I first heard about this Neiman Marcus cake from my aunt back in 2017. She told me this wild story - some woman got charged $250 for the recipe at a Neiman Marcus cafe and posted it online for revenge. Sounded nuts but I had to try it. Found out later the whole thing's made up - Neiman Marcus never sold this cake at all. But honestly? Nobody gives a crap about the truth when the cake tastes like this. I've made it 52 times now. It's what I bring to potlucks when I want to look good without actually trying. Costs maybe $4, takes 10 minutes to dump in a pan, and people think you slaved over it for hours.
Why You'll Love This Neiman Marcus Cake
I've made this 52 times, and here's why I keep coming back. It's ridiculously easy. You dump cake mix in a pan, slap cream cheese goop on top, stick it in the oven. Done. No mixer except for beating the cream cheese. My first time making this, I had it in the oven in 8 minutes flat. Liam couldn't believe we were making "fancy cake" on a Tuesday night.
The texture gets people every time. Bottom layer bakes up dense and buttery. Top stays gooey and chewy like the middle of really good brownies. It's ugly when you cut it - looks messy and falls apart some. But that's the whole deal. This official neiman marcus cake recipe isn't pretending to be fancy. It's just really good cake that tastes like it cost money but took zero effort.
I brought this to my nephew's graduation party last year. Made two pans figuring that'd feed 40 people easy. Both pans were empty in half an hour. My sister-in-law hid one whole pan in her kitchen and people kept wandering back for more. She texted me at 9pm because three different people had already asked her for the recipe. That's this cake - makes you look like a baking genius when you barely tried.
Jump to:
Neiman Marcus Cake Ingredients
The Bottom Layer:
- Yellow cake mix
- Melted butter
- Eggs
The Gooey Top:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins:
- Chopped pecans
- Chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Neiman Marcus Cake Step By Step
Create the Cake Base Layer
- Dump yellow cake mix in a large bowl
- Add melted butter and one egg
- Mix until it forms a thick dough (won't look like normal cake batter)
- Press into greased 9x13 pan with your hands
- Bottom layer should be even but doesn't need to be perfect
Build the Cream Cheese Topping
- Beat room-temperature cream cheese until smooth and fluffy
- Add powdered sugar gradually while mixing
- Crack in eggs one at a time and beat after each one
- Mix in vanilla extract until everything's combined
- Should look like thick frosting consistency
Layer and Bake Your Cake
- Pour cream cheese mixture over cake base in pan
- Spread gently with spatula (doesn't need to reach edges perfectly)
- Sprinkle pecans or chocolate chips on top if you want
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until edges are golden
- Center should still jiggle when you shake the pan
Cool and Serve
- Let cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving
- Cut into squares with a sharp knife
- Serve warm or room temperature (both ways are good)
Storage Tips
I've tested every storage method across 52 batches. Here's what works:
Counter Storage (2 days):
- Cover pan with foil once completely cool
- Sits fine at room temperature for 48 hours max
- Gets a little firmer but still tastes good
- Don't leave it out longer or cream cheese goes bad
Refrigerator (5 days):
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil
- Store right in the baking pan
- Let sit out 10 minutes before eating (tastes better not cold)
- Cream cheese layer gets firmer in the fridge
Freezer (2 months):
- Cut into squares first, then freeze on baking sheet
- Transfer to freezer bag once solid
- Thaw in fridge overnight or microwave 30 seconds
- Texture's not quite as good but still works
Reheating Tips:
- Microwave individual pieces for 15-20 seconds
- Oven at 300°F for 10 minutes warms whole pan
- Don't overheat or cream cheese layer gets runny
- Tastes best slightly warm anyway
Equipment For Neiman Marcus Cake
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- Electric hand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Non-stick spray
Creative Takes on Classic Neiman Marcus Cake
Chocolate Lover's Dream:
- Use chocolate cake mix for base
- Add chocolate chips to cream cheese layer
- Drizzle melted chocolate on top after cooling
- Basically a gooey brownie situation
Pumpkin Spice Version:
- Swap in spice cake mix
- Add pumpkin pie spice to cream cheese
- Top with chopped pecans
- Made this in October, people went nuts
Lemon Blueberry Twist:
- Use lemon cake mix for bottom
- Fold fresh blueberries into cream cheese
- Add lemon zest to topping
- Tastes like fancy cheesecake bars
Turtle Cake Style:
- Stick with yellow cake base
- Mix chopped pecans and chocolate chips in cream cheese
- Drizzle caramel sauce over warm cake
- This one's dangerous, way too good
Substitutions
Cake Mix Options:
- Yellow → Chocolate cake mix (makes it like brownies)
- Yellow → Lemon cake mix (adds tangy kick)
- Yellow → Spice cake mix (good for fall)
- Regular → Gluten-free cake mix (texture changes slightly)
Nut Choices:
- Pecans → Walnuts (cheaper, same crunch)
- Pecans → Almonds (fancier taste)
- With nuts → Skip them completely (still good)
- Chopped → Leave them whole (lazier but works)
Add-In Swaps:
- Plain → Mini chocolate chips
- Regular → Shredded coconut
- Basic → Toffee bits
- Simple → Mix of all three
Cream Cheese Alternatives:
- Full-fat → Neufchatel (slightly less rich)
- Regular → Mascarpone (way richer, costs more)
- Standard → Greek cream cheese (tangier)
Top Tip
- I've tried every storage trick over 52 batches. On the counter, this lasts maybe 2 days if you slap some foil over the pan once it cools down. Sits fine at room temperature for 48 hours but don't push past that or the cream cheese gets funky. It firms up a bit sitting out but tastes just as good. In the fridge, you've got 5 days no problem. Cover it tight with plastic wrap or foil and just leave it in the pan.
