A sweet buttery glaze that soaks into every pore of the moist cake makes this Kentucky Butter Cake irresistible.
It’s been too long since I’ve shared a cake recipe here and high time I shared with you the joys of Kentucky Butter Cake. We’re talking about one of the richest, moistest pound cakes I’ve made. Baked in tube or bundt form, then doused with the most delicious glaze you’ve tasted, this is a decadent cake that you’ll want to make over and over.
Butter Pound Cake
There’s nothing like a good slice of pound cake to finish a meal. While I love an airy, delicate cake now and then, pound cake is a no-nonsense dessert that stands on its own two feet.
No fancy frostings to mess with or complicated garnishes–just pure buttery cake heaven.
When you don’t want to mess with buttercream frosting, a Kentucky Butter Cake is your answer. All you have to do is drizzle the sauce over the cake and let it set. This easy to make cake is super moist, even days after baking!
When I’m not in the mood to mess with piping–but still want rich flavor–making butter cake from scratch is an easy choice. I just know you’re going to love this homemade southern style pound cake, too!
Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
If you’re not familiar, Kentucky Butter Cake is a variation on pound cake topped with a sweet butter sauce. When you pour the butter sauce over the cake, it saturates the cake completely, infusing every bite with buttery vanilla flavor.
A happy side effect of this method of cake frosting? The butter sauce continues soaking into the cake the longer it sits, meaning this cake tastes even better the second day!
Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
At a glance, full printable recipe found below
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda & Powder, Salt
- Buttermilk or Buttermilk Substitute
- Water
How to Make Butter Cake
In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add in vanilla and mix to combine. Add one cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well. Add half of the buttermilk, mix well to combine. Add remaining flour and mix well to combine. Add remaining buttermilk and mix well to combine.
Prepare a tube or bundt pan by greasing and flouring generously to prevent sticking. While I typically just spray my baking pans with non-stick cooking spray and call it good, with this one, grease and flour WELL. If there’s ever a cake that might try and stick, it’s this one. A good coating of butter, followed by flour, and you’ll be good. Just make sure not to skip that crucial step!
Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes while you prepare the butter sauce.
How to Make Butter Sauce
In a saucepan combine sugar with butter, vanilla extract and water. Cook over medium heat until melted and well combined.
When the cake is cool, then run a knife around the edges and center of the tube pan to loosen the cake. Invert cake onto a wire rack or cake plate.
Prick small holes over the top of the cake and slowly drizzle the sauce over top. Some will run off and down the sides. Use a pastry brush to scoop up that sauce and spread over the sides of your cake.
Recipe Notes
- It’s even more important to grease and flour the cake pan extremely well for this butter cake recipe. This is a sugary cake with a lot of moisture; it WILL stick if you skimp on the greasing and flouring.
- I used unsalted butter when I made this butter cake from scratch. If you only have salted butter on hand, that will work just fine as well.
- Want a little something extra with your butter cake? Feel free to sub the water in the butter sauce with rum or brandy! You might want to give my Easy Rum Cake recipe a try while you’re at it.
More Cake Recipes To Try
I love a simple and delicious Bundt or tube cake, and make them often. Here are some of my other favorite cake recipes to try.
- Easy Rum Cake
- Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- Lemon Bundt Cake
- White Chocolate Cake
- Ooey Gooey Butter Cake
Kentucky Butter Cake
Kentucky Butter Cake
Equipment
- Tube or bundt pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (unsalted) softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
Sauce
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add in vanilla and mix to combine. Add one cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well. Add half of the buttermilk, mix well to combine. Add remaining flour and mix well to combine. Add remaining buttermilk and mix well to combine.
- Prepare a tube or bundt pan by greasing and flouring generously to prevent sticking. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for ten minutes (prepare butter sauce during this time), then run a knife around the edges and center of the tube pan to loosen the cake. Invert cake onto a wire rack or plate.
Butter Sauce
- After removing cake from oven, prepare butter sauce. In a saucepan combine 3/4 cups sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 2 tsp vanilla and 3 tbsp water. Cook over medium heat until melted and well combined.
- After removing the cake from the pan, poke very small holes in the top of the cake, with a toothpick. Slowly drizzle sauce over the cake. Store covered.
Lisa says
I made this for a gift for a friend’s birthday. It is a moist, decadent cake! My friend really loved it, and so did the friends he shared it with. This recipe is def worth keeping!
Gingersnap says
I’ve been making Ky Butter Cake for years. However, when I want to kick it up a notch and make it a true Ky dessert, I use bourbon rather than rum or brandy. Using brandy or rum turns it into just a butter cake as Ky is known for its bourbon.
Jo A Hart Rogers says
I first tried this recipe on my husband who tried to eat the whole cake in a week! He ate a slice with his breakfast instead of toast. He’d have a slice with dinner instead of cornbread OK I do not make cornbread like that with each dinner meal . This guy finds a reason to have a slice. Then our Grands were over a had a slice and think I should have this in the cake pan regularly. I do I make one a week to share with family and friends. It so easy to make. Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature
Lou A Walker says
I just made it can’t hardly wait to try it 🥰
Monica Harris says
This cake is so easy to make and is so delicious. I will definitely be making this cake when I want a butter pound cake.
Bernadette says
Hi I would like to make this cake can I make this in a 9” cake cake pan instead of a bundt pan
Christi Johnstone says
Hi Bernadette, I’ve only made it as shown, but I would guess you’d need either two 9″ pans or a 13×9″ pan, as it will be too much batter for a single 9″ pan.
Virginia Williams says
Can I use cake flour instead all purpose flour.
Christi Johnstone says
Virgina, I’ve only made the recipe as it is shared, so I cannot speak to substitutions. If you successfully sub cake flour in other recipes, then I imagine you’d be fine.
Evelyn says
Can i have 2% milk instead if the buttermilk?
Christi Johnstone says
You can use 2% milk to make a buttermilk substitute.
Marie Olson says
Absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe. Can I store this in my covered cake dish on the counter or does it have to be refrigerated?
Marie Olson says
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks!!