Kentucky Butter Cake – This cake recipe is super simple, but what a delicacy! The buttery bourbon glaze makes it insanely moist and an absolute pleasure to eat. 😋 It’s a unique recipe if you’re tired of the same old desserts.
Anytime I mention this recipe to someone, I get hit with the same two questions: What is a Kentucky butter cake? And what does it taste like? A Kentucky butter cake is light, fluffy, and baked in a tube pan. It tastes similar to a cake donut, but when you infuse it with the glaze, it becomes a super buttery, ultra-moist cake to die for.
It’s so good, in fact, that it requires no icing at all, just that beautiful glaze. I usually plate it up with some whipped cream and fresh berries. Not only does it taste amazing, but it also looks gorgeous. 😍
Why It’s Called a Kentucky Butter Cake
Whether this butter cake originated in Kentucky is still a mystery. I believe it’s called a KY butter cake because of the bourbon glaze. After all, 95% of the world’s bourbon is made in Kentucky. 🥃
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – It’s a butter cake y’all. You better believe there’s plenty of butter in the cake and the glaze!
- Flour – A pantry staple, all-purpose flour makes the perfect cake in the recipe. You’ll be adding baking powder and salt to it, too.
- Cream Cheese – Giving this cake the perfect amount of tang, cream cheese also makes for a lighter, fluffier cake.
- Buttermilk – Moisture and just a bit of tartness make this cake pure heaven.
- Glaze – For the glaze, you’ll need more sugar, butter, water, vanilla extract, and a splash of bourbon.
How to Make Kentucky Butter Cake
Make the Cake
- Prep the Tools – Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Then generously grease a tube or bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar – Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar at high speed with a stand or handheld mixer until it’s fluffy and looks white, about 5 minutes. (Photo 1)
- Add Eggs – Stir in the eggs, a little at a time, and beat the mixture well between each addition. (Photos 2-3)
- Dry Ingredients – Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the batter. (Photo 4)
- Finishing Up – Next, add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir well until everything is thoroughly combined but not overmixed. Scrape down the mixing bowl’s sides. (Photos 5-6)
- Pour the Batter into the greased tube cake pan. Tap the pan on the work surface to remove any large air bubbles. (Photo 7)
- Bake – Then put it in the oven and bake at 300℉/150℃ until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it will probably take 65 minutes or a little longer.
- Cool – Remove your cake from the oven and set it aside.
Glaze the Cake
- Heat the Ingredients – Add sugar, butter, water, salt, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Heat it on low until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, but don’t let it boil. (Photo 8)
- Add Vanilla – Next, take the mixture off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Save about ⅓ cup of glaze for brushing the outside of the cake.
- Soak the Cake – Poke holes into the cake with a skewer. Then spoon most of the syrup over the top of the cake (but not down the sides), so it can soak in.
- Chill – Then, let the cake cool for 15 -20 minutes.
- Final Stretch – After cooling, invert the cake onto a serving plate.
- Glaze Cake – Brush or glaze the outside of the cake with the remaining glaze.
- Cool – Finally, let it cool and serve with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries, if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Add some warm spices. Make your Kentucky butter cake a little more fall themed by adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice to the batter. 🍂
- Add some crunch. Add dried coconut flakes or some crushed pecans to the batter if you’d like. Both flavors will pair with the bourbon glaze well. Plus, you’ll get a little crunch in each bite too.
Tips and Tricks
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature because they cream so much easier and help to avoid overmixing.
- Grease your tube pan generously, especially if you are using a bundt-style pan with grooves. Give the greased pan a light dusting with flour before pouring in the batter to prevent the cake from sticking.
- If, despite your best efforts, some of the cake sticks to the pan when you turn it over, just give the top of the cake a light dusting with powdered sugar. It tastes good, looks pretty, and covers up any minor imperfections. 🙈
Make-Ahead Instructions
Because it’s infused with glaze, Kentucky butter cake tastes even better the day after you bake it, believe it or not. So, yes! Make this cake the day before you serve it!
