When I was in New York a few weeks ago we stopped by one of the most unique bakeries I’ve ever visited, Momofuku Milk Bar. Noted for their unusual concoctions like cookies made with potato chips, birthday cake truffles, and cereal milk ice cream, I’d been wanting to visit Momofuku’s and try a slice of their famous Crack Pie since I came across the recipe in the LA Times last year.
The thought did cross my mind that I could actually, you know, make the recipe myself, but one thing kept stopping me. It’s decidedly fussy.
With 22 ingredients (including 8 egg yolks, ugh) and the advertised one-and-a-half hours of labor-intensive preparation, I just kept putting the whole thing off.
When I did finally get the chance to taste it two weeks ago, I immediately flashed back to my college days when my girlfriends and I would flounce around in the kitchen, throwing dinner parties for our boyfriends, and making sinfully sweet treats for church Bible studies. Crack Pie reminded me of one of my old standbys, Chess Squares, an unbelievably indulgent southern dessert staple and one of the first desserts I remember making on my own.
I proclaimed this revelation to my foodie friends (except I was really thinking that chess squares are so much better), but all I received were blank stares. They’d never heard of chess squares. Chalking it up to being a “southern thing”, I knew as soon as I got home I had to share this ridiculously delicious recipe with you guys.
The best part is, chess squares couldn’t be easier to make. Just five simple ingredients here.
If this is looking familiar to you, you’re doing better than I was at this point. More on that in a minute.
You start by mixing a yellow cake mix with melted butter and one egg to form a soft dough .
It was at this point that I started to think myself, Huh. This seems a little familiar.
But I pushed the thought out of my head and carried on.
You then mix a pound of powdered sugar with softened cream cheese and the remaining two eggs to create a decadent gooey filling. No wonder they’re so good!
But… Haven’t I seen this recipe somewhere before… recently?
Oh right. That’s when it dawned on me. It’s almost the exact recipe for…
Doh.
How did I not realize that my beloved chess squares were also masquerading under the famous Paula Deen recipe until… just now?
Doh. Again. I wrestled with myself whether or not I should even post the recipe, scolding myself that you’ve all surely heard of gooey butter cake.
But I ultimately decided that no matter what you call them, this delicious dessert definitely deserves a second look.
From its decadent, chewy crust…
To its rich, gooey filling…
To the flaky, sugary, satisfyingly crispy crust…
To the way it makes your whole house smell so divinely sweet and buttery.
If you’ve never made chess squares or gooey butter cake… Give these a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Chess Squares
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 300 and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 mins. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.
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111 Comments
i heart cream cheese! i cannot wait to try this! thanks :D
These are an all time favorite in my family as well. We actually call them Chess Bars, so not to far from what you call them. But like you said call it what you may they are absolutely delicious.
I make that sometimes too – we call it a Gooey Butter Cake :-)
Hello Amanda,
I love your place here. I hope you dont mind I nominated you to the Stylish Blogger Award.
I will be your regular visitor here. Marie
Check it out here:
http://sirciramr.blogspot.com/2011/02/nominated-for-stylish-blogger-award.html#links
I love gooey butter cake (but I am from Texas, blueberry dump cake is a staple in our house) and I cannot wait to try your recipe. YUM!
I know it as Gooey Butter Cake! And sometimes I use Devils Food cake mix!! Ssooo yummy either way!!
I love your blog!
Hugs ~~ Suz
Well you got me hook, line, and sinker (is that the expression) Oh well I think I will put a slight tint of pink food coloring in the cream cheese and low and behold Valentines dessert. Thanks. Paulette
Oh, yes! These are delicious!! My grandmother used to make these from scratch and she called them chess bars. Then I found a recipe using the cake mix and the recipe’s called Gooey Butter Cake.
Either way, as others have said, they are DELISH! Kinda wish these were on the menu instead of the brownies and cupcakes my kids have requested for their birthday!
