This Kentucky Butter Cake recipe is CRAZY moist, buttery and coated with a sweet buttery sauce that crusts the outside and soaks into the cake making it amazing for days. What you get is a stunning, sweet, buttery, soft cake that is as perfect on its own as it is topped with strawberries and whipped cream!
Kentucky Butter Cake is Officially My Most Favorite Vanilla Pound Cake
This is definitely the winner of the Official Pound Cake Category. Let me explain why…
First, Kentucky Butter Cake is easy to make. Second its flavor is simple and buttery and vanilla-ish. Third its texture is perfection. And fourth…the MOST important part of this cake…is it’s topped with a RIDICULOUS butter/sugar/vanilla sauce that soaks into the cake while also leaving it crispy and sweet on top. It’s like a giant glazed cake doughnut, only better. Better because the cake absorbs so much of the sauce making it dense sweet and really unique. I am in love love love.
Serving Tip
I am going to tell you this Kentucky Butter Cake is better the second day. And even the third day too. And I never say that!
Don’t get me wrong, if you can’t wait, go ahead and eat it the day you make it…but I am telling you…if you can plan ahead at all let this cake take a nap overnight. You will be rewarded.
How to make Kentucky Butter Cake
The batter goes together in a snap…
And here’s the thing. The bundt pan… you will need to HEAVILY grease this guy. The cake needs to cool completely in the pan after you pour the sauce on top. So get out your Crisco or butter and give the pan a healthy slather. Then dust it with a layer of flour for extra help.
I have never had very good luck with the sprays for my bundt cakes. I feel like I have tried them all, but if you have had good luck with a baking spray, go ahead and use that. I just want to stress you need a good grease on this pan before you pour your batter in!
Once it’s baked poke some holes all over the Kentucky butter cake and whip up your sweet butter sauce.
Pour it all over the warm cake…
Allow the bundt cake to cool completely in the pan so the sauce has time to soak in. It will set up on top…
When it’s time, flip that gorgeous lady out of the pan and pray to the bundt gods all goes well. You will have to loosen the cake at its edges with a butter knife to help the process along.
Oh and dusting it with powdered sugar not only makes it pretty, but helps hide any imperfections in the cake.
Then slice it and try your hardest not to groan when you take a slice.
The bottom, that was once the top, with the crackly butter sauce is MY LIFE.
Looking for more Bundt Cake Recipes? Try These:
PrintKentucky Butter Cake
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Prep Time: 20 minutes -
Cook Time: 75 minutes
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Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
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Yield: serves 12 1x
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Category: Cake
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Method: baking
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Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time:
Yield:
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Print Recipe
PinDescription:
This is the most epic pound cake recipe ever!
Ingredients:
Cake
- 1 cup butter, cubed at room temperature (I use and love Challenge Butter)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
Butter Glaze
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C
- Grease a 10″ bundt pan with butter or shortening very liberally. Dust the pan with flour and set aside.
- Place all the cake ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 30 seconds and then increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 65-75 minutes until a toothpick entered into the center comes out clean.
- When the cake is done make the glaze. Combine all ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.
- Poke holes all over the warm cake using a knife and pour the glaze evenly on the cake while still in the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan and then invert the cake onto a serving plate.
- I actually like to make this cake a day in advance, finding it to be more moist and flavorful when it rests overnight.
Notes:
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days
Keywords:: butter, sugar, cake, bundt cake, vanilla cake, pound cake
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Helpful Tip… Out of buttermilk? Here’s a great buttermilk substitution!
Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you're not alone, doesn’t it?
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Made this cake for the 1st time today. It has a great flavor, but when I transfered to the cake plate out of pan, it cracked and opened up in 3 places. No powder sugar is covering this. Did I not cook it long enough or let the butter Glaze set up long enough( i did around 2 hrs)? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
★★★★
Yes, the toughest part IS getting it out of the pan. First, the sugar makes the cake stick to the pan. Run a wet knife around the edge to break the sugar free from the pan. Then turn the pan over and bang the heck out of it with a with a wooden spoon all around the pan. After doing this, and with a gentle shake …. ta da. Perfection and worth all the effort and worries.
★★★★★
I’ve made this cake a few times, it is my nephews favorite. I had him over for dinner a few weeks ago and my oven was broken so I couldn’t bake, but my oven goT fixed yesterday and this is the first thing I’ve baked and since my nephew is coming by today he will be so excited!
Love this cake!!!
★★★★★
I have made this cake a number of times. Absolutely delicious. Being single, I cut the cake into 4 equal pieces then wrap in plastic wrap then cover with alum foil then freeze. To eat I cut a piece, put in alum foil then heat in toaster oven. OMG taste like it was just baked!! Do not microwave!
★★★★★
omg what a great idea!!
What would you suggest for baking time if wanting to turn this into mini Bundt cakes instead of one big Bundt cake?
just made this scrumptious bundt cake. I made this before and added (whisk 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 TBSP of cinnamon) add this to the center of the batter and place the rest of the batter on top. HOLY BUNDT CAKE. This made it even more tasty.
★★★★★
I just made this scrumptious bundt cake. I made this before and added (whisk 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and 1 TBSP of cinnamon) add this to the center of the batter and place the rest of the batter on top. HOLY BUNDT CAKE. This made it even more tasty.
★★★★★
Hi I made this cake yesterday. I didn’t have a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. So how long do I mix the batter using a hand mixer? Also, the bread was a little dry. How many sticks of butter do I use? I used 2. Can I use 3 sticks and 3 cups sugar?
★★★★
Just cut into this cake. I made it last night only because I had some buttermilk hanging out in the fridge. You are right , it is a slice of heaven. Polly put the kettle on it’s time for tea and cake!
I have made this recipe quite a few times, particularly for birthdays as everyone requests it! This cake is AMAZING! I substitute the flour with GF flour and it comes out perfectly.
★★★★★
I would like to know if anyone has tried making this as a cupcake?
If I want to make this into a lemon pound cake, what would your suggestions be for both the cake and the glaze? Thanks!
★★★★★
I would add lemon zest into the cake batter, up to a tablespoon, and you could even add a little lemon extract. In the glaze I would use lemon juice in place of the water!
I just made this today and it’s nice and moist and the flavor is great. But it has a bit of a bitter aftertaste that makes me think it may be the baking powder or soda?
★★★★
check your baking powder…make sure it is aluminum free.
Hi!
Im ready to make this cake but do not have all purpose flour. Can I use cake flour instead? Are the measurements the same?
★★★★★
Yes you can! And yes 🙂
Hi, are we supposed to use salted or unsalted butter? Recipe doesn’t specify.
You can use either. I like to use salted, but if you prefer, unsalted works!