Paula Deen (Pumpkin) Gooey Butter Cake

Today I am sharing with you one of my all-time favorite desserts. It would be perfect for your tailgate party or any fall party!

A few years ago my mom, my 2 sisters and I traveled to Savannah, Georgia for one of our annual girls trips. While there, we of course ate at Paula Deen's famous restaurant, Lady and Sons, and we fell in love with her Gooey Butter Cake. Seriously, to die for.

We each ordered 1 dessert (4 total, all different) to share. We laughed when my Gooey Butter Cake came out, because it was tiny in comparison to the others! But it didn't take us long to figure out how rich and delicious it was. You don't need a lot and it will melt in your mouth. Amazing. It is a hit every time I bring it to a party!

She actually has several different versions of the Gooey Butter Cake but since it's fall, I figured it was the perfect time to share the pumpkin version with you. You may never eat pumpkin pie again! :)

CAKE                                                                           1 18.25-ounce box yellow cake mix                                                             1 egg 1 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted FILLING 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin pie filling 3 eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 16-ounce box confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

After gathering your supplies and ingredients...

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well.

Pat into the bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

Still using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; add eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie filling. Dump in confectioner's sugar and beat well. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly pour in butter. Mix well.

Pour filling onto cake mixture and spread evenly.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Don't be afraid to make a judgement call on the cooking time, because oven temperatures can vary. You want the center to be a little gooey, so don't bake it past that point! Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. (The hole in the middle is where I stuck a fork in it to make sure it wasn't too gooey in the middle still!)

Cut into squares and top each square with a pecan half (I left off the pecans). Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Just remember that these wonderful little cakes are very, very rich, and a little will go along way.

For the original Gooey Butter Cake version (without pumpkin), simply leave out the 15-ounce can of pumpkin pie filling and use 1 less egg in the cream cheese filling. Enjoy!

What about you? Do you have any fun ideas for "dressing up a tailgate" or any other fabulous fall ideas that you would like to share? Leave a comment!

Go here for more ways to make your game day parties a hit!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.