The History of the Gooey Butter Cake
Gooey butter cake is a type of cake traditionally made in the U.S. city of St. Louis, Missouri, with a bottom layer of buttery yellow cake and a top layer of either egg or cream cheese, butter and sugar. In St. Louis it is generally served as a type of coffee cake and not as a dessert cake. A legend about the cake's origin is included in Saint Louis Days...Saint Louis Nights (ISBN 0-9638298-1-5), a cookbook published in the mid-1990s by the Junior League of St. Louis. The cake was supposedly first made by accident in the 1930s by a St. Louis-area German American baker who was trying to make regular cake batter but reversed the proportions of sugar and flour.
It has been reported that the Panera Bread Company (original name: St. Louis Bread Company) makes danishes with a gooey butter filling. Celebrity cook Paula Deen has made her own versions of the cake famous by selling it at her restaurant "The Lady & Sons" in Savannah, Ga and including it in her line of baked goods marketed by Walmart.
Pies & Plates introduced the gooey dessert to its guests in 2009 and it became an immediate success. The bakers at Pies & Plates are forever testing new variations of the cake so you never quite know what to expect until you walk in the door. Some favorites like Double Chocolate Pecan, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Berry, Lemon Velvet, Orange Cream and Coconut Dream can almost always be found. But, there is usually a dozen or more flavors in the case so you also might find Pineapple, Pumpkin Spice, Peanut Brittle, English Toffee, Banana Chocolate Chip, Blueberry, Caramel Apple, Key Lime, Maple Walnut, Almond Joy, Carrot Cake, Hazelnut, Cranberry Pecan, Mocha Latte and White Chocolate Raspberry to name a few!
Pies & Plates' Gooey Butter cakes are single serving cakes that are served warm with a generous dollop of whipping cream on the side. The cakes retail for $3.95 each. If you don't care for Gooey Butter cake (ha! ha! like that's ever going to happen) there are lots of other desserts to choose from including decadent cheesecake and old fashioned fruit pies that are all baked in Pies & Plates kitchen.
Party idea: Buy several gooey butter cakes and cut them into quarters or thirds and arrange on a serving platter. Microwave the whole platter for a minute or two and serve gooey butter tidbits! It's like picking truffles from a box!
Souvenirs: Our Taste of Florida 4 pack make a great gift to take north! Lemon Velvet, Key Lime, Orange Cream and Coconut Dream! Boxed and tied with a bow they make a great thank you gift for the neighbor who watched your dog while you were on vacation!
Gift Giving: During the holidays Pies & Plates puts together holiday packs with flavors like Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry Walnut, Maple Nut and Double Chocolate Pecan! But we can put together a gift for any occassion!
The dessert has become so popular at Pies & Plates that you'll often hear people say that "No visit to Punta Gorda is complete without a Gooey Butter Cake from Pies & Plates!"
