tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36571017.post-16149906302331396492008-04-12T06:34:00.000-07:002008-04-12T06:37:02.013-07:00<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_cAqlzADmxfY/SAC6RI_-3OI/AAAAAAAAAFk/EgHUto600vA/s1600-h/dunaway1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_cAqlzADmxfY/SAC6RI_-3OI/AAAAAAAAAFk/EgHUto600vA/s320/dunaway1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188351574367198434" /></a><br />As you know, the heroine in <em>The Marriage Recipe</em> is a pastry chef. Thus, to entice you to read (and to cook!), today I’m going to whet your appetite with one of Rachel’s favorite recipes. In fact, all month I will be blogging about food. If you follow me around (sort of like a virtual pub crawl), you'll pick up four recipes and one blog on characters and food. I will be at http://toberead.wordpress.com/ on April 14 with the next installment.<br /><br />So back to that recipe.<br /><br />Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis tradition and favorite. There are two ways to make it—with the evaporated milk, flour, etc., or the just-as-good cheat/shortcut version using cream cheese. Here is how you make that second gooey butter cake (the easy version).<br /><br />1 box yellow cake mix<br />1 egg<br />1 stick butter—melted<br /><br />Blend these together until smooth (it will be thick). Press into the bottom of a 9x13 greased (Pam is fine) cake pan.<br /><br />8 ounces softened cream cheese (use the bar, not the spread stuff and do not use fat free)<br />2 eggs beaten<br />2 cups powdered sugar<br /><br />Blend softened cream cheese, the 2 eggs and the powdered sugar until creamy and smooth. Don’t worry if there are a few cream cheese lumps. Spread this mixture over the first mixture pressed into he pan. Bake for 325 for 40-45 minutes until the cake edges are light brown. There may be a few brown patches on the cream cheese mixture—if there are, you are also done. Do not let the cream cheese mixture get more than a few or it’s overdone The middle will sink a little upon cooling. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. It gets tastier being one day old—so making it the night before is actually recommended.Michele Dunawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11683297130591848826noreply@blogger.com