Paula Deen's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cakes

By amaliana

Ingredients

• BOTTOM LAYER:
• 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1 stick(8 tablespoons) butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 1 stick(8 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter; stir until well blended. Pat mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan and set aside.
With an elctric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs and cocoa powder. Reduce the mixer speed and add the confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan. Bake 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when done. Let partially cool on a wire rack.

FOR VARIATIONS:
Use yellow cake mix. For the filling, omit the cocoa, add 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg and one of the following: a 15-ounce can pumpkin, a drained 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, 2 ripe mashed bananas or 1 cup peanut butter.