Strawberry Gooey Butter Cake

By Justine Doiron

Updated July 7, 2026

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 2
Ready In
60 min
Rating
5(47)
Comments
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As a St. Louis native, I have distinct memories of the gooey butter cake of my childhood: It was two-layered, with a yellow cake on the bottom and a gooey sugar topping that somehow got all craggily crispy on the top. While this cake was usually bought from the grocery store, even our homemade versions started with a yellow cake mix base and ended with that same cream cheese and powdered sugar topping. Of the many (many) gooey butter cakes I’ve eaten, the one consistency is that they were always cloyingly sweet. In my take on the beloved classic, a lemony strawberry swirl offsets the sweetness. To keep it balanced, the gooey layer is thinner than what’s traditional, making it more like a frosting than half of the cake. The result is a two-layer, crispy-edged cake with just the right amount of sweet and tart.

Watch Justine Doiron make this dish in this video.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings

For the yellow cake

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • ½ cup/113 grams salted butter, melted

  • Scant ⅔ cup/130 grams whole-milk Greek yogurt or skyr

  • 2 large eggs

  • ½ cup/100 grams granulated sugar

  • ¼ cup/42 grams dark brown sugar, lightly packed

  • 1 cup/140 grams all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (use half if using Morton’s)

For the strawberry topping

  • 4 to 5 medium strawberries (113 grams) 

  • ½ large lemon, for juicing

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For the cream cheese topping

  • 1 ¾ cups/210 grams powdered sugar

  • ½ cup/113 grams cream cheese, softened 

  • 1 large egg

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal (use half if using Morton’s)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 12 servings)

50 grams carbs; 93 milligrams cholesterol; 363 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 278 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 37 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees (or 350 degrees convection). Line a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper (or simply crumple a sheet of parchment and then smooth it flat and press into the pan), then lightly coat the bottom and sides of the pan with cooking spray.

  2. Step 2

    Make the strawberry topping: In a blender, blend together the strawberries, juice from half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons) and granulated sugar until smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture into a large (10-inch) pan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, for 2 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is reduced by a quarter and is a shade darker in color. It should be thick enough that swiping a spatula across the pan creates a line that holds its shape for a bit of time. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Make the cake: In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, yogurt and eggs. Using a whisk or an electric hand mixer, mix until smooth. Whisk in granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth, then add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend until the batter is just combined.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes (you’ll continue to bake it later).

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, make the cream cheese topping: In a medium bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, cream cheese, egg and salt until smooth.

  6. Step 6

    When the cake has parbaked, remove it from the oven and gently pour the cream cheese layer on top. The goal is for it to rest right on top of the cake, so gently use a spatula to spread it out to the edges. Dot the strawberry topping all over the cake, then use a knife or chopstick to make a swirly pattern.

  7. Step 7

    Bake the cake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until golden around the edges. The cake may still look a little jiggly, but that’s normal. As long as the edges are golden, it will set. 

  8. Step 8

    Let cool until the pan is room temperature, then slice and serve. (The cake will keep well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

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Ratings

5 out of 5
47 user ratings
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Comments

Geo

I think I need an intervention. I'm addicted, yes, addicted to the NYT's recipe section. I scroll down the page and see a bunch more luscious recipes, and before I know it, I've got a lot of tabs with even more recipes to look at. Before I realize it, an hour has passed, and I have to decide on a recipe to try. Strawberries are in season, I have a grocery list in hand, and I'm off to the market. Good thing I'm retired.

Karla

@Geo we are twins! Every single night, I look at the NYT Cooking feed! I look at the Recipe of the Day, and read the comments as a source of entertainment. It’s great fun, and, of course, way better than anything on Facebook, Instagram, or the news! After I’m done looking at the Recipe of the Day, I mindlessly scroll (and scroll and scroll) through recipes and the associated comments! I think I need an intervention, too! Happy cooking!

Audrey

This was great! I followed the recipe exactly with no adjustments (going by weight). I wound up removing it from the oven at exactly the 25 minute mark when the edges were golden for the second bake, and fair warning the center did look much jigglier than I expected--but trust! It set as expected when cool. It's delicious, my husband secretly housed a second slice over the sink after dinner and declared that we needed to get it out of the house and save him from himself. Enjoy with friends :)

TinaR

I halved the recipe and baked in a 6 inch cake pan. I did the first parbake for 12 minutes and the final bake for 25. My cake spilled over a bit, so if you do this, I advise using a sheet pan beneath the cake tin. (A 6 inch cake tin is slightly less than half a 9 inch in volume; but I exactly halved the recipe. Hence some overflow). It turned out well. I have never had gooey butter cake before, so I don’t have a point of reference. The cake is dense and buttery. The cream cheese and strawberries shine. I personally probably would have liked the additional goo that she scaled back in this recipe.

Coleen

This is the perfect level of moistness and sweetness. Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly except for the strawberry topping. I didn't want to blenderize such a small amount, so sliced the strawberries fairly thin, and mashed them after cooking - worked out fine for making the strawberry swirl.

Jeff Richman

Really not very gooey. More dry than gooey. Definitely will not be making this again.

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