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:
Category:
Method:
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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
- 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
Nutrition Information:
Keywords: butter, sugar, cake, bundt cake, vanilla cake, pound cake
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Helpful Tip… Out of buttermilk? Check out my post on How To Make Buttermilk at home!
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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My family LOVES this cake; I’ve made it multiple times since finding it a few years ago. It’s always our go to. Thank you!!
★★★★★
This is is almost right on. When mixing the cake batter add 1 egg at a time. The dry ingredients should be mixed in a separate bowl and added in small amount at a time and butter milk is always last. The butter sauce should be 1 cup of sugar, a stick of butter, 2 table spoons of water cook that until smooth and remove from heat then add 2 table spoons of vanilla or rum extract. But everything else is right.
★★★★
I can’t print this recipe,I try to save it and it goes to register, so I do and it starts all over again..round and round..upsetting
I agree with everyone that stated the Cake was very easy to put together, but I found the cake lacked flavor and not very sweet.
★★
I use this recipe for almost every sort of cake I make. Sometimes apples or nuts lemon fruit and whipped cream. It is the best.!
★★★★★
Can you freeze this cake?
Not much of a baker so this may be a silly question but can this recipe be used in mini Bundt cake molds as well?
★★★★★
Sure! Just adjust the bake time!
I just started collecting Nordic Ware Bundt pans and found this recipe and it did not disappoint! It might be the one and only recipe I’ll ever make, it’s so good! We love vanilla so the only difference I made was doubling the vanilla extract. I made the recipe in a 10 cup pan and it rose above the pan. I think I’ll try a 12 cup pan in the future. We had to try it right away and warmed the left overs the next day with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Both delicious! Thank you so much for… Read more »
I can’t wait to make this. Does it matter salted versus unsalted butter??
I use salted, but that’s a personal preference!
Thank you!!
If you use salted butter, don’t use salt .
I think my kitchen is too cold to consider my butter at room temp (left out for two days). I must have made it in the warmer months in the past. Will you recommend that bakers may want to whip butter and sugar first if they keep their homes at sweatshirt temp, please. I am waiting to see how it turns out. I may have to make a second cake, but my grown sons will eat the “failure” if necessary. You can see in a previous note that I LOVE this cake!
I want to make this today for Christmas dinner! I don’t have a stand mixer so can I use a good hand mixer for the batter? Please answer ASAP!!!
You can use a hand mixer 🙂
Yes
★★★★★
Amazing! Making again for second time!
★★★★★
Love hearing this!!
Ok I figured out how to post pics…wonderful recipe! The best.
★★★★★
Gorgeous!!
Beautiful!!
I would like to add a picture of how wonderful this cake turned out. As we speak I am baking a variation with lemon flavor and raspberry sweet butter that I cannot wait to indulge in! Thank you for this wonderful delight!
★★★★★
Omg!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love this cake. I’ve made it twice in less than 10 days. This is my favorite go to recipe for now on
★★★★★