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Close-up of a slice of layered cake with a golden crumb base and creamy top, held on a spatula above a black plate.
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Chess Squares

Easy Southern Chess Squares with a gooey cream cheese topping—perfect dessert bars made from cake mix in under an hour!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chess Cake, Chess Squares, Gooey Butter Bars, gooey butter cake, Neiman Marcus bars, Texas Gold Bars
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 15
Calories 419kcal
Author Kat Jeter & Melinda Machado

Ingredients

  • 1 box Yellow cake mix
  • 3 large Eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup Butter melted and divided
  • 8 ounces Cream cheese softened
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 16 ounces Powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and ½ cup of melted butter. Mix well with an electric mixer. This will make a crumbly dough-like mixture.
  • Add the cake mixture to the greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Use your hands to cover the bottom of the pan evenly.
  • Add the cream cheese to a separate large bowl. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, vanilla, and ½ cup of melted butter and beat together.
  • Add the powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth.
  • Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake batter, making sure to cover it completely.
  • Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Do not overbake. The center should be a little gooey.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 629IU | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg