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Home » Dessert » Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Published: August 22, 2017 Last Modified: May 16, 2019 By Sara 50 Comments

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

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Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Recipe | Pumpkin Cake Recipe | Gooey Butter Cake | Pumpkin Dessert | Thanksgiving Dessert

This pumpkin gooey butter cake is rich, decadent and incredibly delicious – you MUST make this! It’s the perfect end to any fall meal.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Recipe | Pumpkin Cake Recipe | Gooey Butter Cake | Pumpkin Dessert | Thanksgiving Dessert

A piece of pumpkin gooey butter cake with a fork in it.

I know what you’re thinking…..pumpkin recipes? In August? YES! This pumpkin gooey butter cake is so good that it should be served year round, why wait for fall? Not to mention fall is just around the corner! Here in California the weather doesn’t start to change until November, but that doesn’t mean we can’t consume our fair share of pumpkin treats anyways.

A slice of pumpkin gooey butter cake topped with whipped cream.

How Do You Make Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake?

This pumpkin gooey butter cake is incredibly easy to make, and it’s probably one of the best pumpkin desserts I’ve ever had. It’s a chewy vanilla crust with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake-like topping. This recipe feeds a crowd and can be made up to 2 days before you plan to serve it. I promise, you will get tons of rave reviews and requests for the recipe.

This recipe starts with a box of cake mix, which is combined with a few ingredients and pressed into the bottom of the pan to make the crust.  The topping is a combination of pumpkin, cream cheese, eggs, butter and spices. The pumpkin mixture gets poured over the top of the crust and the whole thing is baked to perfection. Be careful not to overbake this cake, you want the center to be just set so that it stays gooey.

A slice of pumpkin gooey butter cake with a bite taken out of it.

Just a fair warning, this is a rich dessert. But in the best possible way! It’s got all kinds of amazing flavors and textures and this treat will surely fulfill your pumpkin cravings. You can serve this pumpkin gooey butter cake as-is, or top it with a little whipped cream or powdered sugar for garnish. This cake will most definitely be on our Thanksgiving table this year, but I’m definitely not waiting until November to make it again!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

  • Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • Pumpkin Dump Cake
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
  • Earthquake Cake
  • Pumpkin Spice Cake

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake Video


A piece of pumpkin gooey butter cake with a fork in it.
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5 from 6 votes

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

This pumpkin gooey butter cake is rich, decadent and incredibly delicious - you MUST make this! It's the perfect end to any fall meal.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 20
Calories 293kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 egg
  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • cooking spray

For the filling:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 12 ounces powdered sugar (equates to approximately 3 cups)

Optional garnishes: whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.
    • For the crust: Place the cake mix, egg and butter in a medium bowl. Using a mixer, beat the mixture until well combined.
    • Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and press the dough to cover the bottom of the pan.
    • For the filling: Place the cream cheese and pumpkin into a large bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, butter and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until smooth.
    • Add the powdered sugar to the pumpkin mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.
    • Pour the pumpkin mixture on top of the crust and spread into an even layer.
    • Bake for 45 minutes or until center is just set. Cool completely, or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before you plan to serve it.
    • Cut into squares and serve, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice if desired.

    Notes

    Adapted from Paula Deen.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 39mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 490IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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    Filed Under: Baking, Dessert

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      Comments

      1. Nancy. Collins says

        September 28, 2019 at 9:22 pm

        Do you have to use a yellow cake mix. For this recipe.

        Reply
        • Sara says

          September 28, 2019 at 10:27 pm

          You can use any flavor cake mix!

          Reply
          • Marion Webb says

            September 29, 2019 at 11:08 am

            I am making one now with yellow but was thinking it would be really good with a spice cake

            Reply
      2. Deb says

        August 31, 2019 at 11:09 am

        5 stars
        This has become one of my favorite pumpkin recipes! So good!

        Reply
      3. AleeraDoBlah says

        August 29, 2018 at 5:33 pm

        The pan used looking significantly larger then a 9×13.. is it?.. just wanted to make sure I use the correct pan.. thank you for any info

        Reply
        • Sara says

          August 29, 2018 at 9:34 pm

          Nope it’s a regular old metal 9″x 13″ pan!

          Reply
        • AleeraDoBlah says

          August 30, 2018 at 5:37 am

          Awesome.. thank you so much for the reply

          Reply
      4. Mary Ellen Morgan says

        July 30, 2018 at 1:55 pm

        Have you tried making this with chocolate chips in the pumpkin batter?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          July 30, 2018 at 4:28 pm

          I haven’t but that sounds absolutely amazing and I’m sure it would be delicious!

          Reply
      5. Teri C. says

        November 26, 2017 at 6:56 am

        Hi Sara,

        Just to let you know I used a large can of peaches, that I let drain completely and cut the peaches up in chunks and stirred them into the pumpkin mixture. I bake the same or until the center was slightly jiggly. It turned out perfect. served with whipped cream…..yum!!

        Reply
        • Sara says

          November 26, 2017 at 9:58 am

          Sounds fabulous, I need to try it that way!

