Last November, my friend Rachel texted me at 10 PM asking if I'd ever heard of something called Neiman Marcus cake. I hadn't, but she was insistent I come over the next day to try it. When I walked into her kitchen that Saturday afternoon, the smell hit me first - buttery, sweet, with this rich cream cheese scent that made my stomach growl immediately. She'd made these layered bars for her book club and had leftovers.That first bite stopped me mid-sentence. The bottom was like a buttery pecan crust, the middle this impossibly gooey cream cheese layer that was sweet but tangy, and more pecans on top for crunch.
Why You'll Love This Neiman Marcus Cake
From making these 23 times and bringing them to 7 different events over the past year, I can tell you exactly why they're gone in minutes. These bars stay good for 5 days in the fridge - I know because Emma packs them in his lunchbox and they're still gooey and soft by Friday. The cream cheese layer is what makes them different from regular dessert bars - it never gets firm like cheesecake, it stays this pudding-like consistency that's completely addicting.
Here's what got me hooked: they're really simple once you get the hang of it. Rachel walked me through it twice, and by my third try I had it down. You don't need any fancy equipment, the ingredients are stuff you probably already have, and you can make them the night before a party. My sister Amy, who swears she can't bake, made great ones on her first try last month after I sent her my notes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Neiman Marcus Cake
- Ingredients for Neiman Marcus Cake
- How To Make Neiman Marcus Cake Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Neiman Marcus Cake
- Neiman Marcus Cake Variations
- Equipment For Neiman Marcus Cake
- Storing Your Neiman Marcus Cake
- The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
- Top Tip
- Why This Neiman Marcus Cake Works
- FAQ
- Time to Make These Legendary Bars!
- Related
- Pairing
- Neiman Marcus Cake
Ingredients for Neiman Marcus Cake
The Crust:
- Yellow cake mix
- Butter
- Egg
- Chopped pecans
The Cream Cheese Layer:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
The Topping:
- Extra powdered sugar for dusting
- More chopped pecans
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Neiman Marcus Cake Step By Step
Prepare Your Baking Pan:
- Grease 9x13 inch baking pan generously with butter
- Line bottom with parchment paper for easy removal
- Preheat oven to 350°F so it's ready
- Toast pecans in dry pan 5 minutes, set aside
Make the Crust Layer:
- Mix cake mix, melted butter, and one egg in bowl
- Stir until it forms thick, cookie-like dough
- Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan
- Sprinkle half the toasted pecans over crust
Create Cream Cheese Filling:
- Beat room temperature cream cheese until smooth
- Add powdered sugar gradually, mixing after each addition
- Mix in eggs one at a time until combined
- Add vanilla extract and beat until fluffy
Assemble the Layers:
- Pour cream cheese mixture over crust layer
- Spread gently to edges with spatula
- Sprinkle remaining toasted pecans on top
- Don't worry if it looks messy
Bake:
- Cool completely in pan before cutting into bars
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes
- Center should still look jiggly when done
- Edges will be golden brown and set
Smart Swaps for Neiman Marcus Cake
What Works:
- Yellow cake mix → White cake mix (tastes fine)
- Butter → Coconut oil (different flavor but works)
- Pecans → Walnuts (Rachel uses these)
- Cream cheese → Neufchâtel (lower fat, still good)
What I Haven't Tried Yet:
- Sugar-free powdered sugar
- Gluten-free cake mix
- Vegan cream cheese
What Failed:
- Skipping the pecans (needs that crunch)
- Margarine instead of butter (tasted flat and weird on batch #11)
- Low-fat cream cheese (too watery, didn't set right on batch #14)
Neiman Marcus Cake Variations
Chocolate Version:
- Use chocolate cake mix for crust
- Add cocoa powder to cream cheese layer
- Top with chocolate chips
- Dust with cocoa instead of powdered sugar
Lemon Bars Style:
- Add lemon zest to cream cheese layer
- Use lemon extract instead of vanilla
- Skip the pecans
- Heavy powdered sugar dusting on top
Coconut Pecan:
- Mix shredded coconut into crust
- Add coconut extract to filling
- Use pecans as usual
- Tastes like German chocolate cake
Pumpkin Spice:
- Add pumpkin pie spice to crust
- Mix pumpkin puree into cream cheese layer
- Use pecans or walnuts
- My sister made this last Thanksgiving
Equipment For Neiman Marcus Cake
- 9x13 baking pan
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls (at least 2)
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Wire cooling rack
Storing Your Neiman Marcus Cake
Fridge Storage (5 days):
- Cool completely first
- Cover tight with plastic wrap or foil
- Keep in fridge, not on counter
- They taste even better on day 2
Freezer (2 months):
- Cut into individual bars first
- Wrap each bar in plastic wrap
- Put wrapped bars in freezer bag
- Thaw in fridge overnight before eating
Make-Ahead:
- Or serve cold (some people like it that way)
- Bake the night before serving
- Store covered in fridge
- Bring to room temp 30 minutes before serving
The Secret Ingredient My Aunt Swears By
My aunt has been making these Neiman Marcus bars since the late 1990s when the legend first started going around. At that Thanksgiving three years ago when I first tried them, I kept asking what made hers taste different from the other versions I'd seen online. She finally told me her secret after I'd eaten my fourth piece - she adds a tablespoon of sour cream to the cream cheese layer. Just one tablespoon mixed in with the cream cheese before adding the powdered sugar.
Her other trick? She uses salted butter in the crust instead of unsalted. Most recipes call for unsalted, but she swears the little bit of salt in salted butter makes the pecans taste better and adds depth to that bottom layer. I tested it on batch #21 (unsalted) versus batch #22 (salted), and she's right - the salted butter version tastes more complex. Now I make them her way every time. That tablespoon of sour cream and the salted butter are small changes, but they're what make people ask "what's different about yours?" when they try them.
