Sinful

I love desserts. Seriously. The sweeter, the richer, the better. My list of all time favorite desserts goes in this order:

1. tiramisu
2. layer cake (preferably chocolate)
3. apple crisp
4. anything else with sugar


I consider myself somewhat of a dessert connoisseur. When we go out to dinner and the waiter asks, "did any of you save room for dessert?" everyone looks at me. Because, well, dessert is the most important meal of the day, right?

However, any dessert that calls for 1 lb of powdered sugar, 2 sticks of butter, a block of cream cheese, and a box of cake mix... well, I just call that "sinful." And honestly, if Paula Deen makes it, can it be called anything but "sinful"??

Paula Deen's Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus 8 more tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside.
In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder (I used 4 tablespoons). Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula (I left the nuts out). Spread filling over cake mixture in pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

The hardest part for me is determining how long to bake things for and when they're ready. I cooked mine for 35 minutes, checked it, and cooked it for 5 minutes more. The top had started to crack and pull away from the edges, which is the only way I could tell that it was done. The usually "cake test" (sticking a knife or toothpick in until it comes out clean) doesn't work for this one.

---

So let me just say, this was a huge hit with my family. My husband isn't the biggest dessert fan (I know. How could I marry a non-dessert-lover?) but he loved these. I heard that they are even better the next day, but they didn't last that long in my house! I really can't wait to try variations on this recipe as well. Like, using a lemon cake mix and putting lemon juice and zest in the topping mix, or carrot cake mix and leaving the top mix plain, or German chocolate cake mix and adding nuts and coconut to the topping... the possibilities are endless!

What? Summer season and my Destin trip are coming up? I don't think my new bikini and Paula Deen would get along very well...