Recipe: Gooey Toffee Butter Cake (using cake mix, with pumpkin variation)

GOOEY TOFFEE BUTTER CAKE

FOR THE BASE:
1 (18.25-ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) box confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup almond toffee bits or chocolate toffee bits*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13-inch-by-9-inch baking pan.

Combine (dry) cake mix, egg and 1/2 cup melted butter and beat well with an electric mixer. Pat into the bottom of the prepared pan and set aside. (The dough will be stiff, like soft Play-Doh.)

Beat the cream cheese in the same bowl until smooth. (You don't have to clean the bowl and beaters first.) Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Dump in the confectioners' sugar and beat well. Reduce speed to low and slowly pour in 1/2 cup melted butter.

Fold in toffee bits. Pour onto the cake base and spread evenly.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes. (The center should still be a little gooey.) Remove from oven and cool completely. Cut into small squares.

*If you can't find toffee bits in the baking aisle, you can finely crush chocolate toffee bars.

PUMPKIN VERSION:
Skip the toffee bits. Add a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) when you beat the cream cheese. Add 1 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg with the confectioners' sugar.

Makes about 2 dozen squares
Source: Paula Deen, Food Network