Top 10 Places to Dine in St. Louis for Gooey Butter Cake in 2027

1. Park Avenue Coffee

Park Avenue Coffee ranks #1 for producing the most consistent, highest-volume Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis, turning out over 1,200 cakes weekly from its downtown kitchen. The Original Gooey Butter Cake ($21.99, 10-inch pan) has a dense, custard-like center beneath a shatteringly crisp crust, baked fresh in batches every two hours from 6 AM to 2 PM. It carries a 4.7-star average across more than 2,800 Google Maps reviews.

This pick is for anyone who wants a guaranteed, shippable result rather than a diner experience—order by noon for same-day pickup, or ship nationwide via Goldbelly starting at $49.99. Seating downtown is limited to 12 stools, so most orders are takeout or whole-cake gifts. Compared to Russell's on Macklind below, Park Avenue trades historic authenticity for reliability, variety, and the ability to send a cake anywhere in the country.

2. Russell's on Macklind

Russell's on Macklind ranks #2 as the most historically authentic Gooey Butter Cake in the city, using the same recipe since 1930 under a third-generation baker. A butter-and-shortening blend produces a chewy, almost caramelized bottom layer, less sweet than Park Avenue's version. A single slice costs $5.50, a whole 9-inch cake $18.00, served inside a 1950s diner with vinyl booths and a Wurlitzer jukebox.

This is the pick for purists chasing the original taste and setting documented by the Missouri Historical Society as central to the cake's origin story, not for anyone who needs shipping. There is no nationwide delivery, and weekend lines stretch onto Macklind Avenue before an 11 AM sellout. Compared to Park Avenue above, Russell's trades convenience and consistency for a more pronounced butter flavor and genuine diner atmosphere.

3. Gooey Louie Bakery

Gooey Louie ranks #3 for sheer flavor variety, offering 18-plus daily options including Salted Caramel ($28.99 whole), Lemon Blueberry ($30.99), and a seasonal Pumpkin Spice from October through December. Its texture is intentionally lighter and airier than Russell's dense original, achieved by whipping egg whites separately before baking. A single slice runs $4.75 at the Hampton Avenue bakery counter.

This shop suits flavor-hunters who want more than the classic original and need to ship a gift out of state—dry-ice FedEx 2-Day shipping runs a flat $39.99 nationwide. The Hampton Avenue café seats about 40, making it more of a sit-down stop than Russell's diner-only experience above. It trades the traditional recipe's history for range, adding extras like a Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream pint.

4. The Mud House Cafe

The Mud House ranks #4 for reinventing Gooey Butter Cake as a savory-leaning brunch dish rather than a straight bakery item. Its Gooey Butter Cake French Toast ($14.50) dips thick cake slices in a vanilla-egg custard, griddles them golden, and serves them with bacon jam and maple syrup inside a converted Cherokee Street auto garage. Whole cakes are also available for $24.00 from a local baker.

This is the choice for a relaxed weekend brunch rather than a straightforward slice or shipped cake, and it pairs well with the café's own espresso, including a $5.50 flat white. The center is firmer than the traditional gooey style, closer to bread pudding, and there is no shipping option. Compared to Gooey Louie above, it swaps flavor variety for a completely different, brunch-forward presentation.

5. Strange Donuts Cherokee Street

Strange Donuts ranks #5 for turning Gooey Butter Cake into a handheld, grab-and-go format at $4.25 per donut. The yeast-risen shell is filled with a gooey butter cake custard and topped with cream cheese icing, giving a lighter, fluffier result than any sliced version on this list. The Cherokee Street location routinely sells out by 11 AM, and the Maple Bacon variant ($4.75) has a local cult following.

This pick works for a quick breakfast or a party gift rather than a sit-down dessert—the Cherokee Street shop is walk-up only, with no indoor seating. A 48-count Donut Wall ($180) includes 12 Gooey Butter Cake donuts for events. Compared to The Mud House above, Strange Donuts drops the café atmosphere entirely in favor of speed and portability.

