Gooey with the gold!

Clementine's Gooey Butter Cake Wins Gold at the 2026 sofi Awards

Our Gooey Butter Cake, one of the most beloved baked goods to ever come out of our kitchen, has been named a Gold Winner in the Bread & Bakery category at the 2026 sofi Awards! If you know Clementine's, you know this cake. If you haven't yet, allow us to set the scene properly.

What is Gooey Butter Cake?

A happy baking accident in St. Louis gave us Gooey Butter Cake. Beneath a caramelized, golden crust lies a lusciously soft center made from cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and butter, baked just until set and intentionally gooey. The final flourish is a snowfall of powdered sugar, creating a delicate sweetness that melts into every rich bite. It's less a traditional cake and more a deeply nostalgic city dessert that blurs the line between custard and pastry.

What are the SoFi Awards?

Hosted by the Specialty Food Association, the sofi Awards are among the most respected honors in the specialty food industry. Founded in 1952, the SFA represents more than 4,000 businesses nationwide and has spent decades championing excellence, craftsmanship, and innovation in food.

Each year, the sofi Awards recognize standout products across 25 categories, including snacks, beverages, cheese, frozen, and baked goods. Every product undergoes a rigorous, blind-tasting process, evaluated by top industry buyers who assess entries based on taste, ingredient quality, and innovation.

In other words, no packaging, no branding, no backstory. Just the food, to speak for itself.

A Gold Win for Gooey Butter Cake

At the January 2026 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Diego, California, our Gooey Butter Cake earned Gold in the Bread & Bakery category, standing out among hundreds of entries from producers across the country.

This award is especially close to our hearts because Gooey Butter Cake is more than just a dessert. It's a piece of St. Louis food history. What began decades ago as a happy baking accident has become a regional icon, and we've always felt a deep responsibility to do it justice.

To have our "love letter to St. Louis" recognized in a blind tasting by industry experts is an honor we don't take lightly.

Why This Win Matters

The Sofi Awards are the "Oscars of the food world," and for good reason. A Gold sofi signals to retailers, buyers, and food lovers alike that a product truly excels where it matters most: flavor and craftsmanship.

For us, this win reinforces what we've always believed. Those nostalgic foods deserve just as much care and intention as the most avant-garde creations. That baked goods can be both comforting and award-worthy. And that sometimes, the simplest ideas executed well are the most powerful.

How to Enjoy Our Award-Winning Cake

Our Gooey Butter Cakes are baked and frozen, which means they ship beautifully and are incredibly easy to enjoy. Thaw, slice, and serve. No baking required. No special prep. Just pure gooey joy.

You can find them at all Clementine's Ice Cream parlors or order nationwide through Goldbelly, making it easy to send St. Louis sweetness anywhere in the country.

Whether you're serving it at a celebration, gifting it to someone who misses home, or keeping it all to yourself, this is the exact cake that earned Gold on one of the biggest specialty food stages in the world.

From Our Kitchen to Yours

Winning a Gold Sofi is a milestone moment for our team, but at the end of the day, our favorite judges are still you. The guests who come back for another slice. The families who make this cake part of their holidays. The customers who tell us it tastes just like they remember.

Thank you for supporting our work, our bakery, and our belief that food should be joyful, nostalgic, and made with care.

Now, excuse us while we celebrate with a fork and a huge slice!