Neiman Marcus Cake is a gooey butter cake with a short-cut from a boxed cake mix and a tangy cream cheese layer.
I first heard about the Neiman Marcus Cake from a reader who loves my Neiman Marcus Cookie recipe. It’s easy to make and comes out like a cross between a cake and a bar cookie. The top is a bit crackly, with a cream cheese layer underneath, on top of a blondie-like bottom crust. The edges are a little bit chewy.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: You can whip this cake up with a few simple ingredients. It’s perfect to bring to your next barbecue, picnic, or birthday party. It’s also a kid-friendly treat and it freezes well.
How to Make Neiman Marcus Cake
This cake is an interesting twist on the usual cake-making procedure. First, you’ll make a layer with a boxed cake mix, which becomes a crust for the gooey butter cake topping.
I lined the pan with foil which makes for easy removal to cut the cake but makes it harder to spread the bottom layer, so lining it is optional.
It’s important to use room-temperature cream cheese for easy blending. This way, you can ensure that the simple four-ingredient cream cheese layer comes together quickly and smoothly.
You bake it until the cake pulls away from the edges and is golden brown on top.
The foil makes it easy to remove the cake from the pan so it’s easier to cut into squares. Remove the foil before cutting the squares.
Serving Suggestions
My husband loved this cake topped with fresh raspberries or strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. But it’s sweet enough that it’s perfect served all by itself.
You can also go with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar for a pretty presentation.
More Favorite Cake Recipes
Try these other easy homemade cake recipes next:
- Black Forest Cheesecake Cake is a multi-layered show-stopper with moist chocolate cake and creamy cheesecake.
- Pear Cake is a fruity and comforting cake recipe for fall.
- Chocolate Cake for Two from Pressure Cooking Today is a delightful miniature cake that’s perfect as a smash cake for babies, made in the pressure cooker.
Neiman Marcus Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Bottom Layer
- 1 15.25 oz box yellow or white cake mix
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 large eggs
Cream Cheese Top Layer
- 3-½ cup powdered sugar plus more for serving
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 cake pan with non-stick spray or line it with foil.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, melted butter, and eggs with a sturdy spoon until well blended. (It will be thick like a cookie dough.)
- Use your fingers or a bench scraper to press dough into the prepared pan.
- Make cream cheese topping: In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and two cups of powdered sugar on low speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended. Add remaining 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and beat until blended. Pour over cake bottom and spread to the edges of the pan.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until topping is set and golden brown and it’s pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in the pan.
- To serve, cut into squares and sprinkle top with additional powdered sugar if desired.
Catherine
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Laura
I use Spice cake for this recipe…
Amazing flavors!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe..I had it called Not Quite Cake.
Margaret
When using the cake mix, do you use it dry or make it as described on the box and then start the recipe?
Melissa Griffiths
Use it dry and add the eggs and butter I’ve but in the recipe instead!
BJ Houston
The gooey cake are the same recipe called chess bars. Made these for years. Favorite sweet dessert in the South. Thanks.
Barbara Schieving
That’s fun to know – thanks BJ!
Claudette Vassey
I made these and was very disappointed in the results. I did not make any changes, but perhaps I should have. They were very bland and so…..soooo…….sweet. I could not eat them. I know this is an old recipe that has been around for ages, but not for me. Anyone else have my results? Maybe it is just me.
Marsha Manning
I’m glad you like the Neiman Marcus cake. I’m the one who sent you the recipe. It’s good to see it being shared so widely. Thank you for a wonderful website and recipes!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. The whole family loves it.