Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky Butter Cake is a delicious moist Bundt cake that’s easy to make and uses ingredients you probably have in your pantry and fridge.  Quick to put together, it’s great for a last minute cake.

TIPS

The rum flavoring is optional, but I highly recommend it.. it takes the cake up a notch.  If you replace the water in the sauce with rum, then use 2 teaspoons vanilla and don’t use the rum extract.  If all you have is rum extract and no rum … then use the water and 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 teaspoons rum extract.

If you decide not to use any rum or rum extract… use the water in the sauce and use 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

I like to use a straw to poke the cake .. it makes nice size holes to easily pour the butter sauce in to them.

I also highly recommend that you consider the low end of the baking time and only add more time if your oven is off.   The full 60 minutes baking time produces a considerably dryer cake, if your oven is accurate. 

Make sure your baking powder and baking soda are not expired… your cake won’t rise properly if it’s past its expiration.

This recipe appears all over the web and many reviewers advised not to double the butter sauce… we made it with just the recipe amount.. and felt it could use a little more… it’s up to you…

A quick dusting of powdered sugar makes a great presentation.

I hope you try this!

Recipe:  Kentucky Butter Cake

All you need:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

For the Butter Rum Sauce:

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

3 tablespoons water or rum * See TIPS

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon rum extract *See TIPS

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven 325 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  I use a whisk to mix, just slowly mix it with the whisk or you’ll have a mess.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.   Slowly add the flour mixture.   Then at slow speed, add the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.   Once everything is in and combined, beat at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Spread the batter (it will be quite thick) in the prepared Bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. ** Make sure you read the TIPS about the baking time.  Let cake cool for 5-10 minutes.

Leave the cake in the cake pan and use a straw to poke holes in the cake.  Poke a lot of holes and push the straw in pretty deeply.  Using a spoon…

While the cake is finishing baking and then cooling, make the Butter Rum Sauce.   It will take about 10 minutes.  Allow the sauce to cool about 5 minutes before spooning the sauce into the holes in the cake.

Let the cake sit for about 10 minutes after you have spooned all the sauce into the holes to give it a chance to sink in.  The remove the cake from the cake pan and allow to cool.

To Make the Butter Rum Sauce:

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.  Cook over low/medium heat and stir until the butter and sugar a fully melted and combined.  **Do not allow to boil or let the butter brown.. if needed, lower the heat slightly.