Lemon Cake Mix Gooey Bars – An Old Fashioned Lemon Squares Recipe
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There’s only six ingredients between you and a pan of Lemon Cake Mix Gooey Bars. This rich butter cake is simple to make using a boxed cake mix base, yet the outcome is something worthy of a Grand Prize.
Lemon Cake Mix Gooey Bar Recipe:
Lemon lovers unite. These Lemon Gooey Butter Cookies are a decadent dessert recipe that will become a staple of your recipe box. Why you might ask? Because they are addicting delish, and everyone loves them.
Let’s break it down.
The crust is made with a short cut – boxed lemon cake mix, eggs and softened butter. The combination is a tender crust with a little crunch around the edges.
The topping is an ooey, gooey filling made with cream cheese, eggs, powdered sugar and lemon extract.
It’s a double whammy on lemon between the lemon cake mix and lemon extract.
Old Fashioned Lemon Squares Recipe
This is actually a variation of the original butter gooey cake (made with yellow cake mix). With a few simple substitutions, I came up with this lemon cake mix gooey bar recipe. Don’t miss out on our rich and gooey chocolate gooey bars too!
How to Make Lemon Gooey Butter Cake Recipe:
Instructions:
- Beat softened butter, lemon cake mix and eggs; press into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
- For the second layer, beat softened cream cheese, eggs, lemon extract and powdered sugar.
- Pour over bottom layer, and spread batter to cover the entire pan.
- Next, bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until golden brown and just set.
- Optional: Dust with powdered sugar.
For the full recipe for lemon butter cake, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Notes About Lemon Gooey Butter Cake:
- This recipe calls for a lemon cake mix from the box. Add it dry (unprepared) to the recipe.
- Soften (or melt) the butter in this lemon butter cake recipe.
- Be sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to prevent a lumpy filling.
- Lemon extract is optional in the filling. It will give a double whammy of lemon flavor, but the filling is perfect without the extract too.
- If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Desserts Using Cake Mix:
Caramel Bars with Caramel Icing
Lemon Cake Mix Gooey Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 16.5 ounces lemon cake mix (box)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup softened butter
Gooey Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Mix dry lemon cake mix, 2 eggs and softened butter until combined; spread into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Mix softened cream cheese, 2 eggs, powdered sugar and lemon extract until smooth; pour it over the crust and spread to the edges.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until lightly golden brown and just set in the center.
Notes
- This recipe calls for a lemon cake mix from the box. Add it dry (unprepared) to the recipe.
- The butter needs to be softened (or even melted) in this lemon butter cake recipe.
- Be sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to prevent a lumpy filling.
- Lemon extract is optional in the filling. It will give a double whammy of lemon flavor, but the filling is perfect without the extract too.
- If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
- Try the original Cake Mix Butter Gooey Bars!
Nutrition
Thank you for this recipe. I made this many, many years ago long before the Gooey cakes became a thing. I had not made it in years though and had a recent request for it. So, I wanted to refresh my memory. This recipe helped me confirm what I already suspected were the ingredients. As a side note, I only use 1 egg in each layer.
Glad it helped you refresh your memory!
My mom use to make these for me when I was young, we have both looked thru all our cookbooks and side notes and could not find it anywhere. Thank you for posting this recipe. I am going to get the ingredients and have my mom make it, last time I tried years ago it didnt turn out like hers . Only catch is I have to wash the dishes, lol..