Kentucky Butter Cake

February 6, 2020 by Beth Pierce 55 Comments

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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.

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!

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