Neiman Marcus Cake Recipe: The Ultimate Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Guide

You’ve probably seen this cake at every potluck, church supper, and family reunion — golden on the outside, custardy and gooey in the middle, dusted with a snowfall of powdered sugar. The Neiman Marcus cake recipe is one of those legendary desserts that people whisper about, share in hushed tones, and fight over the last slice. In my testing, no other sheet cake comes close to its combination of a buttery crust and a silky cream cheese layer on top.

I’ve made this cake dozens of times — for holidays, for neighbors, for stress-baking at midnight. Below you’ll find every version you need: from scratch, with a box cake hack, and a fudgy chocolate twist.

What Is the Neiman Marcus Cake? (And Why Everyone Is Obsessed)

The story behind this cake is almost as delicious as the cake itself. The legend goes that a customer at a Neiman Marcus café fell in love with this dessert, asked for the recipe, and was charged an outrageous sum on her bill. Whether true or not, the story went viral long before the internet existed — passed hand-to-hand on index cards across the American South.

At its heart, this is a St. Louis dessert with deep roots in German butter cake traditions. St. Louis bakers developed the gooey butter cake in the 1930s, reportedly when a baker accidentally reversed the ratio of butter to flour. The result? A dense and fudgy, deeply satisfying cake that became a regional icon.

Today, the Neiman Marcus version — made with a yellow cake base and a cream cheese filling — is the most popular adaptation. It’s a crowd-pleaser dessert that travels beautifully, feeds a crowd from a 9×13 pan, and requires simple ingredients most people already have. No wonder it’s obsession-worthy.

Neiman Marcus Cake Recipe Ingredients — What You Need

For the easy Neiman Marcus cake recipe using a box cake mix, simply replace the from-scratch base ingredients with one box of yellow cake mix, ½ cup melted butter, and 1 egg. The cream cheese layer stays exactly the same.

How to Make the Original Neiman Marcus Cake Recipe From Scratch (Step-by-Step)

• 1 Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Lower-and-slower is the secret. High heat sets the top before the center can develop that signature ooey gooey texture.
• 2 Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Butter the bottom and sides generously. This cake is rich — you want it to release cleanly.
• 3 Make the base layer. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Mix until a soft dough forms. It will be thick — that’s correct.
• 4 Press the dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Use your fingertips or the back of a spoon. Aim for an even layer — about ¼ inch thick.
• 5 Make the cream cheese filling. Beat the softened cream cheese with an electric mixer until completely smooth. This is critical: lumpy cream cheese = lumpy cake. Beat until silky.
• 6 Add the eggs and vanilla to the cream cheese and beat until incorporated. Then pour in the melted butter and mix again until smooth.
• 7 Add powdered sugar gradually — one cup at a time — and beat until the mixture is thick, smooth, and glossy. This is your cream cheese layer. It should look like a very thick batter.
• 8 Pour evenly over the base layer. Smooth with a spatula until the cream cheese filling covers the entire base.
• 9 Bake for 40–45 minutes. The edges should be golden and set, but the center should still have a slight jiggle when you shake the pan. This is intentional. The center firms as it cools.
• 10 Cool completely before serving — at least 1 hour. Then dust generously with powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve. Slice and prepare to take all the compliments.

Pro Tip Room temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable. Cold cream cheese creates lumps that won’t beat out, no matter how long you mix. Set it on your counter 45 minutes before you start. And always usesalted butter— it sharpens the sweetness and makes every other flavor pop.

Easy Neiman Marcus Cake Recipe Using Cake Mix (30-Minute Version)

Life is busy. That’s exactly why the Neiman Marcus cake recipe using cake mix exists — and honestly? Most people can’t tell the difference. The box cake hack produces the same golden, buttery base with half the measuring.

Simply combine one box of yellow cake mix with ½ cup melted salted butter and 1 egg. Mix until a soft dough forms, then press into your greased 9×13 pan. The cream cheese layer above stays exactly the same — no shortcuts there. Total prep time: about 15 minutes.

First-time bakers, this is your entry point. The texture is slightly lighter than the from-scratch version, but it’s still unmistakably that ooey gooey texture everyone loves.

Factor	From Scratch	Cake Mix Version
Prep Time	~25 minutes	~12 minutes
Texture	Denser, more buttery crust	Slightly lighter, still gooey
Flavor	Richer, more complex	Classic, familiar sweetness
Best For	Holidays, special occasions	Weeknight baking, beginners
Verdict	Worth the extra steps	Unbelievably good for a box cake

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Cake Recipe — The Fudgy Gooey Version

If you’re a chocolate lover, the Neiman Marcus chocolate cake recipe is a revelation. The same two-layer magic, but deeper, darker, and even more indulgent.

