This scrumptious Kentucky Butter Cake is a super moist vanilla butter cake with a sweet butter sauce that soaks through the cake. The butter sauce is also brushed on the outside of the cake creating a heavenly crisp crust that takes this cake over the top. Prepare to be wowed.
Sometimes life just calls for cake and butter! This cake is what dream are made of. If you have never made a Kentucky butter Cake I am going to let you know that they are dangerous. Yes I said it. I am just putting it out there. If you have on intentions of eating just a small portion of this cake than you had better be prepared to deliver pieces to the neighbors as quickly as possible or freeze it as soon it cools.
How do make Kentucky Butter Cake
Butter Cake
First you are going to combine all the dry ingredients for the cake portion such as the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Next you are going to cream your butter and sugar using a mixer. You really want to get it light and fluffy. Then you are going to combine your milk and vinegar to make buttermilk. While the buttermilk is working its magic add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture stirring just until incorporated between each egg.
Now stir in the buttermilk and the dry ingredients in intervals alternating between the two. Stir just until combined. Spoon into well greased and floured bundt pan and bake. Remove from the oven but do not remove from the pan yet. Poke holes in the butter cake using the smaller end of a chopstick or similar sized instrument.
Butter Glaze
While the cake is cooling in a saucepan over medium low heat combine butter, sugar and brandy. Cook until the everything is melted stirring very frequently. Do not let the butter glaze boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Reserve 1/3 cup of the butter sauce to brush over the top of the cake Pour the butter sauce into the holes slowly and carefully. Let the cake cool for a complete total of thirty minutes since it was removed from the oven before inverting. Gently brush the remaining glaze over the cake.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Butter and flour the cake pan very well as there is a lot going on here and you don’t want it to stick. I love Bakers Joy but I was out of it this time so I really had to work with the butter and flour to get all those nooks and crannies.
- You can substitute one cup of buttermilk for the milk and vinegar or save the money and mix it yourself like in the recipe.
- Use the smaller end of a chopstick, a thick bamboo skewer or even a straw to poke holes in the cake.
- Alcohol and its fumes are flammable so put the brandy for the butter glaze in the pan away from the flame.
- As always preheat your oven and load the cake on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- The cake should cool about 30 minutes total time after taking out of the oven before inverting so plan everything accordingly. Too short of time or too long of time could cause the cake to stick.
- Do not let the butter sauce boil. Stay right there with it so you can keep a close eye on it.
- This cake is even more delicious the second day. Trust me on that one!
Other cake recipes you will love!!
- Quick and Easy Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
- Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
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PrintKentucky Butter Cake
An easy to make scrumptious butter vanilla cake with a five ingredient glaze that creates an amazing crust and soaks into the cake keeping it moist for days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Butter Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Butter Glaze
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons brandy (water can be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan (12 cup).
- In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; approximately 5 minutes.
- Mix milk and vinegar together in separate small bowl or measuring cup.
- Add eggs one at a time to butter/sugar mixture stirring just until incorporated. Add the vanilla. Stir in milk/vinegar mixture and dry ingredients in intervals alternating between the two: stirring just until combined. Spoon into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from the oven but do not remove from the pan.
- Poke holes in the butter cake using the smaller end of a chopstick or similar sized instrument. Go close but not all the way through to the bottom. In small saucepan add sugar, butter and brandy. Place over medium low heat and stir very frequently until melted. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Reserve 1/3 cup of butter glaze. Slowly and carefully pour over poked holes. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes from the time of removing it from the oven before inverting. Once inverted and cooled gently brush remaining glaze over the top of the cake.
Notes
- Butter and flour the cake pan very well as there is a lot going on here and you don’t want it to stick. I love Bakers Joy but I was out of it this time so I really had to work with the butter and flour to get all those nooks and crannies.
- You can substitute one cup of buttermilk for the milk and vinegar or save the money and mix it yourself like in the recipe.
- Use the smaller end of a chopstick, a thick bamboo skewer or even a straw to poke holes in the cake.
- Alcohol and its fumes are flammable so put the brandy for the butter glaze in the pan away from the flame.
- As always preheat your oven and load the cake on the middle rack in the center of the oven.
- The cake should cool about 30 minutes total time after taking out of the oven before inverting so plan everything accordingly. Too short of time or too long of time could cause the cake to stick.
- Do not let the butter sauce boil. Stay right there with it so you can keep a close eye on it.
- This cake is even more delicious the second day. Trust me on that one!
Keywords: butter bundt cake, butter cake, butter poke cake, cake, vanilla butter cake