I made something just like this years ago but we added chocolate chips to it. I haven’t made it in forever and this recipe might be easier. Can’t wait to try it again. Maybe I will do 1/2 plain and 1/2 chocolate chips. :)
YUMMY CHESS SQUARE
How funny that you post this recipe, just a few days ago I was thinking about Paula’s Gooey Butter Cake…I’ve never heard of Chess Squares (learned something new). The cake looks scrumptious, will try soon (like maybe TODAY!!).
That cake needs to get in my belly stat.
This reminds me of a dessert a friend of mine makes all the time. I was at her house one day and watched her make it…same thing only for the crust she rolled out crescent rolls and put them in the bottom of the pan. The filling is the same. I said “Oh it’s like gooey butter cake kind of but with crescent rolls instead of the cake part” She looked at me like I had three heads. I think gooey butter cake is a southern thing too :) Have you ever heard of transparent pie? Lol. Apparently in the North it’s called Chess Pie. Who knew?
I need a baked sweet for next week and was playing around in my head with what to take this month. Yea!!! This will be it. Thanks so much.
Yay! I’ve heard of Chess Squares! Score one for me! My stepmother is southern and moved from Georgia to Alabama to the panhandle of Florida when she was a child and she always talks about her southern dishes that her grandmother (mema) used to make! She hasn’t made any of the desserts, but she makes an Okra and Tomato dish to die for! And, btw, I can’t ever, ever get my cream cheese fillings to look like that–all liquidy and good…how did you do that??? What am I doing wrong???
That’s gotta be some kind of oxymoron, “sinfully sweet treats for church Bible studies!” ;) Looks amazing!
This is my Mom’s staple dessert that everyone requests, but we know it as Chess Cake! I’ve been sneaking the middle pieces only since I was about 2! LOL! :)
I love chess squares. I add pecan or walnut pieces to my crust and they are so yummy!
These are yummy..and so easy to make! My friend has a similar recipe but calls them gooey bars and puts a lemon twist on it..she uses lemon cake mix and adds some lemon extract to the cream cheese mix…delicious!
I love Chess Pie, but had never heard of Chess Squares. My next dessert!
I am a HUGE fan of gooey butter cake, yum! The book “The Cake Doctor” has some great variations on this as well (great dessert idea book). :)
We love Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis. There is even a bakery called Gooey Louies that sells only gooey butter cakes but they come in a variety of flavors. Yummmmm! They are fantastic!
I LOVE Chess Squares! There are so many folks who have never heard of them, so I have made it a mission of mine to spread the good news. Of Chess Squares. And Jesus. Anyway, I love that you did a blog about them – this will help me get the word out faster!
These actually look very delish! I really want to try making them! I am sooooo in the mood to bake!
I wonder how they would taste with a chocolate cake mix?! Do you think I should try it?!
By the way, where did the name come from…”Chess Pie/Squares/Cake”?
These definitely look yummy…will have to try!
Just wanted to say that I love your blog. Your photography is amazing!
These look yummy! Can’t wait to make them!!! Thanks for sharing!! :D
I’d never heard of either. This looks like my kind of recipe. Plus I usually have all of these ingredients on hand. I’ll be making it this weekend!
Oooohhh – I grew up in St.Louis where gooey butter cake abounds! Believe it or not, it was always a breakfast treat in our house! I haven’t had one since I moved over 7 years ago, and never thought of making one of my own – duh! Thanks for the inspiration, yum!!
Good bye diet…again! I think I am going to make this for our monthly coworker birthday potluck next Wednesday! Thanks!
I’m from KY and that is one of our most favorite desserts! On another note, I’m thinking I may have to quit reading your blog LOL I gave up sugar a couple months ago and your blog makes me want to say to heck with it all – GIVE – ME – JUNK!! If it weren’t for your great posts and photography I might actually unsubscribe (just can’t take the temptation). But well… here I am and I just tell my self it’s my daily dose of will-power practice. :)
This is like my cheesecake brownie recipe. They are like the cheesecake brownies from the Great American Cookie Company @ the mall. LOVE THIS! Thanks for reminding me of them. Will be baking some very soon! Maybe even tonight!! LOL!
