1 c Sugar
1/3 c Vegetable shortening
3 tb Butter
1 tb Dried milk powder
1 lg Egg
1 pn Salt
Yellow food coloring;
-optional
1/4 c Bread flour
1/4 c Cake flour
1/4 ts Vanilla
1 tb Corn syrup
2 tb Water
10 oz Plain Danish or yeast raised
-coffeecake
Confectioner’s sugar
The preamble to this recipe says the cake originated in 1930’s St. Louis
with there being many recipe versions and legends surrounding its origin.
Most agree that it began as a mistake that a bake shop decided to try to
sell anyway and it became a big hit. “What starts off innocently enough as
a plain yeast-raised coffee cake erupts into a volcanic mass of chewy
bright yellow lava, with snowbanks of powdered sugar covering crescents and
crevices. In the mouth the goo clogs the gums, while th crusty edges glue
to the teeth. You don’t just swallow Gooey Butter cake, you work it down.”
Method: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar,
shortening, butter, milk powder, egg and salt. For an authentic egg yolk
coloring, a few drops of yellow food coloring may be added. Add the bread
and cake flour, vanilla, corn syrup and water, and mix just until
incorporated.
Cut the Danish or coffeecake to fit a buttered 8 x 8 inch pan, leaving a
rim around the edge to contain the gooey butter mixture.
Pour the butter mixture over the cake and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from
the oven and serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with
Confectioners’ sugar to taste. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Yields
8 Servings