St. Louis gooey butter cake

Whisk the yeast into the warm water to dissolve; with no sugar it will not foam, look for a yeasty smell, cloudiness and a slight puff.

Add the milk, eggs, sugar and salt, then two cups of flour holding back half a cup, and mix.

With the mixer running, add the butter.

Switch to the dough hook and add the held-back flour a tablespoon at a time until the batter-dough gathers on the hook and pulls from the sides.

Cover and rise one to two hours in a slightly warm spot, not hot enough to melt the butter.

Coat the bottom and sides of the pan generously with room temperature butter.

Press the risen dough batter into an even layer to the edges; it will look thin.

Second rise in the pan, or refrigerate overnight and bake the next day.

Mix the heavy cream, vanilla and corn syrup together.

Cream the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, then half the flour, then the cream mixture, then the remaining flour.

Fill a pastry bag with the topping, forcing out the air pockets with a scraper, and snip about a one and a half inch opening.

Preheat the oven to 350 with a rack in the centre.

Pipe the topping over the risen base and smooth it into one layer, anchoring it to the sides of the pan so the edges brown and crisp.

Pull off the tape and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned at the edges and still pale with a slight wobble in the centre.

Cool; the cake settles into ravines of gooey topping.

Dust with powdered sugar.