Lisa Yarde
Gooey Butter Cake Bars
With a yeasted coffee cake crust, and a buttery, gooey filling, these St Louis staple bars are as sweet as can be. Adding almond extract gives these bars their own unique identity and flavor.
Servings: 15
Calories: 308kcal
Equipment
- Measuring Cups/Spoons Set
- Glass Liquid Measuring Cups
- 9 x 13-Inch Pan
- Glass Nesting Bowls
- 9" Wire Whisk
- 5-Quart Stand Mixer
- Cooling rack
- 4.5" Utility Knife
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST, WHISK
- ⅓ cup Whole milk, warmed (105–115°)
- 1 Tbsp. Instant or active dry yeast
CREAM
- 4 Tbsp. Unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. Table salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. Pure almond extract
ADD
- 1 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
FOR THE FILLING, CREAM
- 2 Sticks unsalted butter (16 Tbsp.), softened
- 1 ¾ cups Granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. Table salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Egg yolk
- 2 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. Pure almond extract
ADD
- ⅓ cup Cornstarch
- 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. Whole milk
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter.
- For the crust, whisk together warm milk and yeast; let stand until slightly foamy, 5–10 minutes.
- Cream 4 Tbsp. butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and ½ tsp. salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, and ¼ tsp. almond extract; beat until combined.
- Add 1¾ cups flour in two additions on low speed, alternating with milk-yeast mixture; increase speed to medium-low and beat until a smooth, slightly elastic dough forms that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 3–6 minutes.
- Press dough into bottom and ½–1-inch up sides of prepared pan; dock bottom with a fork, then loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let dough sit in a warm place until it slightly puffs up, 1½ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- For the filling, cream 2 sticks butter, 1¾ cups granulated sugar, and ½ tsp. salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add 1 egg, yolk, 2 tsp. vanilla, and ½ tsp. almond extract; beat until combined.
- Add cornstarch; beat to combine on low speed. Add 1 cup flour in two additions on low speed, alternating with 3 Tbsp. milk, until combined.
- Dollop filling on dough; spread evenly almost to the edges.
- Bake cake on center rack until light golden brown, a thin shell forms on the top, and the filling is set, but still a little jiggly, 28–30 minutes.
- Let cake cool completely in pan on a rack, then run a knife around edge of pan. To serve, dust cake with powdered sugar; cut into 15 bars.
Nutrition Facts
1 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories308
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
17g
27%
- Saturated Fat 10g 50%
- Cholesterol 79mg 27%
- Sodium 173mg 8%
- Total Carbohydrate
39g
13%
- Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
- Protein 4g 8%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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