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Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe from Scratch

This Kentucky Butter Cake is simply delicious and ridiculously easy! You can’t mess it up! Rich buttery pound cake drenched in a vanilla sauce and if desired, served with Vanilla Bourbon Caramel sauce.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12 -16 slices
Calories: 513 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour I use unbleached
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk*
CAKE
  • 1 cup butter room temp, cubed
  • 2 cups sugar I use all-natural cane sugar, regular white may be used
  • 4 large eggs room temp
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract not teaspoon
VANILLA BUTTER GLAZE
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar unbleached cane sugar (granulated may be substituted)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by slathering with butter, using a pastry brush if needed to get up and down the sides and the center tube siding. Dust the bundt pan with a few tablespoons of flour, knocking out any excess. Set aside.
  2. Preheat your oven to 325° F, see Notes for high altitude adjustments.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer works too) place ingredients in order listed. Mix on low for 30 seconds to combine ingredients, slowly increasing speed to medium for 3-4 minutes. Mix a bit longer if you've used natural cane sugar as it's more granular. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-75 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.
  4. The cake should be a beautiful golden color and have some small cracks on top. Remove from oven and set on cooling rack.
Butter Glaze
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a small saucepan, place all glaze ingredients and stir consistently over medium-low heat. Stir until butter and sugar is dissolved, if using natural cane sugar, reduce your heat slightly and stir, cooking a bit longer. Do not boil. Remove from stovetop once the glaze has thickened slightly and set aside.
  2. Using a butterknife or chopstick, poke holes all over cake, trying to go all of the way to the bottom of the cake, this will allow that glaze to seep through the entire cake. Pour warm glaze evenly over the warm cake, I like to pour a little extra at the edges and center, so those get extra crunchy with the glaze as it cools. Allow cake to cool completely in pan.
  3. Once cooled, invert pan onto serving plate. It might help to carefully insert a butter knife along the edges and sides of cake if it's sticking a bit. If that doesn't do the trick, place cake in preheated 325°F oven for 5 minutes, remove and invert immediately. Allow to cool before dusting with sugar. Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar.
  4. If desired, serve cake with warmed Bourbon Vanilla Sauce. Cake is fresh for up to 3 days, a week in the fridge or up to a couple months if frozen.

Notes

  • No Buttermilk? No problem, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk, stir and let stand 5 minutes.
  • Forget to bring your eggs to room temp? Simply immerse eggs in bowl of warm water for 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
  • High Altitude Adjustments
  • I did not alter the ingredients at all for high altitude, if you are above 7,000 feet, you may want to reduce your baking soda and baking powder by ¼ teaspoon.
  • Otherwise make as directed, but do BAKE AT A HIGHER TEMPERATURE, preheat and bake at 350 degrees, unless you are using a dark coated pan.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 513kcal (26%) Carbohydrates 71g (24%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 118mg (39%) Sodium 483mg (20%) Potassium 93mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 47g (94%) Vitamin A 753IU (15%) Calcium 64mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12-16 slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 513

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 513kcal 26%
Carbohydrates 71g 24%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 118mg 39%
Sodium 483mg 20%
Potassium 93mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 47g 94%
Vitamin A 753IU 15%
Calcium 64mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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