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Not-Quite Gooey Butter Cake

5 from 1 vote
This is a fancy version of a St. Louis classic recipe. It's like the elevated older sister of this delicious, gooey, buttery two layer cake. This recipe is in a tart pan, and you'd be surprised at how quickly it comes together. The toppings are up to you, but I love doing kumquat for a nice contrast of bright and buttery.
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Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:34 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butter, cake, dessert, gooey butter cake
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • 1 9" tart pan

Ingredients

For the tart base:

  • 113 grams butter 1 stick
  • 50 grams granulated sugar 1/4 cup
  • 140 grams all-purpose flour 1 cup
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large egg yolk reserve the egg white for the topping

For the gooey butter topping:

  • 113 grams butter 1 stick
  • 100 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
  • 100 grams almond flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp & 1 tsp all-purpose flour

For toppings:

  • 1 large red pear thinly sliced
  • 15 small kumquats cleaned and halved

Instructions

  • Begin with the tart shell. In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the flour and salt to the stand mixer and beat again until a sand-like mixture forms. Occasionally scrape the paddle and sides during this process.
  • Add the egg yolk to the mixer, saving the egg white for later in the recipe. Mix on low until a stiff, yellow dough forms. This will take about 30 seconds.
  • Move this dough to a work surface and use your hands to form it into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
  • Next make the gooey butter topping. There's no need to clean the stand mixer, just get all of the tart dough out of it and add in the butter and sugar. Beat until well combined and fluffy.
  • Add in the almond flour and beat again to combine.
  • Add in the egg, egg white, vanilla, salt and flour and mix on medium until a smooth, fluffy, icing-like texture forms.
  • Spoon this topping into a small bowl and put it in the fridge to chill.
  • Let both the tart dough and topping chill while you preheat the oven to 350F.
  • When the oven is ready, use a rolling pin to roll out the tart dough to about 1' thick. It will be hard to handle if you roll it any thinner, so stop here.
  • Grab a 9" tart pan or cake tin and place the tart dough inside. Use your hands or the back of a wooden spoon to press the dough all the way to the edges.
  • When the dough fully covers the bottom of the tart pan, prick it a few times with a fork.
  • Next spread the gooey butter topping evenly on top, and add the fruit as you like.
  • Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the tart is a very light brown.
  • Slice and serve!