Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky has several famous dishes, from Kentucky Derby pie to their savory Henry Bain sauce. This moist Kentucky butter cake is one of my favorite Kentucky desserts. It’s easy to mix and bake, and the moist, buttery texture is absolutely sublime. I use some brown sugar in the cake for it’s caramel notes, but a traditional Kentucky butter cake may be made just as successfully with white granulated sugar. If you’re looking for a showstopping cake that doesn’t take a lot of artistic ability, this cake is for you!

Preparation Notes

• Fluted pans, or Bundt cake pans, are usually nonstick, but to be sure of a good release, you should grease and flour the pan or spray it generously with baking spray. Make sure you grease all the nooks and crannies.
• First, combine the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk or spoon.
• Next, using an electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter with the granulated and brown sugars for at least 2 minutes, until fluffy.
• The eggs should be at room temperature as well. Room-temperature yolks and egg whites break up more easily than cold eggs, resulting in a smooth, uniformly textured batter. To bring the eggs to room temperature quickly, put them in a bowl and cover them with warm water. The eggs should be room temperature in about 10 to 15 minutes. With the mixer on medium, mix each egg into the batter before adding the next.
• Beat the vanilla extract into the batter, then begin adding the flour mixture and buttermilk. Add about 1 cup of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk. Mix to blend, then add another cup of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk; blend well. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and blend with the mixer on medium-low just enough to make a smooth batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared fluted/Bundt pan and use a spatula, spoon, or bowl scraper to level the top.

• Bake the cake for 55 to 65 minutes. Mine took about 58 minutes, but some ovens are hotter than others, so begin to check around 55 minutes, or even earlier if you oven runs hot.
• While the cake bakes, combine the glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• When the cake comes out of the oven, set it on a rack and poke holes in it while it’s still in the pan. I use a chopstick to make larger holes than a skewer would make, but a skewer is fine. Set about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the glaze mixture aside in a separate bowl and slowly spoon the remaining glaze over the cake. Give each spoonful a bit of time to sink into the holes you created.
• Let the cake stand for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cake plate. Brush the remaining glaze over the top of the cake.

• Let the cake cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar if you like.

What if my cake is stuck in the pan?

Some pans are better than others—it might help to read reviews when you purchase your pan. If you cake sticks, heat can help to release the cake. Soak a towel in very hot water. Invert the cake onto the cake plate and drape the hot towel over it. The heat should help loosen any fat or syrup that might be holding it in. I used a nonstick 9-inch (10-cup) fluted Wilton pan, which worked well—the cake rose to the top of the pan. Greased with Baker’s Joy, my cake released easily.

How to Store

• Cover the cake and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or store it in the refrigerator and eat within 4 to 5 days.
• Place chilled slices on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a paper towel, and microwave for about 40 to 60 seconds.
• To freeze a whole cake, wrap it well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
• To freeze slices, arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze. When frozen solid, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and foil. Place the wrapped slices in freezer bags; label with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months.

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