Chocolate Yum Yum Cake

If you grew up in the American South, you know this dessert by some variation of the name. It’s a chocolate gooey butter cake in disguise, the kind of bar that disappears off church potluck tables before you can grab seconds.

The genius of this two-layer trick is in the contrast. The bottom is a no-fuss crust made by mashing dry chocolate cake mix with melted butter and chopped pecans, then patting it up the sides of the pan like a graham cracker shell. The top is a custard-style filling whipped from softened cream cheese, three eggs, vanilla, and a full pound of powdered sugar that bakes into a sweet, dense, slightly gooey middle.

The pan structure matters. Press the crust firmly up the sides so the cream cheese mixture has a wall to rise against. Otherwise the topping spills over the edges and you get crusty cookie-like bars instead of the gooey center this recipe is famous for.

Forty minutes at 350°F (175°C) gives you set edges and a barely jiggly center, which is exactly what you want. They firm up as they cool, then cut into squares.

Pro Tips

• Make sure cream cheese is fully softened before mixing; lumps in the topping won’t smooth out during baking.
• Line the pan with parchment paper that hangs over two sides; lift out the whole slab in one piece for clean cutting.
• Refrigerate after cooling for cleaner squares; warm bars are gooey enough to lose their edges.
• Pull at 38 minutes if your oven runs hot; the center should still wiggle slightly when nudged.

Variations

• Use a yellow or white cake mix in place of chocolate for a classic gooey butter cake.
• Swap pecans for walnuts or skip the nuts entirely if you’re feeding a crowd with allergies.
• Drizzle melted chocolate or caramel over cooled bars for extra decadence.