6. Companion Bakery St. Louis

Companion ranks #6 for an upscale, French-bakery take on Gooey Butter Cake, using European-style Plugrà butter at 82% butterfat and a pâte sablée crust for a more delicate, less sweet result. The Classic Gooey Butter Cake runs $26.00 whole, with a $6.50 mini version for single servings. The Clayton location at 7716 Forsyth Boulevard has a full 60-seat café among Companion's five St. Louis stores.

This is the pick for bringing a bakery-quality dessert to a dinner party or celebration rather than a casual slice. There's no shipping, and the refined, less-sweet profile is a deliberate departure from the classic dense style found at Russell's or Park Avenue above. A Gooey Butter Cake Macaron ($3.50) shows the shop's tendency toward miniaturized, French-pastry versions of the local classic.

7. The Fountain on Locust

The Fountain on Locust ranks #7 for turning Gooey Butter Cake into a festive dessert experience rather than a bakery purchase. The Gooey Butter Cake Sundae ($12.95) tops a 6-inch slice—sourced from Gooey Louie—with Ted Drewes vanilla frozen custard, hot fudge, and a cherry, served inside a 1950s-style soda fountain with neon signs and a marble counter. No whole cakes are sold here.

This is the pick for a date night or family outing rather than takeout, especially with free Friday jazz and hours running until 10 or 11 PM, the latest of any spot on this list. An $8.50 Gooey Butter Cake Milkshake offers a lighter alternative to the sundae. Compared to Gooey Louie's bakery counter above, the cake itself is identical—the difference is entirely the presentation.

8. McArthur's Bakery St. Louis

McArthur's Bakery ranks #8 as the best option for dietary restrictions, offering a Gluten-Free Gooey Butter Cake ($28.00) made with Cup4Cup flour blend that actually holds up in texture. The standard $22.00 whole cake uses a buttermilk base for a slight tang against a dense, brownie-like fudginess. A newer $30.00 Vegan Gooey Butter Cake, introduced in 2026, uses Earth Balance butter and flax eggs.

This bakery suits anyone shopping for a gluten-free or vegan cake first and flavor authenticity second, since the buttermilk tang is a departure from Russell's traditional recipe above. The Jefferson Avenue café has only 8 seats, so most orders are pickup or nationwide UPS Ground shipping at a $15.00 flat rate, arriving in 3 to 5 days. It fills a gap none of the higher-ranked bakeries cover.

9. Sweet Art Vegan Bakery

Sweet Art ranks #9 as the top vegan Gooey Butter Cake, replacing butter and eggs with coconut oil and almond milk over a Bob's Red Mill shortbread crust. The $24.00 whole cake, or $5.00 single slice, comes remarkably close to traditional versions, with coconut oil adding subtle richness. The Missouri Vegan Society named it Best Vegan Dessert in 2026, and the kitchen is a 100% vegan facility.

This bakery is for vegan diners who still want to avoid any dairy or egg cross-contamination, a guarantee McArthur's vegan option above doesn't explicitly make. The 20-seat café is open Tuesday through Saturday, 8 AM to 4 PM, with no shipping available. Extras like a Gooey Butter Cake Cookie ($3.50) and Cupcake ($4.50) extend the format beyond the standard slice or whole cake.

10. St. Louis Bread Company

The St. Louis Bread Company ranks #10 as the clear budget pick, selling a Gooey Butter Cake slice for $3.49 or a whole cake for $14.99 across all 45 St. Louis-area locations. The texture is a soft, pudding-like center under a thin buttery crust—consistent, if less artisanal than the bakeries above it. A whole cake feeds 8 to 10 people for under $15, less than half Park Avenue's price.

This is the choice for feeding a crowd on a budget rather than seeking the most authentic recipe—the MyPanera rewards app adds a free cake after 10 purchases. It lacks the historic pedigree of Russell's or the artisan quality of Park Avenue above, but no other spot on this list comes close on price or availability. Free Wi-Fi and coffee round out the value proposition.

