St. Louis gave the world gooey butter cake, and Missouri has never been the same since. This glorious creation sits somewhere between a cake and a cookie, with a dense, buttery base and a gooey top layer that threatens to slide right off if you are not careful.
Nine legendary bakeries across the state have perfected this dessert, and locals will argue passionately about which version deserves the crown.
The original gooey butter cake was apparently a happy accident, the result of a baker mixing up proportions and deciding to serve the mistake anyway. That mistake became a Missouri icon, and today you can find variations that include chocolate, pumpkin, cream cheese, and even seasonal fruit swirls…