You can also freeze this cake, whole or sliced, for up to three months. So if you want to make it even further ahead of time, just freeze it in an airtight container, then thaw it in the fridge the night before serving.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve Kentucky butter cake after it’s completely cooled. Store it covered (I like putting it in a cake carrier) on the countertop at room temperature for three days. If you prefer this cake chilled, you can always store it in the fridge for up to a week if it lasts that long.
If you prefer your cake just a tad warm, heat up individual slices in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
FAQs
Creaming your butter and sugar is key to a moist and fluffy cake! When you’re done creaming, the mix should look pale yellow (almost white) and smooth. If it does, you’ve incorporated enough air to bake a fluffy cake. That said, try not to overmix when adding the remaining ingredients. If you do, you could knock all the air out, and your cake could become dense.
Butter cakes have much more butter, resulting in a moist and denser cake texture. Most people think of butter cakes as regular cakes, at least the ones we’re most accustomed to eating. However, foam cakes are light and airy from well-beaten eggs, sponge cakes being a good example.
Always go with butter for a cake if you can. It has a better flavor and texture than margarine, but if that’s what you have, go for it.
What to Serve With Kentucky Butter Cake
Definitely consider topping this cake with some homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit. It’s a beautiful pairing. 🥹 Maybe some candied pecans and homemade caramel sauce too? I vote yes.
Oh, and don’t forget to serve it with a luscious drink. I’m thinking of a hot chai tea latte or some homemade eggnog. Yum! Whatever you go with, I’m sure it will be delish.
More Delectable Dessert Recipes to Try
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Red Velvet Cheesecake
- Chocolate Guinness Cake
- Buttermilk Pound Cake
Conclusion
You now have what you need to make a simple yet surprisingly unique cake that is wonderfully moist and buttery. Do you have a favorite moisture-infused cake recipe? I’d love to hear what it is in the comment section below.
Watch How to Make It
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Kentucky Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon (8g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (7g) salt
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons bourbon, or replace with water
Instructions
The Butter Cake
- Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Then generously grease a tube or bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar at high speed with a stand or handheld mixer until it's fluffy and looks white, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the eggs a little at a time, and beat the mixture well between each addition.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the batter.
- Next, add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Stir well until everything is thoroughly combined but not overmixed. Scrape down the mixing bowl's sides.
- Pour the batter into the greased tube cake pan. Tap the pan on the work surface to remove any large air bubbles.
- Then put it in the oven and bake at 300℉/150℃ until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, it will probably take 65 minutes or a little longer.
- Take your cake out of the oven and set it aside.
The Glaze
- Add sugar, butter, water, salt, and bourbon in a small saucepan. Heat it on low until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, but don't let it boil.
- Next, take the mixture off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Save about ⅓ cup of glaze for brushing the outside of the cake.
- Poke holes into the cake with a skewer. Then spoon the syrup over the top of the cake (but not down the sides), so it can soak in.
- Then, let the cake cool for 15-20 minutes. After cooling, invert the cake onto a serving plate.
- Brush or glaze the outside of the cake with the remaining glaze.
- Finally, let it cool and serve it with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries, if desired.
Tips & Notes:
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature because they cream so much easier and help to avoid over-mixing.
- Grease your tube pan generously, especially if you are using a bundt-style pan with grooves. Give the greased pan a light dusting with flour before pouring in the batter to prevent the cake from sticking.
- If, despite your best efforts, some of the cake sticks to the pan when you turn it over, just give the top of the cake a light dusting with powdered sugar. It tastes good, looks pretty, and covers up any minor imperfections.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Crystal says
I have been searching for this exact recipe, having only tasted it and never knowing the name. It is a heavenly cake! Could I use a 9×13 cake pan? I don’t have a tube or bundt pan.
Imma says
You certainly can. Just make sure to leave enough room for the batter to rise and adjust the baking time. It should bake faster in a 9×13 pan, so start checking for doneness at around 30 minutes, and keep checking it every 10-15 minutes until it’s firm and golden, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Please let me know how it goes.
Crystal F says
I sure will… thank you for answering my question.
Imma says
My pleasure. Stay in touch 🙂