I grew up hearing stories of this infamous cake! My mom and grandma always talked about a bakery in Philadelphia called Mary Lou’s. A Mary Lou’s mention always included a plug for butter cake! I hadn’t tried butter cake until a few years ago and I instantly had a ‘what have I been missing?’ moment!
You see, this unique treat isn’t so much a cake. It’s not a cookie either, nor is it a blondie. The ‘cake’ base is more like a shortbread or sable. Some recipes for this cake opt to use a yeasted cake that is much like a bun dough.
The topping has the texture and lusciousness of a chess pie, or a lemon bar minus the lemon. It is the buttery goodness of the gooey topping that makes this treat so irresistible! I choose to jazz up my Philly butter cake with rainbow sprinkles, but the possibilities are endless! Toasted nuts, mini chocolate chips and even diced apples tossed in cinnamon make a wonderful addition to this classic treat. If you decide to experiment with any of these, simply lay them over the pressed dough before pouring on the topping and continue as directed.
- Cake:
- 2 cups flour (250 grams)
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup white sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter (4 oz)
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles (optional, but why not!)
- Topping:
- 6 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups white sugar (14 oz)
- 2 oz heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter (4 oz)
- Preheat your oven to 350*F
- Grease a 9x13 baking pan and line it with parchment
- Make the cake base:
- Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sugar, melted butter and the egg. Beat to combine
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking sheet
- If making the confetti version, distribute the sprinkles over the dough
- Set aside
- Prepare the buttery topping:
- In the same stand mixer bowl, cream together the cream cheese, sugar and heavy cream until smooth
- Add the vanilla, eggs, egg yolk, salt and melted butter and mix on low until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed
- Pour the topping over the cake base
- Bake the cake at 350*F for about 30-35 minutes, until the top crust is golden brown and the center jiggles just a bit
- Cool completely, chill if desired (for easier cutting,) then cut into 12 squares
Mary Lous Bakery was owned by my father
It was located at 2431 Kensington Ave in Philadelphia