I just <3 gooey butter cake and make it often! My favorite thing to do is make it different flavors and have found that pumpkin is my absolute favorite way! :)
Pumpkin gooey butter cake is my absolute favorite. I would take it over pumpkin pie anyday!
How do you make pumpkin???? I am in love with pumpkin!!!
Thanks! Cannot wait to make this! Never hesitate to repost a recipe…I have never seen this one and would have missed out if you didn’t repost!
Wow, these look moth watering good. I have never heard of them, but I am going to make some right away!
Thanks for sharing!!
sorry :( I meant Mouth Watering
I grew up in Arizona, and have spent the last 40 years in Hawaii. Never heard of this til today! Looks wonderful – we’ll try it! Thanks for your fun website!!
YUMMM!! The recipe for the cake HAS to be yummy! A friend of mine told me about Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies & they are a little piece of heaven. Here’s the recipe…same ingredients too.
http://bakingupchaos.blogspot.com/2008/12/ooey-gooey-butter-cookies.html
I was so excited to try the Gooey Butter Cake at Lady and Son’s, then they bring me out a chess square and I though, surely this isn’t it?? But, it was! My mom and grandmother had a bakery when I was growing up, so these have been around my whole life!
You can also make them strawberry, chocolate, or lemon! The possibilities are endless!
I make something like this called “Easy Cheesies” but my recipe has a can of lemon icing instead of powdered sugar but boy are they good. I will have to try this recipe because I love anything made using cake mixes that is delish as well as easy. Now the big question – I want to know how you eat all of these goodies you make and stay so slim & trim. Hugs, Becky
lol, Becky, can you believe I only got ONE of these bad boys?? :) I sent them with Kevin to an agility club meeting and he came back with an empty plate! I was hoping to keep them around for at least a few more days. :) Looks like I’ll have to try it with the chocolate cake mix next!
These are awesome!!! My family especially my Uncle loves the one I make that has 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans and 1/2 to 1 cup of flaked sweetened Coconuts
Yummy!!!
Thanks for the recipe and photos
Demetrria
As a kid growing up in Kentucky, we called it Chess Cake. Same great taste!!
I just made it. I knew when I opened my e-mail this morning I would have to try it. I only had a chocolate cake mix, so I made it with that. My house smells soooo good…I couldn’t wait until later to try it. DELICIOUS! Can not wait to make it with yellow cake. Thank you :)
I’m from the South and have never had this! I’ve heard of it but never actually tried it (I know, crazy huh?!). I’m totally making it soon though–it looks fabulous and so easy!
We make Chess Pie here in Texas… but chess squares look scrumptious.. I will have to make for our next family gathering! Thanks for sharing!
I have been making Chess Cake for years and my 12 year old daughter has now started making it. It’s my ‘go-to’ recipe whenever I need to make something quick that everyone will like. Very inexpensive and everyone who tries it loves it. My daughter calls is Sugar Shock because when you eat it, that’s pretty much what happens! oh btw…..you can also cook this at 350 for 20-25 minutes and it’s not as barlike. More of a rice gooey cake-like desert. Either way, it’s HEAVENLY!! lol
You have to try this recipe with lemon cake mix instead of the yellow. FOR SERIOUS! The best lemon bars EVER or at least my Aunt Baby and I think so.
Love it! I shall be making this for dessert on Sunday!
I LOVE those things! In my little corner of KY, I’ve heard them called Magic Bars, and I’ve also heard them called Yum Yum Bars. No wonder…they are yummy!
Evidently I’ve been living under a rock as this is my first introduction to this recipe… it sounds absolutely delectable! Can not wait to try these this weekend. Thank you for deciding to share! Quick question for you though… I used to be able to print a printer friendly version (without so many pictures) of your recipes, but I’m finding that more difficult now. Have you changed something, or is this a user error problem? :-)
This is my first visit to your blog and I’m not really sure how I got here! lol This chess squares recipe is my mom’s go-to Potluck recipe. Everyone raves about it!