Top Tip
- The center should look jiggly and underdone when you pull these from the oven at 40-45 minutes - like it's not cooked enough. That wobbly, soft middle is exactly what you want. I ruined batches 3 and 8 because I kept baking them longer trying to get the center to look "done," and they turned into hard, dry bars that cracked when I cut them. The cream cheese filling firms up as it cools but stays gooey and soft inside, which is the whole point of these bars.
- If you bake them until the center looks completely set and solid, you've gone too far and they'll be more like regular cheesecake bars instead of that pudding-like texture everyone loves. Pull them when they're still wobbly in the middle - trust me on this. The edges will be golden and set, but that center should jiggle when you gently shake the pan. They'll look underbaked, and you'll want to put them back in for "just 5 more minutes." Don't do it.
- Back cooling for 2 hours at room temperature, they'll have that gooey consistency. This is the number one mistake people make with this recipe, and it's why their bars turn out dry and boring instead of soft and good. My aunt told me this on day one, but I didn't believe her until I overbaked those two batches and saw the difference. Now I set my timer for 40 minutes, check them, and pull them even if they look too soft.
Why This Neiman Marcus Cake Works
Back making these 23 times and talking to my aunt about her decades of baking them, here's what makes these Neiman Marcus bars actually work. The cream cheese layer stays gooey because it's mostly cream cheese and eggs with just enough powdered sugar to sweeten it. Most desserts firm up when they cool, but this one doesn't because there's no flour or cornstarch in the filling to make it set. That's why it stays soft and pudding-like even after days in the fridge.
The crust is basically cookie dough pressed into a pan. Neiman Marcus cake mix, butter, and an egg create this shortbread-like base that gets crispy on the edges but stays slightly soft where it meets the cream cheese layer. The pecans matter too - they add crunch and that toasted, nutty flavor that keeps the bars from being too sweet. Without the pecans, these would be too soft and boring. I learned this on batch #17 when I ran out of pecans and tried making them anyway. They were okay but missing something.
FAQ
Why is it called Neiman Marcus cake?
The name comes from an urban legend that started in the 1990s. The story claims a woman ate this cake at Neiman Marcus café, asked for the recipe, and got charged $250 on her credit card. Supposedly she was so mad she shared the recipe everywhere for free as revenge. The whole story is fake - Neiman Marcus never sold this Neiman Marcus cake or charged for recipes.
Is Neiman Marcus cake the same as gooey butter cake?
They're similar but not the same. Both have a cake-like crust and a gooey center, but Neiman Marcus cake uses cream cheese in the filling while traditional gooey butter cake from St. Louis uses just butter, eggs, and sugar. Neiman Marcus cake also has pecans on top and bottom. The texture is close though - both stay soft and gooey in the middle.
What is considered the best cake in the world?
That's completely personal and changes by culture. Some people say Japanese strawberry shortcake, others vote for French opera cake or Italian tiramisu. In America, red velvet and chocolate cake usually top the lists. But honestly, the best cake is whatever you're craving at that moment. For me right now, it's these Neiman Marcus bars.
What was Julia Child's favorite cake?
Julia Child loved a lot of cakes, but she talked about Queen of Sheba cake (a French chocolate almond cake) as one of her favorites. She also really loved simple French apple tart and any cake with good chocolate. She wasn't into super sweet American-style cakes - she preferred European desserts with more subtle, complex flavors.
Time to Make These Legendary Bars!
Now you've got everything you need to make these Neiman Marcus Cake - from the $250 legend story to my aunt's secret sour cream trick. These gooey, pecan-topped bars have become our go-to dessert for every gathering, and I still can't believe how simple they are compared to how fancy they look and taste.
Want more dessert recipes that'll make people ask for seconds? Try our Delicious Spinach Brownies Recipe that sneaks veggies into chocolate (yes, really, and they're good). Craving something fancy? Our 7 Ways to Make Perfect Boston Cream Cupcakes gives you tons of variations on the classic. Or bake our Delicious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies Recipe for those pretty powdered sugar-coated cookies that look like they came from a bakery.
Share your Neiman Marcus cake success with us! We love seeing your versions, especially if you tried my aunt's sour cream trick.
Rate this Neiman Marcus Cake and join our baking community! Drop a comment below if you make these - I read every one and usually reply within a day.
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Neiman Marcus Cake
Neiman Marcus Cake
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking pan (Buttered and lined with parchment paper)
- 1 Hand or stand mixer (For mixing the cream cheese layer)
- 2 Mixing bowls (One for crust, one for filling)
- 1set Measuring cups & spoons
- 1 Rubber spatula (For spreading cream cheese layer)
- 1 Wire rack (For cooling bars)
Ingredients
Crust Layer
- 1 box Yellow cake mix - Any brand
- ½ cup Butter - Salted preferred melted
- 1 Egg Large
- ½ cup Chopped pecans - Toasted
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 oz Cream cheese - Room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Sour cream - Optional adds tang + texture
- 3 ¾ cups Powdered sugar - Aka confectioner's sugar
- 2 Eggs Large
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Topping
- ¼ cup Chopped pecans - Toasted for topping
- Powdered sugar - For dusting after baking
Instructions
-
Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Toast pecans in a dry pan for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
-
Mix yellow cake mix, melted butter, and egg into a thick dough. Press into pan and sprinkle with half the toasted pecans.
-
3 Beat cream cheese and optional sour cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, then eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
-
Pour filling over crust and spread evenly. Top with remaining pecans. Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes until edges are golden and center is jiggly.
-
Cool completely for 2 hours. Cut into bars and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
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