Have you ever picked up a dessert mix and thought, “I wonder what else I can make with this?” Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out Duncan Hines new Decadent mixes: Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcake and Chocolate Lover’s Cupcake. Both mixes include cake and frosting mixes along with a pastry bag with which you can fill and frost the cupcakes. I probably would have made the cupcakes as directed if it hadn’t been for the “Try This Recipe” variations on the side panels of the boxes. The Strawberry Cheesecake Truffles and the Chocolate Molten Cakes put my imagination into overdrive.
You will see what I made from the chocolate mix next week, but for now, I want to share with you these super simple Strawberry Gooey Bars. Gooey Bars were made famous by Paula Deen, but have been a Midwestern favorite for generations. They are basically a cake mix bottom with a gooey cream cheese top. I found that using both the cake and frosting mix for this dessert turned out very well. 
Be sure to cut these small. They are incredibly sweet. However, I got the same number of bars as I would have gotten cupcakes, so I am assuming that the cupcakes made according to the package directions would be pretty sweet, too. One thing I really liked about the strawberry cake mix was that it had pieces of dried strawberries in it.
Strawberry Gooey Bars
Author: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
- 1 Duncan Hines Decadent Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Grease a 9X9 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, stir together the strawberry cake mix, 1 egg and melted butter.
- Spread the thick batter into the bottom of the pan.
- With a mixer, beat frosting mix, cream cheese, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread over the strawberry mixture.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is no longer wet, but is still gooey.
- Cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in the fridge.
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I received this mix free from Duncan Hines, but all opinions are my own.
