This Kentucky butter cake is rich, buttery, and soaked in a sweet vanilla butter sauce that keeps every bite incredibly moist. I've found the magic of this cake is how the warm glaze seeps into the bundt cake while it cools, creating a dense buttery texture that somehow gets even better the next day. The vanilla flavor really shines here, and the crisp sugary edges from the glaze are honestly one of my favorite parts.
Featured Review
"This cake was a huge hit!! One of the best tasting cakes I've ever had. I love a good butter cake and had never made one of my own. I will definitely be making this again."
Kim
Cookies, brownies, sheet cakes, and baked bundt cakes are some of my favorites. Check out my recipe for my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Basically baking anything involving butter and sugar.
This cake reminds me of my Crack Cake Recipe, that cake is also a bundt cake that is soaked in a butter-sugar syrup but that syrup is made with wine! Make sure to bake that cake recipe next.
The texture of this cake reminds me of the butter cake at Lazy Dog restaurants. It's moist, buttery, and dense.
Another reason I love this cake is that it is perfect for a party is that it needs time to sit and really let the butter sauce soak in. So its ideal to make this cake the day before you want to serve it.
The Ingredients Behind That Buttery Vanilla Flavor
- Buttermilk: While testing this cake recipe I found that using buttermilk keeps the cake extra tender while balancing all the buttery richness beautifully.
- Unsalted Butter: Since butter is the main flavor here, I always recommend using good-quality butter because it really comes through in both the cake and glaze.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: I love using real vanilla extract here because the vanilla flavor is one of the stars of the cake.
- Butter Sauce: Honestly, the glaze is what makes this cake special. I love how it soaks into the warm cake and creates those sweet buttery edges throughout.
Let's Turn Butter and Sugar Into Dessert
I like to dust powdered sugar on top of the cake. This cake actually gets better with age, it gives more time of the sauce to really soak in.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Ultra Moist Kentucky Butter Cake with Sweet Butter Sauce
This Kentucky butter cake is rich, buttery, and soaked in a sweet vanilla butter sauce that keeps every bite incredibly moist. I've found the magic of this cake is how the warm glaze seeps into the bundt cake while it cools, creating a dense buttery texture that somehow gets even better the next day. The vanilla flavor really shines here, and the crisp sugary edges from the glaze are honestly one of my favorite parts.
- Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
- Yield: 12-16 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Cake
- 375 Grams (3 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 400 Grams (2 Cups) Granulated/ Caster Sugar
- 8oz (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 8oz (1 Cup) Buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
Butter Sauce
- 200 Grams (1 Cup) Granulated/ Caster Sugar
- 20z (¼ Cup) Water
- 4oz (½ Cup) Unsalted Butter
- 1 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325F/163C and heavily grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan, set aside while you prepare the filling.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together for two minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl then beat again for another 2-3 minutes. This is not a typo, the butter and sugar need to cream for a long time, don't skip this step.
- While the butter is mixing in a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Once the butter mixture is light and fluffy add the first egg and mix until no yolk remains. Repeat until all eggs have been added, the mixture may look curdled, which is fine.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and gently fold in. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add the buttermilk mixture, mixing until fully combined, but do not over mix. Add remaining flour mixture. Do not over mix the cake batter, you don't want to over-develop the gluten.
- Pour into the prepared cake pan and use an offset spatula to spread the batter into an even layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no wet batter, moist crumbs are okay. The internal temperature of the cake should be 210F/99C.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, in this time prepare the sweet butter sauce.
Butter Sauce
- In a small saucepan combine all sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Use a skewer or thin metal piece to poke holes all over the cake. Pour the glaze on top and let the cake sit for 30-45 minutes, no longer or you risk the cake becoming stuck. Place a large plate on top and invert the cake onto a serving platter.
- Serve with desired toppings and store leftovers in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cool Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Jacqueline says
Hey can I make this in advance and freeze?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Jacqueline, thanks for stopping by. You can totally freeze the cake, once it has baked and the glaze has been poured on let the cake come to room temperature. Once it's at room temperature cover the cake in plastic wrap tightly, do this twice to ensure its fully sealed, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then when you want to serve it I suggest taking it out of the freezer a few hours before. Let me know if you have any further questions or if you try the cake! XX Liz
Sadaf Maniya says
Hi! I think you forgot to mention the buttermilk in the ingredients.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Sadaf, you are right it somehow got deleted completely, so sorry about that, thank you for letting me know. The recipe has now been updated to reflect the 1 cup of buttermilk in the ingredients list. Please let me know if you have any other questions about the recipe or if you make it, I would love to know what you think! XX Liz
Pat GoodePatricisgoode says
I will surely make this cake it,looks,so,delicious do can I use all purpose flour with baking powder and baking soda and just granulated sugar please let me know right away my birthday is in March thank you,P
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Pat, thanks for reaching out! I am not quite sure what your question is as all of those ingredients you listed are ingredients of this cake. Please let me know so I can help! Can't wait for you to try it! XX Liz
Kim says
This cake was a huge hit!! One of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever had. I love a good butter cake and had never made one of my own. I will definitely be making this again.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Kim, thanks so much for coming back to leave a review, I truly appreciate it! Our family loves this too!! So glad you enjoyed the cake!! Take care. XX Liz
Florence Diop says
This cake is delicious. My husband is very hard to please but he cannot eat enough of this cake. Excellent recipe. It will be made multiple times.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Florence, thank you SO Much for coming back to star rate and review the recipe. I truly appreciate it. So happy your hubby enjoyed the cake!! Take care. XX Liz
Alli says
Can I add fresh strawberries to the cake? Not to top with but to bake inside?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Alli, you can definitely try I have never done that before, but if you add too many strawberries it can affect the texture of the cake as the strawberries will add moisture. If anything I would chop the strawberrires then toss them in a tablespoon of flour to coat to try and prevent them from sinking in the cake. Please let me know if you try it how you get on! Thanks. XX Liz
Lisa says
This was wonderful and I didn’t change a thing except I halved all ingredients and made a loaf pan size cake! Super yummy!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Awesome, so pleased to hear you enjoyed the cake Lisa! Take care. XX Liz
CC says
Delicious. I made one for thanksgiving dinner and it went fast. My kids begged me to make another one (the next day) as they only got to enjoy a small piece at dinner. Excellent!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review CC, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! Take care. XX Liz
Mag says
This recipe rules! Be made it for my family and for a Super Bowl party, both times it was a hit!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much Mag, makes me so happy to read you have enjoyed the recipe multiple times!! Thank you for the 5-star review, really helps!! Take care. XX Liz