked batter. But I grew up in St. Louis, where GBC is iconic, and it was everywhere around the city and frequently on our Sunday breakfast table. The gooey-ness of GBC is just like the gooey center of a Danish, but that -- combined with the sugary sweetness and richness -- isn't for everyone. Sat Nov 07 22:41:18 -0800 2009 5164467 18222 maria lorraine 1 5164596 STL native here. Like anything old and authentic, you find some variations. THE NYT version is ok basically in terms of ingredients. And though typically the GBC here is baked in 8 or 9 inch square pans, its only for 25 to 35 minutes at 350 (depending on recipe) and then left to cook/cool in the same pan for 2 or 3 hours before serving. 45 minutes in the oven, no wonder the top of the NYT version looks burnt. A slighty golden top, not brown is the goal. Sun Nov 08 02:16:24 -0800 2009 5162703 1084738 mtomto 2 5164804 Do you have a better recipe to suggest? Or stick with the same recipe but adjust the baking time? Sun Nov 08 07:10:06 -0800 2009 5164596 19782 Full tummy 3 5165512 Full tummy, There are authentic GBC recipes around, maybe even on the Midwest board. Sun Nov 08 14:34:03 -0800 2009 5164804 18222 maria lorraine 2 5165510 Good post, mtomto. You're right, the NYT recipe photo looks slightly crusty and a bit too brown. I'm used to *gooey* Gooey Butter Cake, yellow-y, moist and glistening. Sun Nov 08 14:33:10 -0800 2009 5164596 18222 maria lorraine 1 5165032 I pulled this recipe out of the paper to try it, but would love to have someone else be a guinea pig first. Has anyone tried this recipe? I had GBC once - it was when I was pregnant (and had a huge sweettooth) so I'm not really sure how I'll feel about it now, hormones back in check. But I sure did love it then. Sun Nov 08 09:36:58 -0800 2009 5162703 56762 LulusMom 1 5167003 As asked for, here a two local verions that I use, depending on my mood. The first yields a buttery goodness cake, the second is more of a creamier verion--both being very STL rooted though. Note the ingredient differences to see how they vary. As I mentioned before, they have shorter bake times than the NYT verion. Your really looking for a yellow/gold finish in the oven and let sit in the baing pan for 2 to 3 hours to finish and set. I do recommend trying both to satisy your GBC curiousity and determine which you may like best. I like both, and have add other slightly different but close verions that are terrific. The NYT version is likely terrific too--I was just caught by the longer bake time. ST LOUIS GOOEY BUTTER CAKE 2 RECIPES adapted from Fred and Audrey Heimburger of Heimburger Bakery, published in St. Louis Days, St. Louis Nights Ingredients For crust 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter, softened For filling 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened 1 egg 1 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup evaporated milk 1/4 cup light corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla Powdered sugar Directions Prepare the crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together. Pat into the bottom and sides of a greased 9-by-9-by-2-inch pan. Prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and 3/4 cup butter until light and fluffy. Mix in egg until combined. A bit at a time, alternately add 1 cup flour and evaporated milk, mixing after each addition. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well blended. Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until cake is nearly set. Do not overcook. Let cool in pan. RECIPE 2: From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Ingredients For dough 1/4 cup whole milk, heated to 100 degrees 1 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces and softened For topping 1/2 cup granulated sugar 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 large egg, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Directions Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 200 degrees. When the oven reaches 200 degrees, shut oven off. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a sheet of foil that extends over two edges. Grease foil and a medium bowl. Prepare the dough: In bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix milk and yeast on low speed until yeast dissolves. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour; mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-low and add butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated, then continue mixing for 5 minutes. Transfer batter to greased bowl, cover with plastic and place in warm oven. Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Spread batter in prepared pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping: Using paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar, butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low; add corn syrup, egg and vanilla until combined. Add flour and pudding mix; beat until just incorporated. Portion dollops of topping evenly over batter, then spread into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven until exterior is golden and center of topping is just beginning to color (center should jiggle slightly when the pan is shaken), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan at least 3 hours. Use foil overhang to lift cake from pan. Dust cake with powdered sugar. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for 2 days.) Mon Nov 09 08:48:38 -0800 2009 5162703 1084738 mtomto 2 5167239 The topping from the first recipe on the dough from the second would be most like the GBC I had in the Philly area. Mon Nov 09 09:58:45 -0800 2009 5167003 159317 greygarious 2 5190900 Wonder what the 3 tablespoons of instand vanilla pudding is for in the second recipe. What could that add that the other ingredients wouldn't, if you changed the proportions some. Wed Nov 18 06:11:13 -0800 2009 5167003 39874 chowser 3 5191820 That's for the filling, and my guess is that the vanilla pudding -- being pudding -- is part of what creates gooey-ness. It's also a bit of a thickener. Wed Nov 18 10:51:57 -0800 2009 5190900 18222 maria lorraine 4 5192033 Would 3 tablespoons make a difference? It just caught my eye because it's such a small amount and doesn't seem necessary, as long as you adjust the other ingredients, or even add cornstarch or something like that. What would you do with the rest of the box? It seems odd to add something that artificial to a scratch cake that starts with yeast. Wed Nov 18 11:58:02 -0800 2009 5191820 39874 chowser 5 5192098 Agree with your last sentence, but I imagine the recipe is adapted for home use from a very large bakery (or "manufacturing") recipe. Bakeries and manufacturers use pudding mixes rather often. Wed Nov 18 12:18:29 -0800 2009 5192033 18222 maria lorraine 1 5167014 PS I hope Im not breaking any rules. These are previously published recipes and I have given credit to the source. , Mon Nov 09 08:51:35 -0800 2009 5162703 1084738 mtomto 2 5190901 You can post ingredients, as is, but need to paraphrase the directions. Wed Nov 18 06:11:48 -0800 2009 5167014 39874 chowser