Get a taste of Kentucky with this Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe. This recipe is so fluffy and delicious, it will be the best cake to make for friends and family. It is great for any occasion and may become a favorite.

Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
This Butter Cake is very good! This cake is simple and easy to make and will take under an hour to make. This recipe has a moist and soft texture with a wonderful flavor. You will be wanting to make this recipe often for your loved ones and they may love it, so be sure to save this one.
If you crave butter cake all the time, you are going to love Apple Butter Cake Recipe, Gooey Butter Cake, and Butter Pecan Sheet Cake.
Ingredients
- Butter- Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Sugar- Every Great recipe uses sugar in it.
- Eggs- Use eggs that are at room temperature.
- Buttermilk– You can use milk with a bit of vinegar as a substitute.
- Vanilla- Use pure vanilla for the best flavoring.
- Flour- Use all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Baking powder- This will allow your cake to rise in the oven.
- Salt- This will bring out the flavor in your recipe.
- Baking soda– This will allow the doubling of your ingredients.
- Water- This will be added to your filling.
How to Make a Butter Cake
Set the oven to 350 degrees.
Grab the Bundt pan and coat the inside with butter making sure to cover the entire area, sprinkle with flour to keep the cake from sticking.
Add the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or standing mixer and beat to combine for about 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Two at a time add in your eggs and beat to combine and then, the vanilla and buttermilk. (It will look lumpy, but that’s normal)
Combine the baking powder, salt, and baking soda with the flour.
Start adding the flour mixture into the batter, mixing in intervals, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
The batter should be thick and cream and a light shade of yellow, pour into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula.
Place on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes.
When you have 5 minutes left on your timer for the cake, quickly start to make the butter filling.
Filling
Combine the butter, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and melt on medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is fully dissolved.
Take away from heat and add in the vanilla, then place it aside.
Take out the cake and poke about 15 holes into the cake using a skewer.
Pour in the butter mixture, then let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the butter.
Prepare a serving dish and flip the cake over before the sauce starts to thicken and stick to the bundt pan.
Add a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
Serve and enjoy!
Why is it Called Kentucky Butter Cake?
The origin of this Kentucky butter cake is a bit hard to find. But, the conclusion is that it originated from Kentucky and the butter cake part is because of all the butter used in it. This cake comes out tasting like a glazed donut.
How do I Keep Butter Cake Moist?
Keeping your butter cake moist is super easy. First, make sure that it is stored in an airtight container when storing in the fridge or at room temp. With all the butter inside, it will stay moist longer than most cakes.
What Goes In a Butter Cake?
The butter cake is super simple to make. The recipe only has a few ingredients to use to make the batter. You will use vanilla, butter, sugar, buttermilk, and salt.
More Cake Recipes
Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (two sticks) softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla*
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- To prepare the bundt pan, cover the entire inside of the pan with butter, making sure every crevice is covered. Lightly sprinkle flour over the butter coating, covering the entire inside of the pan. This will ensure your cake will not stick. Set the pan aside to prepare the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, or using a stand mixer, combine the butter and the sugar. Beat them together for two to three minutes, until they are smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, two at a time, and then mix in the vanilla and buttermilk. (The mixture will look like it’s curdling, and that’s totally normal.)
- Add the baking powder, salt, and baking soda to the flour. Begin adding the flour mixture into the batter, mixing in increments, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Once the batter is well mixed, it will be light yellow, thick, and creamy. Pour into the pan, and evenly spread the batter filling the pan.
- Bake the cake in the center of the oven, on the middle rack, for 50-55 minutes. Five minutes before the cake is removed from the oven, quickly begin to prepare the butter filling, by combining the butter, sugar, and water, in a medium saucepan. Stir on medium heat, until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then set aside.
- Remove the cake from the oven and use a skewer, or dowel to poke at least 15 holes around the top of the cake. Pour the melted sugar and butter mixture over the cake, filling the holes, then allow the cake to sit for about 15 minutes, so it can absorb the sauce.
- Flip the cake onto a serving dish, to remove the cake from the pan before the sauce thickens and sticks the cake to the pan.
- Sprinkle with a light dusting of powdered sugar before serving.