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–+ servings
slice of Kentucky butter cake on white plate.
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5 from 78 votes

Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky Butter Cake is a classic dessert that has been enjoyed by generations of Southerners. This rich, buttery cake is made with simple ingredients but packs a delicious punch.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Calories: 417kcal

Equipment

  • 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 16 tablespoon unsalted butter -room temperature (2 sticks)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar

Butter Rum Syrup

  • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cups granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon rum or rum extract - optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
  • Grease and flour a bundt pan. Set aside until needed.
  • Add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla to a large bowl and mix together until well combined. Set aside until needed.
  • Add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
  • Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low for one minute, just enough to mix the ingredients together.
    Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the rest of the buttermilk mixture.
    Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue whipping the mixture for 3 minutes. The finished batter will be creamy and pale.
    Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.
  • Place the cake pan on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack (still in the pan) to cool for 10 minutes.
  • After ten minutes, use a wooden skewer to poke 35- 40 holes in the bottom of the cake.
    Go about three-quarters of the way down with the skewer.
  • Spoon the butter rum syrup over the bottom of the cake so that it seeps down into the holes you poked in the cake. If the syrup is pooling on the surface, poke more holes in the cake so that it absorbs the syrup. Let the cake fully cool for about 30 minutes.
    *Reserve about one-third of a cup of the butter syrup to brush the outside of the cake
  • Place a serving plate over the cake pan and invert the cake and remove the pan.
  • Brush the outside of the cake with the reserved butter rum syrup and any syrup that oozes out onto the serving plate.

Butter Rum Syrup

  • Add the butter, granulated sugar, water, vanilla, and rum to a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved (1-2 minutes).

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 634IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg