For the sweet dough, combine sugar, shortening, and salt, only until mixed with an electric mixer. Add egg and beat one minute until well-blended.

Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add flour, then milk-yeast mixture with vanilla, to the dough. Mix three minutes with a dough hook.

Turn dough out on a floured board and knead for one minute. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for one hour. Meanwhile, make gooey butter topping.

For gooey butter topping, combine sugar, butter, and salt. Add egg and corn syrup. Mix to blend ingredients. Add flour, water, and vanilla.

Punch down sweet dough; divide into two pieces. Pat into two well-greased 9 by 9 by 2-inch pans. With fingers, crimp edges halfway up the side of pans so that gooey butter will not run out underneath. After the dough is spread out, punch holes in the dough with a fork to keep the dough from bubbling when baked.

Divide gooey butter into two equal parts. Spread over dough in each pan. Let cakes stand for 20 minutes. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 30 minutes. Do not overbake; the batter will not be gooey if cakes are overbaked.

Let cakes cool; sprinkle with confectioners sugar.