Easy Old-Fashioned Moist Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast!!! This recipe for traditional Kentucky Butter Cake comes from my podcast guest, Cheryl Norris. Her mother, a single mom to 7 children with no time to spare, regularly made this super easy, one bowl butter cake recipe for her appreciative children. Listen to Cheryl's episode, I Thought My Mother Was the Strongest Woman in the World while you make her mother's moist, glazed Best Ever Kentucky Butter Cake!  

What to Expect: Flavor and Texture

• This is a soft, moist cake.
• It is just short of a fluffy cake - but not as crumbly as a yellow cake. Only just lighter than an old-fashioned pound cake.
• As far as flavor, this is a rich cake, with a lovely butter flavor, scented with vanilla or rum.
• The best part of a Kentucky Butter Cake is the butter-sugar glaze that goes all over the cake immediately, while still warm, forming a crumbly crust.
• The simplest of family recipes you'll soon grow to love. Top 10 Storied Recipes ever, definitely the best cake on the site, and a favorite family dessert.

What makes an old-fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake so unique? 

When Mom started making this cake, we knew not to go far!

Cheryl Norris, Contestant on Season 4 Great American Bake-off

• Cheryl says all her siblings, nieces, and nephews would gather around waiting for the first bite of this cake and would even risk burning their fingers on...
• That sugary-buttery, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth, syrup-soaked crust!!
• The thing that sets this cake apart is the sweet butter glaze.
• When poured all over the cake while still hot, the buttery sugary syrup leaks into the cake and forms a heavenly crust that Cheryl says is even worth burning your fingers for!
• Make this cake is made in a bundt pan to maximize the crunchy edges. 

Learn More About Cheryl
& Her Inspiring Mother

Despite poverty, mom always cooked amazing food with the simplest tools. Her love was expressed in the food that she made and shared.

Cheryl Norris, Season 4 Great American Bakeoff

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How To Contact Cheryl of Bakes By Brown Sugar

Website: www.bakesbybrownsugar.com

Instagram: instagram.com/bakesbybrownsugar

Instructions: How do you make a Kentucky Butter Cake from scratch?

KBC is an easy homemade cake made in just one bowl with the simplest ingredients. If you take a little time to bring your eggs and butter to room temperature, the rest will come together in just 5 minutes!

• Mix up Cheryl's patented flour-butter release and brush into the pan
• Mix in one bowl - you don't even have to take the extra step to cream butter and sugar
• Pour into prepared pan
• Make sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat
• Poke holes in the bottom of the cake (Cheryl says to shoot for 80!)
• Let the cake cool on a cooling rack
• Pour the remaining glaze on top of the cake

Top tips from Cheryl

• If you're in a hurry and you just took your eggs out of the refrigerator, put your eggs in warm water to bring to room temperature.
• Cheryl's flour-butter release is much better than non-stick cooking spray. Don't skip the step of making and brushing on this release!

History & Origins: How did it get the name Kentucky Butter Cake?

Here's the simple truth: No one knows.

Despite rumors on the internet, a Kentucky Butter Cake was never a Pillsbury Bakeoff Contest winner. Nell Lewis was never a winner. You can fact check me here at the Pillsbury website.

Butter and buttermilk is a mainstay of Southern cooking. Both are prevalent in this traditional cake and Kentucky is a Southern state so part of the answer may lay in those ingredients.

Cheryl's recipe calls for rum in both the cake itself and the glaze (replaceable with vanilla, if you prefer.) If that were originally bourbon, it would perhaps also be a clue?

Either way, I've searched the internet high and low for another name for this cake and all seem to agree there's only one name for this moist butter cake with a crumbly glazed crust: Kentucky Butter Cake.

Simple Ingredients

• A Kentucky Butter cake is the simplest cake you can find. The ingredients are truly pantry staples: eggs, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, and buttermilk.
• Don't skip the buttermilk. Buttermilk is essential for the rise of the cake and its tender texture.
• Also, the Second (and most important) is the butter sugar syrup that clings to every edge of the cake, creating a crumbly, dense, melt-in-your-mouth texture. 

Substitutions

• Don't have buttermilk on hand? No problem! Pour 2 tablespoons of something acidic - either white vinegar or lemon juice - into a one cup measuring cup. Top off with milk to the one cup line.

Relatives of the Kentucky Butter Cake: Differences and Similarities

What is the difference between Traditional Butter Cake vs. Traditional Pound Cake?

Butter cakes and pound cakes are similar - in fact, sometimes a Kentucky Butter cake is called a Kentucky Butter Pound Cake.

The nice thing about a butter cake is that it's still rich, just not quite as heavy as a pound cake. Also, the lighter texture allows for the absorption of the delicious syrup - a necessity.

Here are the key differences:

• Quantity of butter: Traditional pound cakes have four key ingredients in equal weight: one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Butter cakes have a higher ratio of butter - and a more buttery flavor.
• Dairy: Butter cakes include dairy products like milk, buttermilk, or sour cream, which produces a slightly lighter and fluffier cake than a pound cake. (Although butter cakes still have a somewhat dense crumb.)
• Shape: Both butter and pound cakes can be made in bundt or loaf pans. Butter cakes are sometimes layered.
• Served with: Both are generally served simply with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, perhaps with a little ice cream or custard on the side, and have a few mix-ins.

