| |

Granny Grace’s Easy and Delicious Chess Cake Recipe

Are there any recipes that bring back memories of a loved one to you? We can’t even talk about Granny Grace’s easy, delicious, and gooey Chess Cake without fond memories of her pouring over us!

Two pieces of Chess Cake with a flaky, golden-brown top layer sit on a white plate against a beige fabric background.

Granny made this Chess Cake many times and blessed a lot of people with it. It may have been Jay’s favorite dessert that she made.

I didn’t realize that it had been such a long time since we had had this dessert until the other day. As we talked about it and figured up how long she had been gone and was even out of her house before that, we counted that it had been about 25 years since she had made one of these delicious cakes!

It was time, and my aunt had the recipe! It was the first time I had made Granny’s Chess Cake, and it turned out great. We liked it so much (and it was such an easy recipe) that I made it again the following week for Thanksgiving.

Granny Grace’s Chess Cake Recipe

My aunt calls this cake “Gooey Butter Cake” instead of Chess Cake. I understand why she has a different name for it, because it has a gooey type top layer.

This delicious dessert is made with two simple mixtures layered one on top of the other. The bottom layer is made from a yellow cake mix, and the top has a moist and creamy texture with a slight crispiness.

Close-up of Granny Grace's golden-brown, flaky pastry crust in a baking dish. The Easy and Delicious Chess Cake Recipe reveals the crust's slight cracks, unveiling a lighter, shiny layer underneath.
Close up of the top layer

Chess Cake Ingredients

A chess cake scene unfolds: a canister of powdered sugar, a box of yellow cake mix, and three eggs rest on a cloth, joined by cream cheese and a stick of butter—all set against wooden cabinets in the background.

Ingredients

Instructions

A green bowl with yellow batter and a whisk sits on a countertop, hinting at Granny Grace's delicious Chess Cake. Behind it is an empty rectangular glass baking dish, ready for the magic. Brown wooden cabinets provide a warm backdrop to this delightful preparation.
A kitchen counter reveals the secrets of Granny Grace’s Chess Cake recipe. An open bag of powdered sugar, a measuring cup brimming with sweetness, a green cup with butter remnants, and a butter knife lie ready for action. Baking ingredients are scattered deliciously across the dark brown surface.
A pink stand mixer with a metal bowl is whipping a yellow mixture, reminiscent of Granny Grace's chess cake recipe. A hand adds flour from a glass measuring cup. Nearby, bowls and a small dog figurine adorn the counter.
A hand carefully pours creamy yellow batter from a metal bowl into a glass baking dish, creating the layers of Granny Grace's cherished chess cake. The dish rests on a wooden table, surrounded by the cozy backdrop of kitchen cabinets and a white door.
A glass baking dish filled with Granny Grace’s easy and delicious layered dessert showcases a creamy top layer over a cake-like base. Set on a brown countertop in a bustling kitchen, it sits beside various items, including a pink stand mixer ready for the next chess cake recipe.

Problem – Working with powdered sugar can be quite messy. It can get really messy when you add it into the mixer.

Solution – If you don’t have a mixer shield, drape a dishtowel over your mixer while adding the powdered sugar into the batter.

A pink stand mixer sits on the kitchen counter, its bowl swirling a Chess Cake mixture. A hand reaches in with a turquoise measuring cup filled with flour, poised to add it to the mix.
Top view of a pink stand mixer in a kitchen, blending batter for a delightful chess cake in a glass bowl. White ingredients, likely flour, dust the bowl's edge. In the background on the brown counter, sits a dog-shaped item.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9 X13-inch pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick of softened butter.
  3. Pour the batter into the cake pan and pat down to fill in the bottom of the pan.
  4. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until it is smooth. Add in the other 2 eggs and mix well.
  5. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix well. (I usually add in about 1 cup at a time.) Low to medium speed is best until you get all of the powdered sugar added.
  6. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake batter in the pan, making the top layer.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

    8. Notes

  8. Because of the “gooey” consistency of this cake (which is the best part), you cannot check the cake using the toothpick method. The top should be golden brown. Watch to make sure it doesn’t get too brown on top. If it is starting to get dark but needs more time, place a piece of aluminum foil over the cake.
A freshly baked pastry with a golden-brown crust, reminiscent of Granny Grace's easy and delicious Chess Cake Recipe, rests in a rectangular baking pan on a table set with decorative plates and lace doilies.

Helpful Item

Text in image reads: "This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links for your convenience. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. I only recommend products that have practical life applications or that I would purchase for myself. See my full disclosure on the website." The text is centered on a white background with

In the past, I have used store bought Non-Stick Cooking Spray. I just recently purchased this oil sprayer to use instead. I control what type of oil I add to the bottle, and it works great. 

