Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are a popular St. Louis dessert with a rich, gooey, cake-like texture. The original version features a sweet vanilla cake base with a cream cheese layer on top. But over the years, bakers and chefs have come up with creative flavor twists on the classic Ooey Gooey Butter Cake recipe. There are now Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes in flavors ranging from chocolate to pumpkin spice and everything in between. So if you’re a fan of this decadent treat, there are plenty of delicious flavor options to try beyond the traditional vanilla cake.
Traditional Vanilla Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
The traditional Ooey Gooey Butter Cake consists of a layer of dense, moist vanilla cake, topped with a thick layer of sweetened cream cheese. The vanilla cake base is rich and buttery, made with ingredients like butter, eggs, vanilla, and powdered sugar. The creamy cheesecake-like topping complements the vanilla cake perfectly. This balanced sweet and tangy flavor profile is what has made the classic Ooey Gooey Butter Cake recipe so beloved for decades.
Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
A chocolate version of Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is made by adding cocoa powder or melted chocolate to the cake base. This gives it a deep, fudgy chocolate flavor that goes perfectly with the sweet cream cheese topping. Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are rich, decadent, and ideal for chocolate lovers. The interplay between the dark chocolate cake and the vanilla cream cheese topping creates a wonderful flavor dynamic. The chocolate also pairs nicely with different cream cheese frosting mixes, like chocolate or cookies and cream flavored.
Pumpkin Spice Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Pumpkin Spice Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are ideal for fall and the holiday season. The cake base contains pumpkin puree, fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and clove, and often chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. The pumpkin and warm spices give the cake layer a wonderfully moist, spiced, pumpkin bread-like flavor. It goes excellently with the sweet cream cheese topping. And a dusting of cinnamon sugar on top provides an extra layer of spice and sweetness. Pumpkin Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are a festive, seasonal twist on the classic.
Caramel Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
For caramel Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes, the cake base is flavored with caramel sauce or caramel extract to give it that signature buttery, sweet, salty caramel taste. You can also add a layer of caramel drizzle in between the cake and the cream cheese topping. The rich caramel pairs perfectly with the tangy cream cheese frosting. And the textures of the soft cake, gooey caramel, and velvety cream cheese complement each other beautifully. Salted caramel Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are also popular for adding an extra hit of saltiness to balance the sweetness.
Snickers Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Candy bar-inspired Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are creative, fun twists on the original. One popular example is Snickers Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. The cake layer contains chopped Snickers bars, giving chunks of nougat, caramel, and peanutty flavor. You can also add extra caramel and peanut butter to the cake base. The cream cheese topping gets swirled with even more chopped Snickers. The result is a dessert that perfectly captures the indulgent flavors of the candy bar in cake form.
Funfetti Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Funfetti Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes live up to their name – they’re fun and festive! The cake base is vanilla flavored like the original, but mixed with sprinkles throughout to provide pops of color and texture. The cream cheese frosting also contains sprinkles swirled in for even more Funfetti flavor. It’s a nostalgic, whimsical twist on a St. Louis classic. Funfetti Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are especially popular for birthday celebrations and other festive occasions.
Cinnamon Roll Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Cinnamon roll flavors are swirled throughout this Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. The cake base includes cinnamon and a cinnamon cream cheese swirl. The filling features cream cheese flavored with vanilla and more cinnamon. And the top is finished off with a drizzle of creamy vanilla glaze, like the icing on a cinnamon bun. These layers of cinnamon flavor make for a perfect dessert option for cinnamon roll lovers.
Lemon Blueberry Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Bright, refreshing flavors come together in lemon blueberry Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. The cake base features fresh lemon zest and juice to give it that citrusy kick. Swirls of lemon curd or lemon cream cheese add more tangy flavor. And fresh blueberries are folded into the cake and cream cheese topping. The sweet berries balance beautifully with the citrus. It’s a lovely spring and summer twist on Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.
Almond Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Ground almonds can be used to add a nutty flavor and texture to Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes. Finely ground almonds are mixed into the cake base for nutty richness. You can also add almond extract for even more almond flavor. And sliced almonds can be used as a garnish on top of the cream cheese layer. The nuttiness plays nicely off the creamy cheese topping. For an extra pop of sweetness, arrangements of sliced almonds can be used to create a decorative pattern on the surface.
Coconut Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Coconut Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes incorporate the tropical flavors of coconut flakes and coconut extract into the recipe. Shredded coconut mixes into the cake batter for chewy texture and coconutty richness. Coconut extract adds even more of that signature flavor. And toasted coconut flakes can be used as a garnish on top of the cream cheese layer. You can also mix some cream of coconut or coconut milk into the cream cheese frosting for more coconut flair. Pair it with pineapple for a perfect tropical Ooey Gooey Cake.