What is the difference between Butter Cake vs. Gooey Butter Cake?

1. Ingredients: Gooey butter cake is buttery cake base made with a cake mix, butter, and eggs. The top layer is a sweet and gooey mixture made from cream cheese, powdered sugar, and more eggs.
2. Texture: Gooey butter cakes have this additional top layer that is typically sweet and somewhat dense.
3. Flavor: Gooey butter cakes have a sweet and slightly tangy flavor due to the cream cheese topping.
4. Variations: Gooey butter cakes can come in various flavors and variations. They may include ingredients like chocolate, fruit, or nuts in the gooey topping, creating different flavors and textures.

What is the Difference between Butter Cake vs. Yellow Cake?

Butter cake and yellow cake are two distinct types of cakes, each with its own characteristics. Here are the primary differences between the two:

1. Ingredients: The color of the Yellow Cake is achieved by using egg yolks in the batter, as opposed to whole eggs in a butter cake. Also, Yellow cakes are typically made with a combination of butter and/or oil.
2. Flavor: Because of the higher quantity of eggs and the possible use of oil, yellow cakes have a lighter, more neutral flavor compared to butter cakes.
3. Texture: Yellow cakes typically have a lighter and fluffier texture compared to butter cakes. They are often used as a base for various types of frosting and fillings.
4. Versatility: Yellow cakes are versatile and serve as a great base for a variety of frostings, fillings, and flavorings. They are commonly used for layer cakes and sheet cakes and can pair well with various icing and filling choices

Variations

A Kentucky Butter Cake is a pretty specific cake - don't mess with it much. The main differences can come in the baking pan or with the things you serve alongside the cake.

Differences in Baking Pan:

• 2 loaf pans
• Lined springform pan
• Tube pan
• Bundt pan. This is highly recommended as it gives the most crevices and corners for the glaze to cling to

Flavorings:

• Add liqueur, rum, or bourbon to the sweet buttery sauce on top. Use any extract of your choosing. (But start with a little and add more to taste!)
• Serve with fresh fruit or fresh berries

Top/Serve With

• Fresh fruit
• Cup of coffee
• Whipped cream or ice cream on individual slices

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• Bundt pan
• Mixing bowl
• Pastry brush
• Stand mixer OR hand mixer
• Long skewer

Storage

• NOTHING is as good as when this cake is warm! It's a very, very quickly prepped cake so I recommend making it fresh.
• However, if you are making this in advance, the important thing to remember when storing a butter cake is that it will dry out in the fridge, so you'll want to keep it at room temperature or frozen. 
• If you're storing this cake, make sure it is completely cooled down first.
• If you're storing the cake for over 24 hours, wrap it very tightly in saran wrap, and freeze up to several months. Defrost at room temperature. 

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Recipe

Best Ever Old-Fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake Recipe

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5 from 8 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 12 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

This easy, old-fashioned Kentucky Butter Cake is rich, buttery, and soft. Magical butter-sugar syrup creates an irresistible crumbly, melt-in-your mouth crust.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Pan Release

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cake

• 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk* (see Notes)
• 1 cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Butter-Sugar Glaze

• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or rum extract

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

Make sure you listen to Cheryl's episode, "I Thought My Mother Was The Strongest Woman In The World" while you make her Kentucky Butter Cake.

Make The Recipe

For Pan Release

1. Stir together the melted butter and flour in a small bowl until a paste forms.
2. Using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of a 12-cup Bundt pan.
3. (If the mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for about 10 seconds, or until warm and softened.)

Make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 165°C.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the cake ingredients. Use the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 2 minutes (an electric hand mixer will work as well).
3. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt Pan.
5. Bake for 60 – 75 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and prick the cake all over, with a long wooden skewer.

Make the Butter Sauce

1. About 5 minutes before the cake is done combine the sugar, water, and butter in a medium saucepan and heat until the butter melts and sugar dissolves.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Assembly 

1. Use a long skewer to poke at least 30 holes into the bottom of the cake.
2. Pour ¾ cup of the butter sauce all over the exposed portion of the hot cake.
3. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert the cake onto a serving platter.
4. Spoon, pour, or brush the remaining sauce over the cake.
5. Allow the cake to cool for 1 hour before serving.
6. However, if you love warm cake, go ahead and dig in.
7. The cake is great by itself, but also tastes great with whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes

• Buttermilk substitute: Use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, then pour milk on top to make 1 cup.
• DO NOT USE THE IMAGES as a proper visual for the glaze. It's too thick in the images.
• Make sure you listen to Cheryl's episode, "I Thought My Mother Was The Strongest Woman In The World" while you make her Kentucky Butter Cake.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Baking, Cake
• Cuisine: Southern Cooking

Nutrition

• Calories: 519
• Sugar: 47
• Sodium: 334
• Fat: 24
• Saturated Fat: 14
• Carbohydrates: 71
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 120