A hand uses an oil spray bottle to mist a grill loaded with meat and veggie skewers, showcasing an easy recipe approach. Another image shows the bottle enhancing a salad. Nearby, a small cleaning brush sits ready. The bottle contains yellow liquid, likely oil.
A bottle of olive oil sits on a kitchen counter next to a glass jar filled with olive oil, ready for crafting your favorite recipe. Two droppers and a black pump dispenser are also on the counter. In the background, wooden cabinets and kitchen appliances complete the cozy culinary scene.
A glass casserole dish sits on a brown countertop, hinting at an easy recipe, alongside a glass olive oil dispenser with a black lid. In the background, wooden cabinets with drawers add warmth to the scene.

Click here to see it.

Other Tips and Ideas

  • Cut the chess cake into small squares. It is a very rich dessert.
  • Since these are simple ingredients, keep them on hand so you can throw this dessert together on a whim without having to go to the grocery store.
  • Try using a chocolate box of cake mix to make a chocolate chess cake.
  • Experiment with other flavors of cake mixes – strawberry, spice, or lemon cake mix.
  • Store the cake in an airtight container. 
  • ​Store at room temperature.
  • You can use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer.
  • If you don’t have a lid for your cake pan, cover it with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

Other Helpful Items

A red insulated food carrier with an open silver interior, perfect for transporting your favorite dump cake recipe, alongside a transparent glass dish. The separate red lid and black handles ensure it keeps food warm or cold on the go.
The packaging of the Reynolds Kitchens lasagna pan set showcases a tempting lasagna slice and hints at versatile use, like for a Caramel Apple Dump Cake. It includes 1 pan, 1 lid, and 1 carrier with non-stick, heavy-duty labels. Dimensions are detailed in inches and millimeters.
Stacked stainless steel baking trays with clear plastic lids, perfect for whipping up Granny Grace's famous Chess Cake. The trays are rectangular and feature smooth, shiny surfaces ideal for even baking.
A white stand mixer with a stainless steel mixing bowl, perfect for Granny Grace's chess cake recipe. The mixer features a tilt-head design and speed settings from stir to 10. Branded "Classic" on the side, it makes baking easy and delicious.
A transparent pouring shield for a stand mixer is shown in the foreground. In the background, a red stand mixer with a silver bowl is being used to pour a liquid ingredient into the bowl, seamlessly blending ingredients for your next culinary creation, like a classic chess cake.

I have made this in a glass dish like the one above as well as in a cake pan. They both work great.

A freshly baked, golden-brown Chess Cake in a metal baking pan, resting on a crumpled white cloth on the countertop.

Join Me

Join me each week as I share faith, food, and family recipes & ideas. Sign up below to receive them directly to your email address.

Recipe Card – Granny Grace’s Chess Cake Recipe

If you are like me and like your recipes printed, here is a full printable recipe.

Yield: 18

Granny Grace's Chess Cake

A plate with two squares of delicious Granny Grace's blonde brownies rests on a crocheted table runner. A decorative plant adds charm in the background on a rustic wooden table.

This delicious cake is made with two simple mixtures layered one on top of the other. The bottom layer is made from a yellow cake mix, and the top has a moist and creamy texture with a slight crispiness.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1 Stick of Butter, Softened
  • 1 Pkg. Cream Cheese, Softened
  • 4 Cups of Powdered Sugar

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the dry cake mix, 1 egg, and the stick of softened butter.
    3. Pour the batter into the cake pan and pat down to fill in the bottom of the pan.
    4. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. Add in the other 2 eggs and mix well.
    5. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix well. (I usually add in about 1 cup at a time.) Low to medium speed is best until you get all of the powdered sugar added.
    6. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake batter in the pan, making the top layer.
    7. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting.

Notes

Because of the "gooey" consistency of this cake (which is the best part), you cannot check the cake using the toothpick method. The top should be golden brown. Watch to make sure it doesn't get too brown on top. If it is starting to get dark but needs more time, place a piece of aluminum foil over the cake.

© Susan Sikes
Category: Desserts

The next time you are looking for a sweet treat, give Granny Grace’s Chess Cake recipe a try. Whether you end up calling it Chess Cake, Gooey Butter Cake, or something totally different, I hope your family loves it.

I feel like this an older recipe and maybe even a southern thing. If you have ever had a cake similar to this, please share in the comments. Let me know your experience and/or memories with it as well.

Related Posts

Pumpkin Dump Cake (Pumpkin Delight)
Cold Oven Pound Cake

Until next week,

Closing Signature
I disclose

disclosure: Amazon Associates affiliate advertising program (affiliate links) are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure policy and privacy policy on the website. 

“How sweet Your Word is to my taste – sweeter than honey in my mouth.”
Psalm 119:103

Similar Posts

4 Comments

  1. We call it a gooey cake too, Susan! I haven’t made one in a while so I’m going to bring this to our New Year celebration. I remember how delicious they were and yours is perfection! On a side note, I brought your turtle cheesecake to our family Christmas event and it was a BIG hit. Especially with all the picky eaters which was amazing. They basically determine our entire menu 🙂 Sending you hugs and thank yous for always giving us your best, even in the kitchen, CoCo

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.