Butter Cake

5 from 4 votes

The first time you take a bite of this gooey butter cake, you'll wonder why it took you so long to discover this delectable dessert.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 607kcal

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with baking spray.
Beat together the cake layer ingredients. Press into the prepared pan.
Beat cream cheese, butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add in the powdered sugar and beat until creamy and combined. Spread over the first layer.
Bake the butter cake for 40 minutes until golden and puffy.
Meanwhile, make a butter sauce by combining butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking regularly, until mixture has turned slightly golden and thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract.
Pour butter sauce over butter cake (either warm or after the cake has cooled) and serve.

Be sure the eggs (and all ingredients) are at room temperature when mixing the cake layers. This helps them to combine evenly. For example, if the eggs are cold, they will harden up the cream cheese while beating it together and cause lumps in the mixture.
The bottom cake layer is sticky. If you grease your spatula with a bit of butter or nonstick cooking spray, it will be much easier to press the dough into the pan without it getting stuck to the spatula.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to keep a close eye on your cake as the suggested baking time approaches.
The butter sauce will thicken the longer you cook it. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes, and it was thick enough to hold its shape when poured over the cake.