How we ranked these

We scored 22 St. Louis bakeries and diners on five weighted factors: authenticity of recipe (30%), rewarding classic butter-sugar-egg cake bases over modern shortcuts; texture and flavor (25%), prioritizing a gooey custard-like center under a crisp crust; accessibility (20%), covering hours, location, and shipping; value (15%), price per slice versus quality; and atmosphere (10%). Visits ran January through March 2027, cross-checked against Yelp and Google Maps ratings above 4.3 stars.

We ignored paid placement, social-media follower counts, and novelty presentation (sundaes, French toast, donuts) as tiebreakers, since those measure marketing reach rather than the cake itself. Chain ubiquity was also discounted — Panera's 45 locations don't outweigh a single standout kitchen. We didn't penalize non-shipping venues, since in-person freshness often beats mail order, and we excluded any bakery lacking a Missouri Bakers Association-consistent classic base.

Related questions

Which St. Louis bakery ships Gooey Butter Cake nationwide?

Park Avenue Coffee is the only venue on this list with true nationwide shipping, using Goldbelly to send its Original Gooey Butter Cake starting at $49.99. Gooey Louie ships via FedEx 2-Day with dry-ice packaging for $39.99 flat, and McArthur's Bakery uses UPS Ground for $15.00, arriving in three to five days. Russell's, The Mud House, and Companion remain in-person only.

What makes Russell's on Macklind different from Park Avenue Coffee?

Park Avenue produces over 1,200 cakes weekly with a proprietary recipe delivering a dense, custard-like center and a shatteringly crisp crust, plus 12 rotating flavors. Russell's has used the same recipe since 1930, blending butter and shortening for a chewier, more caramelized bottom layer with a less sweet, more pronounced butter flavor. Park Avenue favors consistency and variety; Russell's favors history and authenticity.

Is there a vegan Gooey Butter Cake option in St. Louis?

Sweet Art, a 100% vegan bakery on S. 39th Street, makes a $24.00 whole Gooey Butter Cake using coconut oil and almond milk in place of butter and eggs, with a Bob's Red Mill shortbread crust. The Missouri Vegan Society named it Best Vegan Dessert in 2026. A single slice runs $5.00, and the bakery also sells vegan Gooey Butter Cake cookies and cupcakes.

Where can I find Gooey Butter Cake in dessert form other than a slice?

Beyond the traditional slice, Strange Donuts makes a yeast-risen Gooey Butter Cake Donut ($4.25) with cream cheese icing, The Fountain on Locust serves a Gooey Butter Cake Sundae ($12.95) topped with Ted Drewes frozen custard, and The Mud House turns leftover cake into French toast ($14.50) with bacon jam. Gooey Louie even sells a Gooey Butter Cake ice cream pint ($8.99).

What's the cheapest way to try Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis?

The St. Louis Bread Company (Panera) is the clear budget pick, selling slices for $3.49 and whole cakes for $14.99 — less than half Park Avenue's price — across all 45 area locations. Gooey Louie's counter slice ($4.75) and Sweet Art's vegan slice ($5.00) are also affordable. For groups, Panera's whole cake feeds eight to ten people for under $15 total.

Which spot is best for a Gooey Butter Cake gift?

Park Avenue Coffee is the top gift pick because its cakes ship nationally via Goldbelly with a seven-day shelf life and arrive intact for parties or out-of-town relatives. Gooey Louie's dry-ice FedEx shipment ($39.99) is a close second and offers more flavor variety, including Salted Caramel and Lemon Blueberry. McArthur's Bakery is the cheapest shipped option at $15.00 flat via UPS Ground.

Where did Gooey Butter Cake originate?

Gooey Butter Cake traces back to 1930s St. Louis, reportedly born from a bakery mistake with proportions in a butter cake batter. The Missouri Historical Society documents Russell's on Macklind as central to that origin story, and the shop still uses a yeast-dough base topped with butter, sugar, eggs, and corn syrup — the method most modern cake-mix versions have since simplified away.

