October 20, 2023
Review RecipeRecipe for Kentucky Butter Cake
This simple, classic Kentucky butter cake is irresistible with a rich cake that is topped in a sweet, buttery sauce for an old-fashioned homemade dessert.
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Table of Contents
- The Best Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe Substitutions And Additions
- How To Make The Best Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
- How To Serve Kentucky Butter Pound Cake
- Storing This Recipe For Kentucky Butter Cake
- Why You’ll Love Kentucky Butter Cake
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- JUMP TO RECIPE
This rich, homemade Kentucky butter cake is a deliciously moist pound cake that is perfect to serve anytime you crave something sweet. Drenched in a buttery glaze, it has a slightly crispy outside and a sweet, tender center.
The Best Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe Ingredients
Kentucky Butter cake features a rich buttery flavor that is complemented by a delicious glaze.
Its simple ingredients come together to create a delicious dessert that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
For our butter cake recipe, you’ll need:
For The Cake:
- 2 cups of sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons of rum extract
- ½ teaspoon of butter extract
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
For The Glaze:
- ¾ cup of sugar
- ⅓ cup of salted butter
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 2 teaspoons of rum extract
Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe Substitutions And Additions
RUM EXTRACT: You could use rum or bourbon liquor in place of rum extract. You’ll want to use six teaspoons of liquor in place of two teaspoons of extract.
BUTTER EXTRACT: If you can’t get hold of this, you could use vanilla extract in a pinch, but your cake won’t taste quite as buttery.
BUTTERMILK: If you don’t have buttermilk, use a cup of regular milk and add either a tablespoon of vinegar or a tablespoon of lemon juice.
BAKING SODA: If you don’t have baking soda, just add an extra half tablespoon of baking powder.
POWDERED SUGAR: If the outside of the cake has any imperfections, you could dust it with powdered sugar to hide them and make it look pretty.
How To Make The Best Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
Kentucky butter cake is a classic Southern dessert that has been around for generations. Here’s how you make our recipe for it:
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
The ingredients will be easiest to combine if everything is at room temperature. If you have time, bring the butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature before you begin.
STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, eggs, butter, rum extract, butter extract, and buttermilk. Using a handheld mixer on the highest speed setting, cream together for two minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.
PRO TIP:
Be careful not to overmix the cake batter or your cake will be tough.
STEP THREE: Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Turn the hand mixer down to medium-low speed and continue to beat together until no streaks of the flour mixture remain. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
STEP FOUR: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place it into the oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
PRO TIP:
To check that the cake is done, insert a toothpick. It should come out clean.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cake at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
STEP FIVE: Remove the cake from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
STEP SIX: While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, add the sugar, butter, water, and rum extract.
STEP SEVEN: Whisk together, stirring often, until the mixture is melted together and combined. Watch it closely and remove it from the heat just before it begins to bubble.
STEP EIGHT: Set aside a third of the butter mixture in a small bowl. Pour the remaining sauce over the cake while still in the pan.
STEP NINE: Once all of the sauce soaks into the cake, carefully turn the bundt pan over onto a serving dish. Drizzle the remaining glaze over the top of the cake before serving.
PRO TIP:
You can serve this delicious cake right away, but it will taste even better if you let it rest overnight before tucking in the next day.
How To Serve Kentucky Butter Pound Cake
This is a moist, buttery cake that is bursting with flavor and goes great with a cup of coffee or tea. Top it with whipped cream and fresh fruit, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
You can also serve it with our iced tea, raspberry tea, peach tea, or strawberry sweet tea on the side.
MORE DESSERT RECIPES
Check out our other old-fashioned cakes, including our applesauce cake and hummingbird cake.
Storing This Recipe For Kentucky Butter Cake
You can store this Kentucky cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, away from direct sunlight. However, if you live in a warmer climate, then you may wish to refrigerate it.
IN THE FRIDGE: If you want to keep the buttery flavor and texture longer, wrap this butter cake tightly in plastic wrap – or put it in an airtight container – before storing it in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, allow the cake to come to room temperature beforehand.
IN THE FREEZER: This Kentucky butter cake recipe can be frozen for up to three months.
Be sure to keep the air out by wrapping it in foil and placing it in a heavy-duty freezer bag so that the flavors don’t become compromised.
