Here’s a classic Kentucky Butter Cake recipe—a rich, buttery, tender cake with a caramelized brown sugar glaze 🍰🧈
Kentucky Butter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Butter Glaze
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven
- 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or tube pan.
- Make the cake batter
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.
- Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with flour. Mix until smooth.
- Bake the cake
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 45–50 minutes (for 9×13 pan) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Prepare the butter glaze
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat.
- Stir until smooth and bubbly, then add vanilla.
- Glaze the cake
- Pour glaze over warm cake, letting it soak in and caramelize slightly.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Tips & Variations
- Extra rich: Use all brown butter for the glaze.
- Mini cakes: Bake in a bundt pan for individual servings.
- Add a touch of bourbon: 1–2 tsp bourbon in the glaze gives a classic Kentucky flavor.
- Serve with: Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
If you want, I can also give you a dump-and-bake sheet pan version that’s quicker but still buttery and moist.