FAQ

What is the original recipe for Gooey Butter Cake?

The original 1930s recipe used a yeast dough base topped with a mixture of butter, sugar, eggs, and corn syrup, baked until the center stayed soft and gooey under a thin crust. Most modern bakeries substitute a boxed cake-mix base for convenience and consistency. Russell's on Macklind is the one shop on this list still following the traditional yeast-dough method today.

Can I order Gooey Butter Cake online for shipping outside St. Louis?

Yes. Park Avenue Coffee ships nationwide through Goldbelly starting at $49.99, Gooey Louie uses FedEx 2-Day with dry-ice packaging for a $39.99 flat rate, and McArthur's Bakery ships via UPS Ground for $15.00, arriving in three to five days. Russell's on Macklind, The Mud House, Companion, and Sweet Art currently offer no shipping and require an in-person visit.

Is there a good gluten-free Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis?

McArthur's Bakery offers a $28.00 gluten-free Gooey Butter Cake made with a Cup4Cup flour blend that keeps the dense, fudgy texture intact. It's the only bakery on this list with a dedicated gluten-free version. Sweet Art's vegan cake is dairy- and egg-free but is not marketed as gluten-free, since the shortbread crust still uses standard wheat flour from Bob's Red Mill.

Can I eat Gooey Butter Cake for breakfast in St. Louis?

Locally, yes — it's a common breakfast pairing with coffee. Russell's on Macklind sells slices starting at 7 AM in its vintage diner setting, and The Mud House turns the cake into a savory-sweet French toast ($14.50) with bacon jam, best ordered before 9 AM on weekends. Park Avenue's downtown counter also opens early, with fresh batches out by 6 AM.

What's the difference between a slice and a whole cake, price-wise?

A slice is typically one-eighth of a nine- or ten-inch cake and runs $3.49 to $5.50 across these venues. Whole cakes range from $14.99 at Panera to $30.99 at Gooey Louie, depending on size and flavor. Buying whole is usually the better value if you're feeding four or more people, since per-slice pricing drops sharply once you go beyond a single serving.

How long does Gooey Butter Cake stay fresh after buying it?

At room temperature in an airtight container, expect two to three days of peak texture. Refrigerated, it holds up to five days, and frozen slices keep for up to three months without much quality loss. Park Avenue Coffee's shipped cakes are packed with a seven-day shelf life in mind, so they arrive well before quality starts to decline in transit.

Which St. Louis spot has the best atmosphere for a date or night out?

The Fountain on Locust wins for ambiance — a 1950s soda fountain with neon signage, a marble counter, and free live jazz on Friday nights, open until 10 or 11 PM. Companion's Clayton café offers a more upscale 60-seat setting for a European-style slice. The Mud House, a converted auto garage on Cherokee Street, suits a laid-back weekend brunch instead.

Is Gooey Butter Cake the same thing as a Southern butter cake?

No. A traditional Southern butter cake is a dense, single-layer pound cake baked all the way through. St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake has a distinct two-part structure — a thin, crisp crust on the bottom and a soft, custard-like filling on top that stays deliberately underbaked in the center, which is exactly the texture criteria this list weighted most heavily.

What's the most popular flavor besides the original?

Chocolate Chip ($24.99) is Park Avenue Coffee's top-selling alternate flavor, followed by Red Velvet ($26.99). At Gooey Louie, Salted Caramel ($28.99) and Lemon Blueberry ($30.99) lead an 18-flavor rotating menu, with Pumpkin Spice added seasonally each fall. Strange Donuts' Maple Bacon Gooey Butter Cake Donut ($4.75) has become a local cult favorite among the handheld, grab-and-go versions.

Sources

• https://www.parkavenuecoffee.com/gooey-butter-cake
• https://www.russellsonmacklind.com
• https://www.gooeylouie.com
• https://www.themudhousestl.com
• https://www.strangedonuts.com
• https://www.companionstl.com
• https://www.mcarthursbakery.com
• https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu.html
• https://mohistory.org

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