- Freezing works alright if you need to make it ahead. Cut it into squares first, freeze them on a baking sheet for an hour, then dump them in a freezer bag. Good for 2 months like that. Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave one for 30 seconds if you're desperate. The texture's not quite the same after freezing but it's still pretty good.
- For reheating, microwave pieces for 15-20 seconds or warm the whole pan in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes. Don't blast it too hot or the cream cheese layer gets runny and gross. This cake's better slightly warm anyway.
- This original neiman marcus cake with nuts actually gets better sitting overnight. Everything soaks together and gets even gooier. I make it the night before parties now on purpose. Just cover the pan and leave it on the counter - done.
FAQ
Why is it called Neiman Marcus cake?
The neiman marcus cake story goes that some woman got billed $250 for the recipe at a Neiman Marcus cafe and posted it everywhere for revenge. Total BS - Neiman Marcus never sold this cake at all. The story got passed around in chain emails back in the 1980s and people still think it's real. Nobody actually knows who came up with this cake first.
Is Neiman Marcus cake the same as Gooey Butter Cake?
Pretty much yeah. This neiman marcus cake chocolate thing is basically St. Louis gooey butter cake with a catchier name. Both use cake mix on bottom and cream cheese goop on top. Texture's identical - dense bottom layer, gooey top layer. Only difference is the fake revenge story stuck to the Neiman Marcus version.
What is considered the best cake in the world?
Depends who you're talking to. Some people say French opera cake, others swear by Japanese strawberry shortcake. This best neiman marcus cake recipe isn't winning any fancy culinary awards, but it vanishes faster than anything else I bring to parties. Sometimes basic butter and cream cheese beats complicated crap.
What was Julia Child's favorite cake?
Julia Child was obsessed with her husband's birthday cake - some French almond thing called Le Succès. Nothing like this gooey disaster. But she also said the best cake is whatever makes you happy. This neiman marcus cake with pecans makes people pretty damn happy even if it's not some fancy French deal.
A Cake That Needs No Apology!
You've got the same Neiman Marcus cake recipe I've made 52 times since 2017. That whole $250 revenge story? Total crap. But this cake doesn't need some fake drama to be worth making. It's ridiculously easy, tastes stupid good, and makes you look like you know what you're doing. Ten minutes throwing stuff in bowls, 45 minutes baking, and you've got dessert people go crazy for. Costs maybe $4 but people act like you slaved over it all day.
Want more stuff that looks harder than it is? Our Easy Homemade Blueberry Biscuits Recipe gives you bakery biscuits in 20 minutes - zero fancy skills needed. The Easy Texas Trash Pie Recipe always gets wiped out at parties. And our Easy Chocolate Croissant Recipe Tested 89 Times! makes those buttery pastries you'd normally drop $6 on at Starbucks. All way simpler than they look.
Share your Neiman Marcus cake! I answer every photo because I want to see if yours came out gooey like it should. We've got 178 bakers in our Facebook group trading stories and sharing their own versions. Good people - come hang with us.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rate this recipe and spill everything! Did your center stay gooey? Did you add pecans or chocolate chips? Did people bug you for the recipe? Real folks read these reviews when they're deciding whether to make it, so tell us the good, the bad, all of it.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Neiman Marcus Cake
Neiman Marcus Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Dump yellow cake mix in a large bowl. Add melted butter and one egg. Mix until it forms a thick dough (not like regular cake batter). Press evenly into a greased 9x13-inch pan.
- Beat room-temperature cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar while mixing. Crack in eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract until combined.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake base in the pan. Spread gently with a spatula (doesn't need to reach edges perfectly). Sprinkle pecans or chocolate chips on top if using.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40-45 minutes, until edges are golden and center still jiggles slightly when shaken.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before cutting.
- Cut into squares with a sharp knife and serve warm or at room temperature.
Leave a Reply