PRO TIP:
Make sure to let the cake cool completely before storing, as this will help prevent it from getting soggy.
Why You’ll Love Kentucky Butter Cake
In this recipe, the magical ingredient for a spongy moist cake is the Kentucky butter cake sauce. Much more than a glaze, the sweet buttery sauce hydrates the cake, creating a divine texture that’s just out of this world.
With its buttery, creamy texture and a delightful hint of spice, this delicious treat is perfect for any gathering or special occasion. It’s sure to become a staple in your dessert repertoire.
What Is Kentucky Butter Cake?
Kentucky butter cake begins with a pound cake that has hints of vanilla and rum. Once baked, holes are poked in the cake, and buttery rum-flavored syrup is poured into the holes, soaking into the cake and making it extra moist.
Why Is It called Kentucky Butter Cake?
While the origins are not certain, it is likely that the cake was originally made in Kentucky and has a buttery rich flavor.
What Does Kentucky Butter Cake Taste Like?
Kentucky butter cake has delicious hints of vanilla and rum both baked into the cake and from the buttery syrup soaked into the cake.
Kentucky Butter Cake FAQs
What size of bundt pan should I use?
A 10-inch/12-cup bundt pan is the size you should use for this recipe.
Can I make this Kentucky butter bundt cake ahead of time?
This Kentucky butter cake tastes much better if made one day ahead of time – the buttery flavor develops, and the cake becomes moister.
Can I turn this into a poke cake?
There are several variations on this recipe that have you poke holes in the cake, and if you would like to do that here, you can. Use a wooden spoon handle or wooden skewer to poke holes in the bottom of the cake before you flip it onto a cake plate, and then pour your glaze. The sweet butter glaze will soak into the holes in the cake to make it extra moist.
What makes a bundt cake different from a regular cake?
Bundt cakes are baked in a special pan that has fluted edges that help form the cake. There is a hole in the middle of the pan, resulting in a hole in the center of the cake. This hole also allows the cake to bake more evenly.
Do you flip a bundt cake when it’s hot?
You’ll want to wait about ten minutes after the cake comes out of the oven before flipping it onto a plate.
How long do you leave a cake in a bundt pan before taking it out?
You’ll want to leave the cake in the bundt pan for about ten minutes before removing it from the pan.
What is the trick to getting a cake out of a bundt pan?
To get the cake out of the bundt pan, you will want to flip it over onto a plate. Give the pan a good few bangs before lifting it off the cake.
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Kentucky Butter Pound Cake
This simple, classic Kentucky butter cake is irresistible with a rich cake that is topped in a sweet, buttery sauce for an old-fashioned homemade dessert.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 10
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 teaspoons rum extract
- ½ teaspoon butter extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Glaze
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup salted butter
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons rum extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a (10-inch) bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add sugar, eggs, softened butter, rum extract, butter extract, and buttermilk. Using a hand mixer on the high speed setting, cream together the wet mixture until it is light and fluffy. This should take about 2 minutes.
- Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Continue to beat together on medium-low, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until the mixture is combined and no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix the batter or it will yield a tough cake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Place in the oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the bundt cake from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make your sauce by adding a medium saucepan over medium-low heat to the stovetop. Add sugar, butter, water, and rum extract. Whisk together stirring often until the mixture is melted together and combined. You don’t want this sauce to boil so watch it carefully and remove it from the heat right before it begins to bubble.
- Once the sauce has been removed from the stovetop, reserve ⅓ cup in a small bowl. Pour the remaining sauce over the cake while still in the bundt pan.
- Once the cake has soaked up all of the sauce, carefully turn the bundt pan over onto a serving dish. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the top of the cake before serving.
Notes
- The ingredients will be easiest to combine if everything is at room temperature. If you have time bring the butter, eggs, and buttermilk to room temperature before you begin.
- Be careful not to overmix the cake batter or your cake will be tough.
- To check that the cake is done, insert a toothpick. It should come out clean.
- You can serve this delicious cake right away, but it will taste even better if you let it rest overnight before tucking in the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 889IU | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Gloria says
This is such a classic, old-fashioned dessert.. I love it!
adesigningdiva says
This cake is the best, moist and golden. And YES you can taste the butter!
Julie says
This is so yummy!