My husband makes these every year for Christmas. They are always a huge hit.
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Oh, mercy me, that looks sinfully delicious ;) :) :) I LOVE cheesecake and ch eesecake-type desserts :) :) :) Yummy!!! Thanks for posting this :) :) Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :) :)
i am going to make these for Giles’ teachers for Valentines day, thanks for the idea!!!
I’ve always made Gooey Butter Cake in a bundt pan, but I really like the idea of making it as a bar cookie. Much easier to eat!
These are a St. Louis Classic…but we call them Gooey Butter Cake. I’ve been eating them since I was a toddler, so delicious.
Being a Southerner myself (Alabaman via Florida), my grandmother used to make chess pie all the time….this is almost the exact recipe we used!! Love it….and so much easier than the crack pie!! Thanks for sharing!!
I grew up in the Midwest where it went by “gooey butter cake” like you said. Yum. I love it! Gooey Butter Cookies (from allrecipes.com) are also delicious!
I make this with a lemon cake mix instead of the yellow. Talk about DELISH! The best lemon bars ever!
I have never heard of either… so I am glad you shared! These look just delicious, and I have a baby shower coming up that these might be perfect for! Thanks!!
I love chess squares! You aren’t the only one who has heard of them… but then again, I learned to love them while living in KY, so maybe they are just a Southern thing!
Ok, this is on the dessert menu for Sunday dinner.
I will check back with you and let you know what a hit it was!
I got my recipe for Gooey Butter Cake from Kingsley Inn in Iowa. We love it topped with cherry pie filling!!!! Delicious!
My mom made this all the time while I was growing up. It is a family favorite. We called it butter gooey cake. Isn’t it divine?!!!
You make it really, really difficult to stick to plan, you know! ;) They look scrumptious. Maybe I’ll make them in another 60 pounds or so…
Serious? How had I never heard of these?!
After I read the post at work, I dreamed of them all day!! I made them up tonight and could not even wait for them to cool all the way. I just about melted into a puddle when I started eating the ooooeey gooey warm yummy-ness! Oh and I’m so trying them with a lemon cake mix!! mmm – definitely dangerous for the pregnant woman who craves sweets!
I’m going to assume these should be stored in the refrigerator? Anyone want to fill me in?
funny…
I’m glad you finally mentioned Gooey Butter Cake towards the end because I was thinking that the entire time
Love this recipe! I’ve heard it as gooey butter cake or chess squares or even Neiman Marcus cake. Whatever you call it, it’s delicious – and always has a quick disappearing act. =)
I tried these last night and they are SOOOO yummy!
My family (and I) have almost devoured them.
Thanks for the recipe!
It’s funny because I was talking about making chess squares just the other day and my husband had NEVER heard of them. I was shocked because I thought everyone had. But then again I am a southern girl born and raised, and chess pie was served at every holiday!
I must live under a rock…because I’ve never heard of either recipe!
Looks so yummy though, I’m gonna try it!!!
I love your blog and I just wanted you to know that the recipe for Gooey Butter Cake, Neiman Marcus bars, Chess cake (whatever you want to call it) has been around a lot long than Paula Deen. I actually LOVE her and her cooking, but my grandmother was making this recipe in the 1960′s. So, FYI, like Ecclesiates says in the Bible “There’s nothing new under the sun” By the way, my grandmother would’ve been past 100.
Here’s another name for ya, Ugly Cake. Yup, my MIL calls it Ugly Cake.
I’m with ya though, the smell of your house after you have baked this heavenly dessert is divine!
Chess squares just sound much better than Gooey Butter Cake!
I have never heard of either one, but chess squares just sounds so much better to me thank gooey butter cake, I am going to make these they look delicious. I think they would be really good with the chocolate cake mix too like one reader said.