          Reply
      6. Billie jo says

        November 22, 2017 at 1:23 pm

        Can I use a pond cake mix for this pumpkin gooey butter cake? If I don’t have a regular cake mix.

        Reply
        • Sara says

          November 22, 2017 at 2:13 pm

          What size is the pound cake mix? If it’s similar in size to a standard box of cake mix it should be fine.

          Reply
      7. SANDRA R ROSALEZ says

        November 17, 2017 at 10:28 am

        Has anyone tried a spice or carrot cake mix instead of yellow? Wonder if that would go well?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          November 17, 2017 at 11:01 pm

          I’ve heard of people using a spice cake mix before, that would be a great way to go!

          Reply
      8. Caroline Cardoza says

        November 14, 2017 at 11:00 am

        Can I use sweet potato instead?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          November 14, 2017 at 9:08 pm

          Yes you can!

          Reply
      9. Beryl Chandler says

        October 16, 2017 at 9:28 am

        5 stars
        I used freshly cooked pumpkin for this receipe, absolutely delicious.

        Reply
      10. Dawn Wendland says

        October 2, 2017 at 12:12 pm

        Has anyone tried doubling this and making in a quarter sheet pan?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          October 2, 2017 at 8:43 pm

          Sometimes doubling baking recipes can be tricky, I’d recommend just making two batches in two 9″x13″ pans.

          Reply
      11. Erin says

        September 29, 2017 at 1:08 pm

        Do you use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          September 29, 2017 at 1:30 pm

          I typically use salted but either will work!

          Reply
      12. Emily says

        September 25, 2017 at 3:59 pm

        Can I use a 9×13 Glass dish or the only other thing I have is a shallow metal sheet pan for this recipe. I really wanna make this… ????

        Reply
        • Sara says

          September 26, 2017 at 9:25 pm

          Yes that will work!

          Reply
      13. Jessie says

        September 10, 2017 at 6:30 pm

        I am going to bake this per recipe but then second time I will use canned sweet potatoes. Yams are my favorite and I will eat a sweet potato pie over a pumpkin pie any day. Really looking forward to making this one!!

        Reply
      14. Rachel Farvour says

        September 7, 2017 at 7:58 pm

        I made this cake tonight but I am a little worried about it. It seems a little jiggly in the middle. Is it baked enough?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          September 7, 2017 at 8:02 pm

          It should be a little jiggly in the middle when you shake it, but not liquidy. It’ll firm up a bit as it cools, but the filling is supposed to be on the gooier side! When I make it and it firms up, it’s almost like a cheesecake consistency on top.

          Reply
      15. Pat Teich says

        September 1, 2017 at 9:07 am

        Looks absolutely yummy! Can this be frozen since I know it will not all be consumed?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          September 2, 2017 at 8:26 am

          Yes you can freeze this!

          Reply
          • Patricia Teich says

            September 2, 2017 at 11:20 am

            Great! Thanks for responding. I look forward to making it!
            Pat

            Reply
      16. Bea says

        August 29, 2017 at 9:01 pm

        5 stars
        I can’t wait for fall and all of the pumpkin treats! This looks especially good!

        Reply
      17. Sam says

        August 28, 2017 at 9:39 pm

        5 stars
        This would be great for fall. I’m a real fan of pumpkin

        Reply
      18. Demeter | Beaming Baker says

        August 24, 2017 at 6:45 am

        5 stars
        What a tasty treat! I’ve been waiting ALL year long for pumpkin treats… so this just hits the spot! Love how easy this is to make! 🙂

        Reply
      19. Debbie says

        August 23, 2017 at 3:22 pm

        5 stars
        I love all pumpkin desserts and this looks amazing! I always keep pumpkin in my pantry!

        Reply
      20. Jayne Joyes says

        August 23, 2017 at 10:03 am

        Can you use the canned pumpkin pie filling in this recipe instead of the puree?

        Reply
        • Sara says

          August 23, 2017 at 1:44 pm

          If your pumpkin pie filling contains sugar I would significantly reduce the amount of powdered sugar in this recipe. Otherwise I think it would work although I haven’t tested it that way!

          Reply
          • Amy says

            August 30, 2017 at 8:09 pm

            Um, it clearly says pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin purée doesn’t have any added sugar.

            Reply
            • Marlene says

              November 22, 2017 at 2:05 pm

              She may not have the puree. I mistakenly bought the pie mix rather than the puree and I, too, was wondering if i could use it.

              Reply
              • Sara says

                November 22, 2017 at 2:16 pm

                You should be able to use the pie mix although I haven’t tested it. I would use 15 ounces of pie mix and then reduce the amount of powdered sugar to 1 cup and omit the pumpkin pie spice.

        • Bev says

          August 27, 2017 at 10:17 am

          I am unaccustomed to powdered sugar being measured in ounces, so I went looking for a conversion for that. From what I have found, the 12 ounces equates to slightly less than 3 cups. Is that correct?

          Reply
          • Sara says

            August 28, 2017 at 12:28 am

            Yes, that is correct, it’s fine to round it to 3 cups, it won’t affect the recipe at all.

            Reply
        • Sandie says

          September 3, 2017 at 6:33 pm

          If it isn’t sweeten.

          Reply
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