Chess Cake

We tried a Chess Pie over the weekend. It was good, very lemony and not really what we were after. My husband remembered something from when he was young in Louisville, Ky. So I looked up a Chess Cake and found several recipes to try. I settled on one from Allrecipes. This cake seems very much like Paula Dean's Gooey Butter Cake, although I've never made one. This recipe uses 2 eggs in the crust layer, many only use 1; and 4 cups powdered sugar in the filling, most use 1 lb. (approx. 4 3/4 cups) powdered sugar. So this is probably one of the more gooey Chess Cakes. I also added about 1 tsp. vanilla to the filling. It was really good. Our 4 year old thought we should make it again, so I guess it's a winner.

Chess Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Put into prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla, and 2 eggs. Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Pour over the crust mixture already in the pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Cool.