Welp, it’s decided… I’m making these tomorrow and bringing them into work for Valentine’s on Monday :) I’ve never heard of Chess Squares/Gooey Butter Cake/or any of the above but your divine photography captured it’s delicious decadence and therefore I’m SOLD! Thanks for posting the recipe!!!
I have never heard of Chess Squares or of Paula’s butter cake…but…
anything with all that butter and a POUND of powdered sugar has got to be over the moon good!
And totally fat-free and calorie-free, right? :)
Gooey Cake! My favorite!
Oh these one of my all time favorites but we call it cream cheese cookies!! My mom used to make and send them to me every summer at camp!
WOW! Looks so YUMMY! I’m going to try these! Thanks…LOVE YOUR BLOG BY THE WAY! :)
Thanks, I will be making these the next chance I get!
I’m going to have to try this. I’ve had the milk powder in my pantry since the Crack Pie recipe was in our newspaper!
I used this recipe for a party this past weekend. They were a huge hit, everyone loved them. Also they were so simple to make!!
I am making these for my Valentine (they are in the oven as I type). Thanks for sharing such an easy, beautiful (and probably decadently delicious) recipe!
Amanda,
I was wondering could you use chocolate cake mix in place of the yellow mix?
Thanks,
Laura/Indiana
These look fantastic. What a sweet, gooey treat!
We made these for Family Night this week and everyone LOVED them!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Making these this morning for a group of friends. So glad you posted this as I had never heard of them or even Paula’s Gooy butter cake. Thanks.
I’m another person from St. Louis who loves this..although since it was created here…don’t like you pointing out Paula Dean’s recipe. lol!
Amazing! I made these last night and they were a huge hit. I cannot wait to attempt to make some other varieties.
I love these too! I have always known it as Paula Deen’s Gooey Butter Cake recipe.
Thanks, Amanda! I made these last night for dessert on a rainy Friday night at home with my husband and the kids. It was our first experience with this dessert (we’re in CA) and WOW – very good!
Those look really good. I have never heard of them before! I’m going to put them on my *to bake soon* list. :)
Oh. My mouth just filled up with saliva… in a good way! I must make these. Thank you for the very easy to follow instructions and stunning photos. They’re gorgeous! Love your blog. You two are happy and very cute!
♥s
Making this today for the second time since you posted the recipe! I’ve used lemon cake mix both times (as a commenter suggested). So yummy! It’s a favorite now for sure!
I heart chess squares. It’s my new favorite treat to make. It’s easy, simple, a crowd pleaser and everyone wants the recipe. (that’s when you know it’s good stuff) I’ve changed the name to Crackle Chewy Crunch cuz I think it’s better tells you what you’re getting than chess squares. I also love to take a recipe and change it. I’ve made this using a chocolate cake mix and added a couple tablespoons of cocoa to the powder sugar. Last week I made this using a red velvet cake mix and mixed in mini chocolate chips. YUMMY! It was by far my favorite. Next week I’m going to use a butter pecan cake mix and add Hershey’s Heath Toffee bits to the top. Thanks for the recipe. It has changed my life. Ü
I just made this cake and it was a hit! I live just outside of the STL area, the birthplace of Gooey Butter Cake, and I give this recipe two thumbs up!
I am making these right now for a dear friend who just had her first baby! Don’t tell, but i’m keeping half for our house…they look too yummy to give all away! Oh and I love your blog, you have some amazing talent!
I’m not very experienced with baking and I’m confused. Is it 1 box of powdered sugar? I thought 4 cups would be 32 oz or 2 lbs. Am I mixed up? Sorry. But, I would like to try your recipe and I don’t want to mess it up.
Thanks
Oops sorry. I figured out my silly question.
I am so glad you posted this recipe! I have been wanting to try chess pie (which I assume is the round version of chess squares) for years, but have never gotten around to it. Also, I just got back from St. Louis the day before reading this post. I saw signs advertising gooey butter cake everywhere, but we never got to try any. I am baking this recipe tonight though! I am so excited to try it!