Red Velvet Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Red velvet Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes offer that classic red velvet flavor in a gooey butter cake form. The cake base gets its signature red-brown hue from cocoa powder and red food coloring, along with a hint of vinegar for tanginess. The cream cheese frosting provides a creamy white counterpoint. And the flavors pair perfectly – the sweet vanilla notes of the red velvet cake complementing the tangy cream cheese frosting. For an extra layer of flavor, cream cheese swirled with cream cheese is incorporated into the cake as well.
Carrot Cake Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Carrot cake is turned into an Ooey Gooey Butter Cake with the addition of carrots, pineapple, raisins or currants, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cream cheese. Grated carrots provide moisture and sweetness to the cake base. Crushed pineapple lends tropical fruit flavor. The raisins or currants add chewy texture. And the spices give it that comforting carrot cake taste. Tangy cream cheese is swirled into the cake and tops it for the perfect carrot cake Ooey Gooey Butter Cake.
S’mores Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
For the ultimate campfire treat in cake form, there’s S’mores Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. The cake layer features flavors reminiscent of the classic graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate combination. Crumbled graham crackers add crunch and honeyed flavor. Mini marshmallows give that fluffy, sticky sweetness. And melted chocolate creates fudgy swirls. You can also incorporate chocolate chips or swirled chocolate into the cream cheese topping. It’s like a s’more baked into a decadent cake.
Apple Pie Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Apple pie spices and flavors come together for Apple Pie Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Diced apples baked into the cake give natural sweetness and moisture. Apple pie spice like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger add comforting warmth and spice. You can also fold in crushed graham crackers for even more apple pie flair. And a swirl of caramel or caramel cream cheese takes it over the top. With all those delicious flavors, it’s like apple pie turned into the ultimate cake.
Mint Chocolate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Mint and chocolate create a cool, refreshing Ooey Gooey Butter Cake flavor. Peppermint or mint extract provides the cool mintiness to both the cake layer and the cream cheese topping. And cocoa powder or melted chocolate gives you plenty of rich chocolate flavor. You can also add chocolate chips or swirls, or drizzles of chocolate sauce for even more chocolate decadence. The sweet creaminess of the chocolate coupled with the burst of cool mint makes a delectable flavor combo.
Butterscotch Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Make your Ooey Gooey Butter Cake even more buttery and caramelly with the addition of butterscotch. Butterscotch chips or butterscotch sauce mixed into the cake batter deliver that signature sweet and buttery flavor. You can also add extra depth by swirling butterscotch sauce or butterscotch pudding into the cream cheese. And garnishing the top with butterscotch sauce and buttery toffee bits takes the butterscotch flavor over the top.
Cheesecake Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Cheesecake Ooey Gooey Butter Cake gives you the best of both worlds – moist cake and creamy cheesecake in one dessert. For the cake layer, add extra cream cheese and eggs into the batter for richness. You can also mix in sour cream for tanginess. For even more cheesecake flair, swirl cream cheese cheesecake filling throughout the cake. And top with an extra thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Garnish with fresh fruit like berries for a picture perfect cheesecake cake.
Maple Bacon Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Savory and sweet come together for Maple Bacon Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Finely chopped cooked bacon gets mixed into the cake batter to provide hints of smoky, salty, meaty flavor. Maple syrup or maple extract adds sweetness and ties everything together. For even more maple flavor, you can drizzle maple frosting or maple syrup over the cream cheese topping. And garnishing with chopped bacon or pancake syrup takes it over the top. It’s an Ooey Gooey Butter Cake sure to delight bacon and pancake lovers.
Confetti Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Confetti Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes live up to their festive name. The cake batter is loaded up with rainbow sprinkles or multicolored confetti quins for pops of color and crunch in every bite. You can also mix extra confetti sprinkles into the cream cheese frosting for even more colorful speckles. Topping the whole cake with a generous helping of sprinkles provides the perfect party touch. This one is fun, whimsical, and perfect for celebrations.
Jam-Swirled Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes
If you enjoy flavors like PB&J and biscuits with jam, then jam-swirled Ooey Gooey Butter Cakes are for you. Choose your favorite jam flavor – strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, or apricot all work beautifully. Swirl the jam liberally throughout the layers of dense cake and cream cheese for bursts of fruity sweetness in every bite. You can also top the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake with an extra drizzle of jam before serving. It’s sure to satisfy any jam lover.
Conclusion
Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is a super adaptable dessert that takes wonderfully to creative flavors. Whether you prefer chocolate, fruit, spice, or candy flavors, there’s an Ooey Gooey Butter Cake variety you’re sure to love. The St. Louis classic has evolved into a dessert with many delicious flavor possibilities beyond the original vanilla cake base and cream cheese topping. So take your pick from this list and bake up the Ooey Gooey Butter Cake flavor combination of your dreams.