- Categories:
- Food & Beverage
- Tags:
- BakingDessertSweet Food
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every August 12
- Holiday emoji:
- 🍰
National Gooey Butter Cake Day lights up the calendar every August 12, celebrating the beloved St. Louis delicacy. This sweet, dense cake with its signature ‘goo’ topping is a true comfort food. Discover its origins, find the best bakeries, or try baking your own irresistible version at home.
Want to sponsor National Gooey Butter Cake Day? Learn how
Expected National Gooey Butter Cake Day Deals
While we wait for official 2027 promotions to drop, history shows bakeries and cafes often roll out special deals for National Gooey Butter Cake Day. Look for discounts at local St. Louis institutions like Park Avenue Coffee and Federhofer’s Bakery, renowned for their authentic gooey butter cakes. National chains such as Panera Bread (which has St. Louis roots) and grocery stores like Schnucks and Dierbergs might offer limited-time gooey butter cake variations or sales on baking ingredients. Even online retailers like Goldbelly could feature regional bakeries shipping their gooey creations nationwide. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as August 12 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Gooey Butter Cake Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #GooeyButterCakeDay. Share mouth-watering photos or videos of your favorite gooey butter cake creations.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #GooeyButterCakeDay. Film a quick recipe tutorial or a taste-test challenge with different gooey butter cake flavors.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #GooeyButterCakeDay. Ask your followers to share their favorite St. Louis bakeries or family recipes.
National Gooey Butter Cake Day Hero
Fred S. L. Widmann
History of National Gooey Butter Cake Day
National Gooey Butter Cake Day is dedicated to the sweet pastry treat and all the people who enjoy eating it. The holiday was officially founded in 2019 by Schnuck Markets. According to legend, the treat was invented in the 1930s when a baker from St Louis used far too much butter in his coffee cake batter. After baking, he then sold the gooey cake and received positive feedback. It was a delicious happenstance that has since become a staple of modern cuisine. In St. Louis, Missouri, it has become a custom.
Gooey butter cake is a type of cake that is flat and dense and has a rich, sweet, and solid texture. Wheat cake flour, sugar, butter, and eggs are commonly used in their preparation. It stands roughly one inch tall on average and is then coated with powdered sugar as a final touch. Typically, the cake is divided into smaller pieces, similar to brownies. People can also customize the cake with chocolate, caramel, or fruit, depending on their preferences. Instead of being served as a formal dinner cake, the cake is frequently served as a type of coffee cake.
Gooey butter cake comes in two varieties, the original gooey butter cake from Bakers in St. Louis and a slice of cream cheese and commercial yellow cake mix variation. The gooey butter cake is made with a yeast-raised sweet dough on the bottom in the original St. Louis, MO Bakers’ version.
National Gooey Butter Cake Day timeline
‘Cakes’ refer to a flat round of bread that is hard-baked on both sides.
Gooey butter cake is accidentally created by a baker in St Louis.
The bakery where gooey butter cake is invented is owned by John Hoffman.
National Gooey Butter Cake is officially established.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Gooey Butter Cake Day
Local bakeries and cafes can celebrate National Gooey Butter Cake Day by offering special discounts on slices or whole cakes, or by introducing limited-edition flavors. Restaurants might feature gooey butter cake as a dessert special, perhaps with unique toppings or a la mode. Grocery stores can create prominent displays for baking ingredients like cream cheese, flour, and powdered sugar, alongside pre-made gooey butter cakes. Even non-food businesses in St. Louis could partner with local bakeries for employee treats or customer giveaways.
National Gooey Butter Cake Day FAQs
When is National Gooey Butter Cake Day?
National Gooey Butter Cake Day 2026 falls on Wednesday, August 12. It’s the perfect mid-week treat to sweeten your day and indulge in this St. Louis classic.
What is gooey butter cake?
Gooey butter cake is a flat, dense cake with a chewy, cake-like bottom crust and a rich, buttery, and incredibly sweet ‘goo’ topping, often dusted with powdered sugar. It originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1930s.
How popular is gooey butter cake?
Gooey butter cake is a beloved regional specialty, particularly in the St. Louis area, where it’s a culinary icon. Its popularity has spread, with bakeries and home cooks across the United States now embracing the sweet treat.
What makes gooey butter cake 'gooey'?
The ‘gooey’ texture comes from the unique topping, a rich mixture of butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and eggs. This layer doesn’t fully set during baking, resulting in its characteristic soft, custardy, and sticky consistency.
National Gooey Butter Cake Day Activities
Eat a gooey gutter cake
You can enjoy the holiday by indulging in this sweet pastry treat. If you enjoy sweet chewy snacks then you’ll love this gooey cake.
Bake a gooey butter cake
If you're up for a challenge, look for some gooey butter cake recipes online and make your own at home. You'll be surprised at how tasty it turns out.
Use the hashtag
Once you’ve laid your hands on this delicious treat — either by buying or making your own — take some pictures. Share them on social media using the hashtag #gooeybuttercake.
5 Tantalizing Facts About Cakes
Cakes were made of bread
The first-known wedding cakes were made out of bread.
First cakes
The first birthday cakes were given to people as gifts on their birthdays.
The middle layer cake has a name
The middle layer of cake which is usually covered with frosted cream is known as Whoopie pies.
Cakes brought husbands
In Ancient America, it was believed that keeping a fruit cake under the pillow would get you a handsome husband.
There’s a cupcake-eating record
In 2012, Patrick Bertoletti set a world record by eating 72 cupcakes in six minutes.
Why We Love National Gooey Butter Cake Day
It brings joy
The holiday encourages people to eat tasty treats. Tasty foods usually bring joy and happiness.
It promotes giving
The holiday reminds people to share. Sharing a treat with someone else makes both the giver and receiver happy.
It supports St Louis
The treat is native to the city of St Louis. The holiday increases economic activity in the city.
Social Media Tips for National Gooey Butter Cake Day
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