I know. Gooey butter cake as the first recipe in January? Sorry guys, I just can’t help it. I’m not a resolutioner and, well, I really like cake. Particularly this cake. This recipe has been on my radar for ages, but for one reason or another, it kept getting pushed aside. Finally after the insane blur that was the holidays and the associated frenzy of baking, I needed a break. I didn’t make much of anything and strangely, that felt good to me for a little while. But soon enough of course, I felt that old familiar twinge. I needed to bake something. Cookies are my usual go-t0, but I baked mountains of them during the holidays so even they didn’t sound appealing.
And then…cake. A simple cake. No layers, no filling or crumb coats. This is what I like to call a Sunday cake. To me, a Sunday cake is made in a square or rectangular baking pan. It must be simple, no frills, and low maintenance. And so, gooey butter cake was back on my radar. I’m sure it can be inferred from the name, this cake is all sorts of amazing. The bottom is a thin layer of yeasted dough that is covered with a gooey butter topping (shocker!) It is best freshly made, and has a dreamy texture – some parts gooey and perfectly sweet, but with crisp, almost caramelized edges. On subsequent days, if it survives that long, it is reminiscent of a really great coffee cake. A few seconds in the microwave brings it back to life. Sorry if this cake tempts you when you don’t want to be tempted. Save it for later. And if your resolution was to eat more cake, then you are welcome.