Kentucky Butter Cake

3.68 from 37 votes

The best recipe for a deliciously moist Kentucky Butter Cake with a sweet vanilla-butter glaze a light and tender crumb, and a crunchy, sugary crust!

Prep Time30

Cook Time50

Cool Time30

Total Time1 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Kentucky Butter Cake

Servings:

Calories: 455kcal

Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature or slightly softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs (preferably room temperature)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

FOR THE GLAZE

¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and have a rack centered in the oven. Generously grease a 10-cup capacity bundt pan and dust with flour. Knock out any excess and set aside.
Sift the flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, whisk in the baking powder and sea salt over a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes, until visibly lightened in color and fluffy. Scrape the side of the bowl and mix once more.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time, taking care to mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla, scrape the side of the bowl and mix once more.
Mixing on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in three additions to the wet batter. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix once more.
Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and make the glaze.
To make the glaze, add all of the glaze ingredients to a small saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil -- reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
Poke holes about ¾" from one another into the cake using a skewer (or another tool similar in size). Slowly pour about ⅔'s of the glaze evenly over the cake, stopping as needed to give the glaze time to absorb.
Set aside for about 30 minutes, allowing the cake to further cool and the glaze to evenly distribute throughout the cake.
If necessary, place the remaining syrup in the pan back over medium-heat to return it liquid form. Carefully invert the cake onto your serving dish and using a pastry brush, brush with remaining syrup. Serve and enjoy!

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