Ooey Gooey Butter Cake by Michele Cox, PhD, RPED

“It started as a stress response. Some people run. Some people journal. I bake.

After a long school dayemails piling up, meetings running late, and my brain feeling like it had been through a blender—I discovered that nothing calmed my nerves quite like baking.

On a whim, I brought it to school the next day. I set it in the staff lounge with a sticky note that said, “Please eat—doctor’s orders (mine).” By lunch, the pan was empty. By the end of the day, coworkers were stopping me in the hallway like, “So... when are you making that cake again?”

What began as therapy quickly became a tradition. Soon the requests rolled in. Butter pecan made its debut at a fall staff meeting. Red velvet showed up for Valentine’s Day. Chocolate arrived during testing season like a morale-boosting superhero.

The original— simple, buttery, unapologetically gooey—-became the gold standard. There were whispers of “What flavor is it this time?” and “Hide me a corner piece.”

Now it’s no longer a surprise. Somehow, my stress relief turned into a schoolwide comfort food, proof that a little butter, a lot of sugar, and a dash of love can go a long way. I still bake to unwind, but now I do it knowing that while the oven is helping me decompress, it’s also making a whole building of people very, very happy.

For those who have left to pursue other chapters in their careers, drive-byes have been known to occur, just to hug, grab a cake and go.” shares Dr. Michele Cox.

Shopping List 1 box yellow cake mix (18 oz.)

1/2 cup butter, melted 3 eggs 1 package cream cheese (8 oz.)

1/2 tsp vanilla 4 cups powdered sugar Instructions STEP 1- Preheat the oven to 350° F.

STEP 2- In a bowl mix cake mix, butter, and 1 egg until combined.

STEP 3- Press mixture into a lightly greased pan (9x13 in.) covering all corners.

STEP 4- In another bowl mix the cream cheese, 2 eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla until combined (hand mixer).

STEP 5- Spread over the cake mixture already spread in the pan.

STEP 6- Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Cut and serve. Optional - dust with powdered sugar.