Saturday, April 12, 2008

Rachel's Recipes Part 1


As you know, the heroine in The Marriage Recipe is a pastry chef. Thus, to entice you to read (and to cook!), today I’m going to whet your appetite with one of Rachel’s favorite recipes. In fact, all month I will be blogging about food. If you follow me around (sort of like a virtual pub crawl), you'll pick up four recipes and one blog on characters and food. I will be at http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on April 14 with the next installment.

So back to that recipe.

Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis tradition and favorite. There are two ways to make it—with the evaporated milk, flour, etc., or the just-as-good cheat/shortcut version using cream cheese. Here is how you make that second gooey butter cake (the easy version).

1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter—melted

Blend these together until smooth (it will be thick). Press into the bottom of a 9x13 greased (Pam is fine) cake pan.

8 ounces softened cream cheese (use the bar, not the spread stuff and do not use fat free)
2 eggs beaten
2 cups powdered sugar

Blend softened cream cheese, the 2 eggs and the powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Don’t worry if there are a few cream cheese lumps. Spread this mixture over the first mixture pressed into he pan. Bake for 325 for 40-45 minutes until the cake edges are light brown. There may be a few brown patches on the cream cheese mixture—if there are, you are also done. Do not let the cream cheese mixture get more than a few or it’s overdone The middle will sink a little upon cooling. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. It gets tastier being one day old—so making it the night before is actually recommended.

8 comments:

Jennifer Faye said...

Oh my goodness. My mouth is watering. This sounds wonderful. I just might have to try this. *G*

Estella said...

Sounds yummy!

Marianne Arkins said...

Oh. Yum.

Seriously, what more is there to say?

Michele Dunaway said...

This is really one of the easiest recipes in the world. Try it and tell me what you think.

For variety you can use a chocolate cake mix.

Anonymous said...

Sounds great! We have my grandmother's birthday next weekend, I think I know what I'm baking.

By the way, just finished the book. LOVED it!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you enjoyed the book, Heather.

BTW, this isn't a cake you frost. It'll be a bit gooey/sticky in the center, thus the name.

Michele

Unknown said...

I think I might have to try making that someday :) Thanks for the recipe.

Anonymous said...

Michele,
That makes the cake that much more appealing. Our family isn't big into frosting. I'm sure it'll be a hit!