This butter cake will surprise you. I had never had Kentucky Butter Cake before the random Tuesday when I made this recipe and sat in awe of its deliciousness.
While the ingredients are uncomplicated, and the cake is seemingly simple with no icing or frosting, you’ll be surprised at the satisfying flavor the moment you take a bite. I officially want to make this Kentucky Butter Cake recipe a weekly occurrence.
The butter and buttermilk in the cake give it moistness and body and baking it in a bundt pan leaves it with a sweet, thinly crisp exterior that reminds me of the top of a corn muffin from Dunkin’ Donuts. (Or, I guess just Dunkin’ now.) And, if you’ve had one of those, you know how good that flavor and texture is.
After you bake this rich butter cake, you pierce its warm top with a skewer or toothpick to make tiny little tunnels for your BUTTER SAUCE to seep in. I mean, enough said. The key is to pour the sauce, which you prepare while the bundt cake is baking, over the poked cake while it is still hot and in the pan. It soaks into the crumb of the cake to add flavor and moisture into its crevices.
I’m not positive where Kentucky Butter Cake got its origin, having just stumbled across it when looking for a simple and delicious vanilla pound cake, but after doing some research it seems to me that the luxurious butter, sugar, vanilla sauce is what makes this butter cake an official Kentucky Butter Cake. Wherever it came from, I’m glad it’s here!
kentucky butter cake
Notes
Recipe adapted slightly from The Spruce Eats
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 cups/13 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 large eggs
For the Sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Set your oven rack just below the center and preheat your oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or spray it generously with a non-stick baking spray. This is important so the the cake will invert cleanly after it is baked.
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, 2 cups of sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk, 1 cup of butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and the eggs. Mix on low until the flour is absorbed and then increase the speed to medium to beat for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, place a small saucepan on the stovetop and add to it the 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of butter, 3 tablespoons of water, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Turn the heat on to low and cook, stirring, just until butter melts but do not bring the mixture to a boil.
- When the cake is complete, remove from oven and place on a rack (keep in pan). While it is hot, pierce it all over with a toothpick or skewer to create little tunnels for the sauce.
- Pour the hot butter sauce over the warm cake and let the cake stand 5 to 10 minutes, or until sauce is absorbed.
- Carefully turn the cake out onto a serving plate and let cool completely (if you can wait that long) before slicing and serving
If you’re looking for other delicious cake recipes, might I suggest:
