Kentucky Butter Cake

This Kentucky Butter Cake is rich, buttery, and incredibly tender with a velvety crumb, warm butter sauce, and a simple butter glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bundt cake recipes, butter cake recipes, Kentucky Butter Cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 670kcal

Author Kathleen

Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F (163ºC).
Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour (3 cups), baking powder (2 teaspoons), and salt (1 teaspoon). Set aside.
Cream the butter, oil, and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter (1 cup), oil (2 tablespoons), and sugar (2 cups) until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Prepare the pan: Just before transferring the batter, thoroughly coat a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with Baker's Joy baking spray, making sure to cover every groove.
Add the eggs and extract: Add the eggs one at a time (5), beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract (1 tablespoon).
Finish the batter: Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
Fill the pan: Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and spread evenly.
Bake the cake: Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Make the butter soak: While the cake bakes, combine the sugar (3/4 cup), water (1/3 cup), butter (1/2 cup), and salt (a pinch) in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract (2 teaspoons).
Poke the cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Using a skewer or toothpick, poke holes all over the cake while it is still in the pan.
Add the soak: Slowly spoon the warm butter sauce over the cake, allowing it to absorb between additions.
Rest and unmold: Let the cake rest in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then carefully invert onto a serving plate and cool completely.

Prepare the glaze: Once the cake has cooled completely, place the powdered sugar (1 1/4 cups) and salt (a pinch) in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the warm melted butter (1/4 cup) over the powdered sugar, then add 1 tablespoon milk.
Using a handheld electric mixer on low speed, beat until smooth and creamy. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition, until the glaze is thick but pourable.
Glaze and serve: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set before slicing. For the best flavor and texture, serve the cake at room temperature.

Spray the pan just before filling it. I had excellent results using Baker’s Joy baking spray. Thoroughly coat every groove of your 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan immediately before adding the batter. Spraying the pan too early can allow the coating to settle toward the bottom, making it harder for the cake to release cleanly.
Use room-temperature ingredients. Butter, eggs, and sour cream blend together more smoothly, creating a finer, more tender crumb.
Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the flour disappears to keep the cake soft and tender.
Start checking early. Every oven bakes differently, so begin checking the cake around 48 minutes. It’s done when a bamboo skewer inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Overbaking is the quickest way to lose that incredibly tender crumb.
Pour the butter sauce slowly. Giving the cake time to absorb the sauce between additions helps create its signature buttery flavor without making it soggy.
Cool completely before glazing. A completely cooled cake helps the butter glaze set into a beautiful finish instead of running off the cake.