For the chocolate Neiman Marcus cake recipe, swap the yellow cake mix (or flour base) for a chocolate cake mix. Add 2 tablespoons of Dutch-process cocoa powder to the base dough for extra depth. The cream cheese layer stays the same — the contrast between the rich chocolate base and sweet, tangy cream cheese topping is spectacular.

For a next-level version: fold ½ cup of mini chocolate chips into the cream cheese layer before pouring. The chips melt as the cake bakes, creating little pockets of fudge throughout. This is my personal favorite variation for holiday baking — it travels beautifully and looks dramatic on a dessert table.

Bake at the same temperature (325°F) for the same time (40–45 minutes). Watch the edges — with chocolate, it can be harder to judge doneness by color. Trust the jiggle test. The center should wobble like set custard, not slosh like liquid.

Tips for the Best Neiman Marcus Cake (What Most Recipes Get Wrong)

• Do not overbake. The center should jiggle when you pull the pan from the oven. Most failed versions of this cake are overbaked into a dry, crumbly sheet cake. Gooey is the goal.
• Use room-temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese won’t beat smooth. Set it out 45 minutes ahead. If you forget, unwrap it and microwave for 15 seconds. Then check before mixing.
• Use salted butter, always. Both layers need it. Salted butter balances the extreme sweetness of the powdered sugar topping and cream cheese layer. Unsalted makes this cake taste flat and one-dimensional.
• Dust powdered sugar after cooling, not before. Powdered sugar on a hot cake absorbs and disappears. Wait until the cake is fully cooled, then sieve sugar over just before serving.
• Press the base layer thin and even. A thick, uneven base means the cream cheese layer pools unevenly. Use wet fingertips or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press the dough into a consistent layer.
• Cool in the pan, not on a rack. This easy sheet cake is fragile when warm. Let it cool completely in the 9×13 pan before slicing — at least 1 full hour, or refrigerate for 30 minutes if you’re impatient.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Neiman Marcus Cake Recipe

Q: What is the Neiman Marcus cake recipe exactly?

A: The Neiman Marcus cake recipe is a two-layer dessert bar baked in a 9×13 pan. The bottom layer is a dense, buttery crust made from flour (or yellow cake mix), butter, sugar, and an egg. The top layer is a sweet, rich cream cheese filling made from softened cream cheese, eggs, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. It’s baked at 325°F for 40–45 minutes until set on the edges but still gooey in the center — then dusted with powdered sugar to serve.

Q: Is the gooey butter cake the same as the Neiman Marcus cake?

A: They’re close cousins. The original St. Louis gooey butter cake uses a yeast-risen dough base, making it more bread-like underneath. The Neiman Marcus version swaps in a cookie-dough-style or cake mix base and adds a cream cheese layer, making it sweeter and more dessert-forward. Both share that signature dense and fudgy, custardy center — but the Neiman Marcus cake is the crowd-pleaser version most people know today.

Q: Can I make the Neiman Marcus cake recipe using cake mix?

A: Absolutely. The shortcut version uses one box of yellow cake mix, ½ cup of melted butter, and one egg for the base. Combine, press into a greased 9×13 pan, and proceed with the cream cheese layer exactly as written. The result is slightly lighter in texture but just as gooey and delicious. It’s the best beginner-friendly version and takes only about 30 minutes of active prep before baking.

Q: How do I store Neiman Marcus butter cake?

A: Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The cream cheese layer means this cake actually improves after a day in the fridge — it firms up slightly and the flavors deepen. Let cold slices sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating, or warm gently in the microwave for 15 seconds.

Q: Can I freeze the Neiman Marcus ooey gooey butter cake?

A: Yes — and it freezes beautifully. Bake, cool completely, and slice into individual portions. Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Do not dust with powdered sugar until after thawing and just before serving, so the topping stays bright and fresh-looking.

How to Store, Serve, and Freeze This Cake

This sweet potluck cake makes ahead like a dream. Bake it the night before your event, refrigerate overnight, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving. It actually slices more cleanly after chilling — which makes presentation much easier when feeding a crowd.

Now it’s your turn. Make the Neiman Marcus cake recipe this weekend — whether you start from scratch, grab a box mix, or go full chocolate — and share it with someone who deserves something extraordinary. Bookmark this page, tag your results, and come back for the chocolate version next. You’re going to want it.