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 this treat down. It’s a double whammy on lemon between the lemon cake mix and lemon extract.
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.
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 these lemon cake mix ooey gooey barsrecipe. Don’t miss out on our rich and gooey chocolate gooey bars too!
How to Make Lemon Gooey Butter Cake Recipe
Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter, lemon cake mix and eggs with an electric mixer or stand mixer; press cake mixture 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 baking pan.
- Next, bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until golden brown and just set.
- Let cool slightly, then cut into gooey lemon bars.
- Optional: Dust with powdered sugar.
Storage Instructions
Let leftovers cool. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge.
For the full recipe for lemon butter cake, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Recipe FAQs
- 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!
- The nutritional information is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.
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..